Japanese Ramen Brand Afuri Continues Portland Expansion With Future Slabtown Spot

Afuri, a Japan-based ramen shop with two Portland locations, is in major growth mode. Early this year, the company announced that Afuri would open its first Beaverton location in March; now, it looks like a fourth is in the works in Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood.

In an Oregonian piece about a new Fifty Licks location in Northwest Portland (story coming soon; stay tuned), Michael Russell blew past the news that Afuri is opening a location within the Carson Apartments building. Project manager Liz Allan confirmed that Afuri is opening a new shop, something Allan calls a “Ramen Lab”: A large commissary kitchen will be visible to guests, and the space will primarily stick to ramen and dumplings as opposed to the larger sushi and izakaya menus at other locations. Allan says the space will also host pop-ups, but other than that, her lips are sealed until the other location opens March 18.

Afuri is the only ramen shop on Eater’s map of essential Portland restaurants, thanks to its pristine yuzu shio broth, rich and unctuous tonkotsu tantanmen, and delicate, lacy gyoza. Stay tuned for more information on Afuri’s “ramen lab.”

• Afuri [Official]
• One of Portland’s Best Ramen Shops Will Open a Beaverton Restaurant March 18 [EPDX]
• One of Portland’s best ice cream shops to open first west-side location [O]