Ichicoro via Facebook

This weekend, passers-by on Florida Avenue saw the inside of Seminole Heights' long-awaited ramen house, Ichiroro, buzzing.

Though the new restaurant's social media channels kept quiet about the secret launch at 5229 N. Florida Ave., Ichicoro announced it will "officially" open at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

There's a special contest going on, too. From Wednesday through Friday, diners who take a photo of their dishes and tag the shot on Instagram with @Ichicoroya and #RamenArmy will be entered to win two tickets to Ichicoro's grand opening.

The "mod-casual" eatery from restaurateur Noel Cruz and chef Masaru Takaku, specializing in authentic ramen, has been on the Bay area culinary scene's radar since March or so. The restaurant's pop-up shop in New York — mentioned in the New York Times back in May — showcased three items, including the Tampa-style spicy abura soba with Florida citrus spicy kosho, grilled house-made bacon and poached egg.

Starting Wednesday night, Ichicoro will operate 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

