Shop Ramen opens second kitchen in Preston

Pat Breen and Lydia Wegner open their second Shop Ramen in Preston on Wednesday.

Set in a former second-hand furniture store on Plenty Road, Shop Ramen Preston is both standalone restaurant and prep kitchen for the original Shop Ramen in Collingwood.

"We set it up initially because we needed more kitchen space," says Breen, "but then decided to add a dining room to it, too. It's got a similar vibe and aesthetic to Collingwood. We didn't want to do anything too crazy out there; we just wanted to keep it pretty chill and casual."

The menu and drinks list is the same in both stores: Japanese soup with house-made ramen wheat noodles in either a pork, chicken, beef or vegetable-based broth; steamed bao (buns) and rice bowls; Japanese beers and local wines. But with more space and better facilities, Breen and Wegner would eventually like to start experimenting with different styles of ramen.

For now, however, they're focused on refining and improving their existing offering.

It's dinner only at the Preston store, although there are plans to extend to lunch hours.

Open Tue-Sun 5.30-9.30pm.

143 Plenty Road, Preston