Popular ramen bar chain opening third restaurant in SC. Here’s where

Greenville will be the third location in South Carolina for Jinya Ramen Bar, known for its slow cooked ramen.

The opening date has not been announced, but the signs are up on the building at Magnolia Park on Woodruff Road.

There are also locations in Charleston and Hilton Head. The chain has 30 or so locations across the United States and Canada.

So far this year, new restaurants have opened in Langley, British Columbia, Canada; Hackensack, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

The company was started by Tomo Takahashi, whose family owned restaurants in Tokyo. He came to the United States in 2010 and opened his first restaurant in Studio City, California.

A video on the Jinya website says he had always wanted to own a restaurant in Hollywood. Close enough. Studio City is about seven miles away. There are seven in the greater Los Angeles area.

The not-so-secret recipe for their ramen is to simmer the broth for their six flavors for 20 hours in whole pork bones, chicken or vegetables with “just the right amount of bonito, dashi, miso, kombu, and other classic Japanese ingredients.”

The broth turns out thick and rich. They prepare the broth in FUJI water and age the noodles before and after they cook.

Toppings include pork chashu, poached egg and fresh garlic.

They also serve sushi, salads, mini tacos and rice bowls. Small plates include shrimp tempura, spring rolls, salmon jalapeno sashimi and pork gyoza.

“Tomo knew what it would take to build a great restaurant. His father had owned an Isakaya-style restaurant named Jinya, where he focused on three values: Delicious food at reasonable prices that’s accessible to all,” the website says.

Their saying reflects the Japanese love of ramen, which they equate to Americans’ love of hamburgers.

“No ramen, no life,” they say.