Popular Japanese noodle restaurant chain Ippudo is making its debut in Myanmar, opening a branch in Yangon's new Junction City Shopping Mall.
Chikaranomoto Holdings Co., the Fukuoka-based operator of the ramen restaurant chain, opened its first outlet on Tuesday ahead of a grand opening in May.
The Yangon restaurant is managed by Singapore Myanmar Investco Ltd. under a partnership deal with Chikaranomoto, which plans to launch additional branches across Myanmar.
SMI is an investment and management company that focuses on retail, food and beverages, logistics, auto services and construction in the developing Southeast Asian country.
Kyaw Thaung, operating manager of the Ippudo branch in Myanmar, says he expects to attract relatively affluent consumers to his restaurant by providing "more Japanese food options apart from sushi and sashimi that are widely familiar among Myanmar people."
He added, "Restaurant-goers will be able to taste standardized original recipes of Ippudo's ramen."
Shigemi Kawahara, a native of Fukuoka Prefecture, opened the first Ippudo restaurant in Hakata in 1985. Chikaranomoto boasted a network of 63 outlets in 12 overseas markets at the end of last year.