Lanner Noodles & Bar in Cambridge's Central Square to Expand, Opening in Boston's Seaport District

A Chinese restaurant in Cambridge that features noodle dishes is expanding to the Boston waterfront.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, signs are up for Lanner Noodles & Bar in the Seaport District, with the restaurant moving into a space in Seaport Square. An earlier Boston Uncovered article also mentioned this, saying that the new location will debut sometime this year.

Based on the Pearl Street location in Cambridge, expect to see Lanzhou beef noodle soup, a dish commonly found in the northwest part of China which has hand-pulled noodles, while stir-fried noodles, noodle bowls, and various hot and cold small plates along with larger meals could be offered as well.

The website for Lanner Noodles & Bar can be found at https://www.lannernoodles.com/

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Mecha Noodle Bar to Open at Legacy Place in Dedham

A Connecticut-based group of Asian restaurants will be opening another outlet in the Greater Boston area, with this one being in a mixed-use development just southwest of the city.

According to the website for Legacy Place in Dedham, Mecha Noodle Bar is planning to open within the development, joining others in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood and Brookline's Coolidge Corner. Based on those outlets along with other locations in Connecticut, Ohio, Washington, DC, and Colorado, expect to see noodle dishes with Southeast Asian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean influences including ramen and pho.

The website for Mecha Noodle Bar is at https://mechanoodlebar.com/

[October 30, 2025 update: According to a press release, the Legacy Place location of Mecha Noodle Bar is slated to have its official opening on November 8.]

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Lanner Noodles and Bar Opens in Cambridge's Central Square

A brand new Chinese restaurant that features noodle dishes has opened in Cambridge.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Lanner Noodles and Bar is now open in Central Square, moving into the space on Pearl Street that had once been home to Rangzen Tibetan Place. The post says that the new dining spot features Lanzhou beef noodle soup, which is a dish commonly found in the northwest part of China and which has hand-pulled noodles, while the menu also includes stir-fried noodles, noodle bowls, and various hot and cold small plates.

The address for Lanner Noodles and Bar in Central Square is 24 Pearl St, Cambridge, MA 02139. Its website can be found at https://www.lannernoodles.com/

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

 

Noodle Bar by Iterum Foods May Be Opening in East Boston

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a restaurant featuring all things noodles could be coming to East Boston.

According to an article in Eater Boston, the Noodle Bar by Iterum Foods is hoping to open in the Jeffries Point section of Eastie, with Matthew McPherson (Tiki Rock, Menton, Porto, Craigie on Main, Frogmore, Fairsted Kitchen) currently in lease negotiations for a space on Sumner Street that had once been home to 303 Cafe. Its website indicates that the proposed eatery would be a casual spot that focuses on sustainability and zero waste, featuring a variety of noodle-based dishes with Asian influences--and rice noodles and vegetable noodles would be a couple of options. The Noodle Bar by Iterum Foods plans to be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and would also have to-go items available.

The website for the Noodle Bar by Iterum Foods is at https://noodlesbyiterum.com/

[November 14 update: Based on social media posts and its website, it looks like Noodle Bar by Iterum Foods could be opening in East Boston later this fall.]

[December 24 update: Eater Boston reports (via an Instagram post from the business) that plans have fallen through for Noodle Bar by Iterum Foods to open on Sumner Street in Jeffries Point, and they are now looking at other locations to open around East Boston.]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Wagamama in Cambridge's Harvard Square Is Closing

A small global chain of Japanese noodle houses is closing another one of its Boston-area locations.

According to a source, Wagamama in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge shuts its doors for good this weekend, with Sunday, July 9 being its last day in operation. A check on its website confirms this, saying that it will close at 3:00 PM that day and referring customers to its shops at Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston and the Prudential Center in the Back Bay. (Another location of Wagamama at MarketStreet Lynnfield shut down last year while a new location is slated for Boston's Seaport District.)

Currently, the only other location of Wagamama in the United States can be found in the Flatiron section of Manhattan.

The address for Wagamama in Harvard Square is 57 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for all locations is at http://www.wagamama.us/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Wagamama at MarketStreet Lynnfield Has Closed

A small global chain of Japanese noodle houses has gotten a bit smaller, as one of its four Boston-area locations has closed.

