This local restaurant chain just opened its 2nd Boise location. A 3rd is coming soon

If you haven’t heard of Nara Ramen, you haven’t been paying attention to the Boise restaurant scene.

Headquartered in the City of Trees, the local brand debuted 16 months ago at 7610 W. State St. before launching locations in Twin Falls and Bismarck, North Dakota. It’s generated lots of rave reviews on Google and Yelp. “The ramen is delicious, fresh and the best in Boise,” one Yelp review says.

Now Nara Ramen has a second Boise location — in Bown Crossing.

The new restaurant soft-opened Monday at 3110 S. Bown Way, in the former home of Locavore. Reservations are required until Friday, when Nara will hold its grand opening and begin accepting walk-ins.

A counter-service restaurant, Nara on State features more than a dozen ramen options ranging in price from $11-$14.75. The restaurant also serves Asian steamed (bao) buns and several boba teas.

At Bown Crossing, Nara Ramen has added sushi to the menu, along with more appetizers, plus beer, wine and sake. Sushi options include rolls starting at $7 and running up to $14.95 for fancier choices such as the eight-piece Black Dragon Roll (filled with spicy kani, cucumber and asparagus, topped with baked eel, avocado and eel sauce). There’s also sashimi on the menu.

A third Boise location, set to open by early summer, also will serve both ramen and sushi at 8675 W. Franklin Road, owner Johnny Deng recently told the Statesman. It will take over the old 208 Pho & Vegan space, Deng explained via email — with “a lot more sushi” than the Bown Crossing restaurant, he added.

Hours for the new Bown Crossing Nara Ramen are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.