After three months of renovation and furnishing, the new restaurant promises to be more than just an eye-catcher. Once you pass the bar in the front area and the rock panel wall with a large neon sign of the Japanese brewery Kirin in the middle, the tube-like and atmospheric main dining room opens up. It is designed like a street food alley in Japan: the walls are decorated with stylised, indirectly lit shoji (the sliding room dividers used in traditional Japanese architecture), and with roof tile appliqués and boards with street posters. Yellow and red lanterns hang over the tables, and soon street markings on the floor will complete the alley atmosphere.

The Nomiya will have 70 seats inside and initially 40 seats on the terrace in front of the house. The number of outdoor seats could still be increased to a total of 180, says the host.

The core product in the Japanese noodle soup ramen is the broth. "It has to be cooked for eight to twelve hours," explains Nino Wang. "We make a pork broth, a chicken broth and a vegetarian broth. The noodles are also homemade, we make them completely without eggs out of consideration for our vegan guests. Besides, there are more and more people with allergies and intolerances."

Starters (five to seven euros) include edamame, gyoza, seaweed salad and deep-fried octopus balls. The six different ramen dishes (miso, soy or tonkotsu flavoured) will cost between twelve and 18 euros. In addition, there are four don variants, i.e. rice bowls from ten to 13 euros (with freshwater eel or deep-fried chicken, pork belly or vegetables). For dessert, there are Japanese pancakes.

Four draft beers will be on tap: Früh Kölsch, Krombacher Pils, Kirin Lager and Krombacher Weizen (prices were not fixed at the time of going to press). There will also be Japanese whiskies Hibiki and Nikka, Roku gin and oolong and green tea from Japan.

Info: Nomiya Ramen & Drinks, Münsterplatz 5, 53111 Bonn-Innenstadt, www.nomiya-ramen.de. No reservations possible. Open seven days a week. Mon-Sat 11.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Original text: Hagen Haas; Translation: Jean Lennox