According to a note on its website, the MarketStreet Lynnfield location of Wagamama has shut down, with the post referring customers to its other locations in Boston's Faneuil Hall, the Prudential Center in the Back Bay, and Harvard Square in Cambridge, which happen to be its only locations in the United States. The Lynnfield outlet of the eatery first opened in the fall of 2013 around the time that the open-air retail center near the intersection of Routes 128/95 and Walnut Street was just starting to get up and running.

In addition to its three remaining Boston-area locations, Wagamama--which is headquartered in Britain--can also be found in a handful of other countries including Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Qatar, and Turkey. Its website can be found at http://www.wagamama.us/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Shojo Team to Open Ruckus Noodles in Boston's Chinatown

A noodle bar is on its way to downtown Boston, and the people behind a highly-rated dining and drinking spot in the same building are behind it.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Brendan and Brian Moy of Shojo in Chinatown will be opening Ruckus Noodles, with executive chef Mark O'Leary apparently heading up the kitchen and the menu. An update from Eater Boston mentions that the menu has not been finalized for the Tyler Street eatery, though it sounds like a variety of Asian soups could be offered.

Shojo first opened in the summer of 2012 and has been a favorite among diners and critics alike; The Improper Bostonian gave it a "best of" award for the Chinatown neighborhood in 2015, while Boston Magazine awarded it best ramen in the Boston area in 2015. [Ed note: The Shojo team now runs The Best Little Restaurant on Hudson Street as well as of June, 2016.]

The address for this upcoming noodle bar in Chinatown is: Ruckus Noodles, 5 Tyler Street, Boston, MA, 02111.

[May 18, 2017: A source (Geoff Wong) tells us that work is currently being done on the Ruckus Noodles space and that it could be opening in about a month or so.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Zenna Noodle Bar in Brookline Has Closed

It looks like an Asian fusion restaurant in one of the busiest sections of Brookline has closed.

A Twitter post from Leah Mennies of Boston Magazine seems to confirm what several of our readers have been saying over the past few days, that Zenna Noodle Bar in Coolidge Corner has shuttered. The post from Leah includes a link to a picture showing a sign out front that says "For Lease: Available Immediately."

Zeena Noodle Bar focused mainly on Thai and Vietnamese foods, with the menu including a variety of noodle dishes and noodle soups. Our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) gave a review of Zenna Noodle Bar last year, with the review being at the link below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/blogentries/zenna-noodles-0912.html

The address for this now-closed Asian restaurant in Coolidge Corner was: Zenna Noodle Bar, 1374 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

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Wagamama Plans Major Expansion in the Boston Area

A small global chain of Japanese noodle houses is looking to continue its expansion into the Boston area, with a number of locations possibly opening up over the next few years.

According to The Financial Times, Wagamama is planning to open ten more restaurants in and around Boston by the end of 2013, having the dining spots join the three that are already open in Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, the Prudential Center in the Back Bay, and Harvard Square in Cambridge. Currently, these are the only three locations that can be found in the entire United States. Other Wagamama restaurants can be found in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Kuwait, New Zealand, Australia, and several other countries.

Wagamama's restaurants are modeled after traditional Japanese ramen bars, with such items offered as ramen, chilli men, kare noodle, teppan, and rice dishes. An interesting side note about the chain is the fact that orders are taken via handheld computers and sent to the kitchen electronically.

For more information about Wagamama's planned expansion in the Boston area, please go to the Financial Times link below.

Wagamama confident on US

Wagamama's website can be found at http://www.wagamama.us/

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Blue Ginger Noodle Bar to Open in Wellesley Later This Month

Ming Tsai, the chef and owner of acclaimed Asian fusion restaurant Blue Ginger in Wellesley and host of the television cooking show "Simply Ming," is getting ready to open a brand new noodle bar. According to a press release sent to us by Ming East-West, Blue Ginger Noodle Bar will be opening on March 30 within the lounge at Blue Ginger on Washington Street in Wellesley Center.

The menu at the Blue Ginger Noodle Bar will feature ramen noodle soups as well as stir-fry dishes such as garlic miso ramen, spicy pork miso ramen, and pad Thai. Prices for lunch entrees will be $12, and will include a house pickled salad.

The noodle bar, which will have a capacity of 50 (and a 10-stool bar), will be open for lunch on weekdays from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The main dining room will continue to serve the regular Blue Ginger lunch menu.

Blue Ginger is located at 583 Washington Street (Route 16) in Wellesley.

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