HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. - A growing Japanese restaurant chain - known for incorporating 24-karat gold flakes into dishes - is set to open its first location in the Lehigh Valley.
Kinya Ramen Sushi Bar, offering "authentic Japanese foods and flavors with fun twists," is listed as coming soon to the Airport Shopping Center, 925 Airport Center Drive, Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
The space previously housed Roma Ristorante, which closed in 2020 after 10 years of business.
Kinya has nearly a dozen locations open or coming soon in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Florida, according to the business' website.
Other regional "coming soon" locations are in Royersford, Montgomery County; Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County; and South Plainfield, New Jersey.
A Kinya representative did not immediately return a message seeking more information, including a target opening date.
Kinya, "home of the golden noodle," is known for its various specialties that feature 24-karat gold flakes, including Kinya ramen (pork broth with black garlic oil flavor, topped with fish cake, chopped scallions, ginger, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, a seasoned boiled egg and 24-karat gold; served with golden noodles, chicken or pork chashu); and Kinya roll (shrimp tempura with avocado inside and topped with spicy tuna, salmon, mango, tobiko, eel, spicy sauce and 24-karat gold; wrapped in soy paper).
A "Kinya Experience," $42, features Kinya ramen, a Kinya roll and Kinya old-fashioned cocktail.
Kinya, which means "gold" in Japanese, aims for customers to have a "glowing and golden evening," according to the business' website.
"We pride ourselves on the meaning of our name, gold!" a message on the business' website reads. "Gold is fine, pure, and unmatched to any other metal. That is the experience we are giving the customers every-time they eat here at Kinya."
Kinya offers appetizers such as edamame, gyoza, pork buns and soy garlic or spicy wings; bowls such as chicken chashu and poke (salmon, tuna, oshinko, avocado, edmame and sushi rice); nigiri or sashimi such as eel, tuna and yellowtail; and ramen dishes ($15-$18) such as miso, tonkotsu and shrimp tempura.
Restaurants also feature a variety of classic rolls ($5-$6) such as California, Philadelphia and shrimp tempura; and specialty rolls ($13-$18) such as "Tuna Maniac" (tuna with avocado inside and topped with peppered spicy tuna, tobiko, crunch, spicy sauce and eel sauce) and "Lava Roll" (spicy salmon with avocado inside and topped with seared salmon, sriracha and spicy mayo).
Customers also can enjoy a variety of beer, wines, sake and cocktails such as a lychee mojito and mango mai tai.
Kinya restaurants are represented by a Daruma character, a recognizable symbol of perseverance and good luck in Japanese culture.
"The one-eyed Kinya Daruma mascot is a visual representation of our continuing quest to provide high quality food and service for our guests," a message on Kinya's website reads. "... The design of the Daruma combines elements of the Kinya logo and of our brand icons to create a cohesive look between our marks. Wavy lines on his body reference our signature ramen “golden noodles” and his base matches the bottom of a ramen bowl."
Kinya Ramen Sushi Bar will join more than a dozen tenants of the Airport Shopping Center, including other restaurants such as Five Guys, On the Border, Panera Bread, Miller's Ale House, Starbucks, Chipotle and MOD Pizza.
Tenants that have opened over the past six months include Trek Bicycle, Buff City Soap and Wingstop.
