The ever-present lines at Menya Ultra Ramen might soon be relieved a bit; the popular Japanese eatery, and winner of Restaurant of the Year in the 2017 Eater Awards, will open another location in Mira Mesa. Scheduled to launch by mid-2018, Menya is going into a 2,000-square-foot space in the same complex as Fung Fung Yuen, 85°C Bakery Cafe and Sandwich Emporium. Mira Mesa Shopping Centers’ Brett Feuerstein said, “We are extremely appreciative to be working with such an amazing concept and know it will be a welcomed restaurant in the community.”

Chef/owner Takaski Endo, who splits his time between San Diego and Asia where he runs 11 eateries in Japan and Taiwan, tells Eater that the new Mira Mesa location will also offer Tsukemen, a dipping style of ramen, and a black garlic version of Tantan Men, a spicy Chinese-influenced ramen. And more menu items are currently being rolled out in Kearny Mesa, including Miso Ramen and a Special Miso Ramen with broiled chashu pork that’s available in limited quantities. Mazesoba, a spicy Taiwan-inspired soup-less ramen topped with minced meat, should be added next spring.

Menya Ultra Ramen’s flagship location on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard was an immediate hit when it launched this past February; Endo says he was surprised by the lines, which have not abated since its opening weekend, sharing that perfecting his ramen broth has been the most challenging task to-date due to the different qualities of water in Japan and San Diego.

The restaurant makes its soup base and fresh 55-pound batches of noodles every day (watch a video of how the noodles are made), but it is also building out a central kitchen elsewhere in the Kearny Mesa area that will provide extra noodles and broth, thus enabling the eatery to extend its operating hours. In addition to the Mira Mesa outpost, the owner tells Eater that he hopes to open a third Menya Ultra Ramen location by the end of 2018.