FANS of ramen, the Japanese noodle soup, will be licking their lips in anticipation of the latest restaurant opening in Brighton.

The London-based ramen bar Tonkotsu is launching in the city in June.

Its premises in New Road will be Tonkotsu’s 14th opening and its first full site outside the capital.

Ahead of the opening there will be a chance to try Tonkotsu’s renowned gyoza at a May Bank Holiday pop-up at UnBarred brewery on May 28 and 29.

Tonkotsu was started in Soho in 2012 by co-founders Ken Yamada and Emma Reynolds and was at the forefront of London’s ramen craze.

As with all its restaurants, at the heart of Tonkotsu Brighton will be its signature ramen bowls, which have been central to its success.

Each bowl is still made with Tonkotsu’s own fresh noodles which are made in three different types in-house daily using mid-century machines imported from Tokyo.

The stocks are made from scratch each day, simmering for hours to get the maximum flavour into each bowl.

Tonkotsu to open in Brighton

Tonkotsu to open in Brighton

The menu at Tonkotsu Brighton will feature the brand’s signature Tonkotsu ramen, a rich and creamy pork and lardo broth with thin-cut noodles, and topped with roast pork belly, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, spring onions, burnt garlic oil and a seasoned egg.

Other favourites include the Chilli Chicken Ramen – a chicken and sea salt broth with Tonkotsu’s Eat The Bits Chilli Oil – and the vegan Mushroom Miso ramen.

All the soups can be customised with extra toppings such as kimchi or the super spicy scotch bonnet hot shot.

Tonkotsu says “no visit would be would be complete without a few plump, juicy gyoza” and Tonkotsu Brighton will be serving up freshly steamed batches of the classic pork, ginger and garlic, as well as king prawn, and shiitake and ginger.

It adds: “Tonkotsu’s chicken kara-age is some of the best fried chicken around and it will feature on the Brighton menu alongside Eat The Bits Chilli chicken wings, plus a new vegan cauliflower version of the wings.”

There will be a short drinks menu to match Tonkotsu’s food, including a sake made specially for the restaurant by the Tsuji Brewery in Okayama.

Closer to home, there will be beer from Brighton’s own UnBarred Brewery in Elder Place, which will be welcoming Ken and Emma to its taproom on May 28 and 29 for a pop-up.

You can sample Tonkotsu’s gyoza alongside UnBarred’s unique beers and there will also be the chance to get hold of a few prizes and exclusive offers for when the restaurant fully opens in mid June.

You can also sign up to the Tonkotsu Brighton mailing list for a special soft launch offer and the chance to win a £50 gift card (https://bit.ly/3TonkComp).

The New Road restaurant been designed by Brighton-based Blenheim Design, who were also behind the Peckham and Haggerston locations in London.

It will feature modern patterned tiles, wooden floors and bright red stools at the separate bar area and an LED light installation of Tonkotsu’s mantra “If you don’t make your own noodles, you’re just a soup shop”.