Next UnderBelly to Beef Up Ramen Menu With Yakitori

Curious Eater readers asked us for more details on North Park's UnderBelly, one of this fall's most anticipated openings.

The eatery is set to for a mid-September launch in the North Parker, the new mixed-use, food and drink-filled complex developed by architect Jonathan Segal, who also built "The Q" building in Little Italy that houses the original, 800-square-foot ramen shop.

There's considerably more room here, with an 1,000-square-foot patio and 1,800-square-feet of interior space. CH Projects' Arsalun Tafazoli told Eater that the location was chosen because if afforded them the opportunity to build exactly what they wanted, which includes UnderBelly's now-signature design elements crafted by Basile Studio.

The restaurant is the first of the hospitality group's concepts to be duplicated and the company's fifth opening of the year, its eleventh overall. Tafazoli shared that UnderBelly's original location has more than exceeded the company's expectations since it debuted in 2011; saying that ironically, "nobody thought it was a good idea" in the beginning.

He says that the bigger kitchen will allow them to add other varieties of ramen with different house made broths to the Little Italy menu and expand the food offerings to include yakitori, cooked over charcoal and wood chips on a custom-made grill, that will range from the traditional beef tongue to vegan-friendly options.
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