Around Town

JINYA Ramen Bar coming to Ballston Quarter this spring

(Updated 10:40 a.m. on 12/1/21) A new outpost of JINYA Ramen Bar is coming to Ballston Quarter as soon as March, according to a local restaurant group.

The restaurant appears to replace Spanish tapas restaurant and soccer-watching venue Copa Kitchen & Bar, which closed earlier this month in a space adjacent to the Quarter Market food hall.

Ballston Quarter will be JINYA’s fifth location the D.C. area, with others located in Merrifield’s Mosaic District, Reston Town Center, 14th Street NW in D.C. and the Pike & Rose shopping center in North Bethesda. In total, the chain has 42 locations in the U.S. and Canada with multiple new locations in the pipeline, according to the company.

More from a press release:

Introducing a new JINYA Ramen Bar location in the DMV Area, expected to open in March 2022 in Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd Suite 150, Arlington, VA 22203). At JINYA, experience ramen for the first time on this side of the Pacific like it was meant to be – with thick, rich broth in perfect balance with handmade noodles.

JINYA is ramen culture, where the relationship between broth and noodles is serious but delicious business. From the water we use to prepare our broths – we only use FUJI which is 99.9 percent free from impurities – to the special aging process that our noodles undergo before they’re cooked and served, we’re crazy about ramen and pay meticulous attention to everything that goes into your bowl. You’ll quickly see why at JINYA we say, “No ramen, no life.”

Ramen and Japanese Whisky are at the heart of our menu. Besides our Tonkatsu Ramen, Spicy Chicken Ramen and Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen, guests will have a range of chef curated pairings of spirits and beer to experience with their favorite JINYA offerings. Each pairing ranges in price from $16- $24. See below for a full list:

  • Toki Highball with Brussel Sprouts Tempura – $17.5
  • NIKKA from the Barrel with Takoyaki Octopus Ball – $18
  • SAPPORO with Karage Crispy Chicken – $17
  • HIBIKI Harmony with JINYA bun – $16

In addition to dining in, customers can order for takeout and delivery online, over the phone and through Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates and Doordash.

The restaurant group behind the Ballston JINYA location, Harvest Eats LLC, is linked to local restaurateur Sam Shoja, who owned Emilie’s in D.C. — now a Mexican restaurant under his ownership — and, according to Eater, other Washington area franchises of JINYA. Shoja also previously owned a stake in Ballston Quarter eatery Hot Lola’s.