Fuku Ramen to Offer Noodles, Boba Tea in Midtown Village

A new Japanese noodle and tea restaurant is looking to open its doors in Midtown Village later this month.

Fuku Ramen, which will set up shop in the former home of Pho Town, will specialize in ramen, but also offer familiar Asian dishes such as dumplings and miso soup. Caleigh Calvin, the manager at Fuku Ramen, said that the inspiration behind opening the restaurant is to give Tuscaloosa something it doesn't already have -- a place that specializes specifically in ramen noodles.

"It's a little twist on what people are used to eating," Calvin said. "Then, we also have rice bowls like some traditional stuff that if you were to go to a regular Chinese restaurant or Japanese restaurant, they would have."

The restaurant will also feature a boba bar, offering the popular Asian tea that can be enjoyed with or without milk and has tapioca pearls in the drink. Calvin said that there are no restaurants or shops in the Tuscaloosa area that currently sell Boba.

Sam Lin, who owns and operates Fuku Ramen, previously ran a restaurant in Birmingham that had to close earlier this year. He said he is looking forward to opening in Tuscaloosa and being closer to the student population here.

"[Ramen restaurants have opened] in Connecticut and New York because they have people who know about the environment so its getting more popular right now," Lin said. "We have a location here close to the university so we really want to focus on the young people."

Lin said that the restaurant will still be doing soft openings for now, but is eyeing an official opening by Nov. 21.

For more information, check out the Fuku Ramen Facebook page here.