QUEENS — A new restaurant serving primarily ramen noodles is about to join the ever-expanding Forest Hills dining scene.
I Ramen Inc. will open its doors in mid May at 72-34 Austin St., the owners said. The eatery is set to replace Snow Story, an ice cream store that closed last November, five months after opening.
“We are going to make Japanese-style ramen noodles,” said Peggy Lee, who will run I Ramen with her family.
She said the menu has yet to be finalized, but will also include a variety of dumplings.
The family, Lee said, has four other food businesses in Flushing — including a bakery, sushi restaurant, and noodle store — but this will be their first restaurant in Forest Hills.
“We saw this spot and thought it was a great location for a ramen restaurant,” Lee said. “People from all over the world live here, and they like different types of food.”
She added that locals have expressed significant interest in Asian food, as the neighborhood's Asian population has grown rapidly over the past few years.
I Ramen Inc. will be adjacent to an Asian bakery serving Vietnamese sandwiches. A sushi restaurant is also located on the same block.
Several restaurants in the neighborhood serve ramen, but there is no eatery almost entirely dedicated to the popular dish, which is a mixture of broth and noodles.
Lee said the restaurant will feature a noodle bar, as well as several tables.
