Japanese ramen joined the ethnically diverse restaurant offerings in Wheaton this month and its neighbor, a popular Thai restaurant, expanded next door.
Ren’s Ramen, a Japanese noodle restaurant, opened in Wheaton on June 1 after closing its location in Bethesda last year.
The restaurant serves Sapporo style Japanese soups made of a thick, rich broth, flat yellow noodles, meat, bean sprouts and other toppings.
Sapporo style is characterized by the additional lard that goes into the soup broth, owner Yoko Nakamura said.
“I think the Sapporo style is new for us in the [Washington,] D.C. area or even New York,” Nakamura said.
The restaurant is located at 11403 Amherst Ave. in Wheaton.The 1,250-square-foot restaurant opened after closing its Bethesda location in September.
Nakamura said the change in location took place because the rent was too expensive in Bethesda. The former location was at 6931 Arlington Road.
“This place was just right for us,” Nakamura said.
Nakamura, who is from Osaka, Japan, runs the restaurant with her husband, who is the chef. The couple spent a few months renovating the space, including painting the walls and laying down new floors.
“I think this is a nice place,” Nakamura said. “It’s pretty close to the Metro station.”
Ruan Thai, next door to Ren’s Ramen, reopened with twice the space this month.
The Thai restaurant, which has been open since 1998, went from 57 to 120 seats, employee Paveena Suchotinunt said.
Ruan expanded into the space next door after a catering business moved out late last year. The restaurant signed the lease in November and began months of renovations, Suchotinunt said.
The restaurant expanded to shorten the wait for customers, who often had to stand in line on nights and weekends to get a seat, Suchotinunt said.
“The business has just been expanding over the years,” Suchotinunt said. “Customers always ask how come we don’t move to a bigger space or have more seating.”
The Thai restaurant renovated everything from the inside out, repaving the parking lot, painting the exterior and installing a new sign outside.
The interior was transformed with fresh paint that features jade on the top half of the wall and gold on the bottom, Suchotinunt said. The wood paneling on the walls was removed and a new bar was installed. Instead of carpet, the restaurant now has wood floors, the both bathrooms were renovated. Carved wooden artwork from Thailand hangs on the walls.
“Before, we just had 15 tables,” Suchotinunt said. “Now it’s a better accommodation for everyone.”
ktousignant@gazette.net
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