A Boston Udon Sensation Unveils Its Second Act

Welcome to the Seaport, Yume Ga Arukara.

The long-awaited second location of popular udon joint Yume Ga Arukara opened on Monday, February 19 in the Seaport. The 16-seat noodle shop joins a slew of restaurants, bars, and entertainment businesses transforming the swanky neighborhood into the city’s newest dining hot spot.

Chef Tomoshiro Shinoda.

The famed udon restaurant was founded by Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Juan Carlos Vidal in 2017 as a tiny, 15-seat counter inside the Japanese food market on Lesley University’s campus in Porter Square. Before making udon, Nishioka opened Yume Wo Katare in 2012, the Jiro-style ramen joint — also known as a dream workshop — that has cultivated a deep relationship with its regulars local and beyond. Nishioka moved to Japan in 2018 to expand the Yume Wo Katare brand but maintained a stake in the joint venture he had with Vidal. After Nishioka sold his stake in Yume Ga Arukara in 2020, the business is now helmed by executive chef Tomoshiro Shinoda, who met Nishioka while working at Yume Wo Katare before his return to Japan. (Vidal is behind a number of Japanese restaurants in Boston, including Ittoku and Cafe Mami, and is still involved in Yume Ga Arukara.)

“It’s been a year and half in the making,” said Shinoda, as the construction took longer than anticipated to move forward. The team had built out the kitchen from scratch and purchased a udon machine straight from Japan to ensure both locations have the same, top quality bowls of udon. But it was worth the effort: The glitzy new establishment features floor-to-ceiling windows that bring in plenty of natural light and a spacious-yet-inviting dining area that allows for friends to catch up over a bowl of udon, a glass of sake or wine, and dessert by Modern Pastry in the North End. “Phones are allowed,” Shinoda says, overturning the long-held tradition at the original Yume Ga Arukara.

For the first few weeks, Shinoda wants to take it slow and largely focus on the classics, which are the cold and hot niku udon, which are chewy udon noodles served in a cold or warm broth with savory sliced beef and other garnishes; both options can be made either spicy or mild. Prior to opening the second udon spot, Shinoda had learned how to make soba under Mutsuko Soma of acclaimed Seattle soba restaurant Kamonegi, which inspired him to hone in on one style of noodles and stay focused.

Yume Ga Arukara’s cold niku udon.

Shinoda hopes to expand the menu once the team settles into the new space. The first most likely dish to be added permanently is biang biang mazesoba, a fusion of Xi’an-style bouncy noodles and brothless ramen (mazesoba) which originated in Nagoya, Japan. It has made appearances on Yume Ga Arukara’s Sunday pop-up menus. The most reliable way to track the debut of menu items is to follow Yume Ga Arukara’s Instagram account. Another highly anticipated item is the Seaport Special, a yuzu shio udon served with chicken chashu.

Inside Yume Ga Arukara’s Seaport location.

Yume Ga Arukara will open daily and have limited hours during its first few weeks of operation while the team finds its footing. “We’ll be open from 11 am until sold out,” Shinoda says. Eventually, he hopes to include dinner service but the exact hours have yet to be determined.

Boston’s newest and most hyped district has seen a number of industry heavyweights — both on the local and national level — setting up shop in recent years. Lauded Boston restaurateur Nia Grace successfully debuted a live music venue and supper club format called Grace by Nia to plenty of acclaim last year, and the area has attracted powerhouse groups like Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to try out the competitive Boston market. The expansion of Yume Ga Arukara into the Seaport District is another vote of confidence towards transforming the Seaport into Boston’s hottest dining destination.

Yume Ga Arukara is located at 70 Pier 4 Blvd, Suite 260, Boston, MA 02110. It’s open daily, 11 a.m. until sold out.