Sazan Ramen Is Opening a New Restaurant in West Campus

A bowl of tori paitan ramen from Sazan Ramen.

Highland Japanese restaurant Sazan Ramen is expanding with a second restaurant in West Campus this year. The 609 West 29th Street spot will open sometime in late 2022.

While Sazan is known for its tori paitan ramen, made with a creamy chicken broth, the restaurant will switch things up for the new restaurant. Instead, the still-unnamed West Campus restaurant will serve miso-style ramen.

Also on deck will be appetizers such as chicken wings, dumplings, takoyaki, and mochi. There will be a full bar as well, serving cocktails, Japanese whiskys, and beer.

Leading Sazan’s kitchen is newish chief kitchen officer Kris Hammond, who joined the team in late 2020. Before the Austin restaurant, the Korean-Japanese-Italian-American chef worked at Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant GreenRiver, Michelin Bib Gourmand Shanghai restaurant Alma, and Colorado restaurant the Regional. Then there’s owner and CEO Taiki Wakayama, who had operated a bunch of East Coast ramen restaurants; and managing partner and COO Darrel Oribello.

Wakayama and Oribello opened the Austin restaurant in July 2020, then with chef Shun Shiroma (who is now the executive chef of Dubai-based Japanese restaurant 3Fils).

This new Sazan is taking over the former space belonging to Colorado-based microbrew beer bar Growler USA. The Austin location opened in 2016 but closed earlier this February.

Update, Tuesday, November 1, 10:23 a.m.: This article, originally published on May 31, has been updated with new details about Sazan’s second restaurant.