Restaurants

Oisa Ramen to close by the end of the year

“With so many limitations, it was hard to figure out what would be the best thing to do with Oisa Ramen Slurp & Go for everyone involved, including guests,” said owner Moe Kuroki.

Marcelo Pedrosa, Moe Kuroki, and Manuel Castillo. Courtesy of Oisa Ramen

October 1, 2020

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Oisa Ramen Slurp & Go in downtown Boston will close by the end of 2020, and Thursday is the last day with owner Moe Kuroki at the helm of the snug, nine-seat noodle bar that serves the flavors of her native Fukuoka, Japan.

Broad Street Entertainment, which operates the adjacent Tiki Rock, will take over the eatery until it permanently closes at the end of the year, but Kuroki said it might close sooner depending on revenue. Kuroki is turning over the kitchen to sous chef Manuel Castillo and prep chef Marcelo Pedrosa.

“Those two guys have been the backbone of Oisa,” Kuroki said. “With them there, Oisa is as good as if I were there.”

Castillo and Pedrosa will continue to dole out bowls of comforting noodles, from the vegetarian smoky truffle shoyu to the fan-favorite Oisa tonkotsu with its pork-bone broth, generous slabs of pork, and perfectly smoky burnt garlic oil.

“It was such an incredible feeling to be able to bring a little bit of my hometown, Fukuoka, and share with many,” Kuroki said. “The tiny little space was so beautiful and felt so warm. As time passed, the warmer and the more at home it felt. It was truly a blessing.”

The decision comes after months of lost business stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in March, as Kuroki deep-cleaned the restaurant with her staff, she thought the shutdown would be brief. As it stretched on, the pressures of the business and bringing stability to her family and her 9- and 12-year-old daughters reached a breaking point.

View this post on Instagram

Thank you all so very much for your continuing support on Oisa Ramen. Today, I’m here to announce that I am stepping down from all of my responsibilities at Oisa Ramen Slurp & Go on Broad st. But don’t worry! You have some time to enjoy your favorites made by my sous chef Manuel and my prep chef Marcelo!!! They are as much of Oisa as I am. Slurp & Go will be managed by GM of @tikirockboston Patric who is my friend and is a passionate talented bartender. As of now, Oisa Slurp & Go is set to close by the end of year… so go #ownyourslurp while you can and support my amazing family on Broad st! Also, please follow @oisaramenbroadstreet for information about the location. And just in case you ever wondered, this account is managed by me, yup Moe. It always have been and will continue to be that way. So, please continue to follow me @oisaramen for Oisa information, silly ramen recipes and my nonsense. 💕 I’m hoping to start doing some pop-ups in a near future. Again, thank you so so so very much for all of your support. I really really miss seeing you and cooking for you, so much!

A post shared by Oisa Ramen おいさラーメン (@oisaramen) on Oct 1, 2020 at 10:09am PDT

“At first, even though it was difficult to adjust, I took it as a blessing to be able to spend more time with my family,” Kuroki said. “But I knew after a few months in, there is no more going back to what my life used to be. That I need to embrace some major changes.”

Changes are shaking up the rest of the industry, too, with well-loved restaurants closing left and right and worries mounting about the upcoming winter.

“As we live day by day with the coronavirus, there was one decision that was easy for me to make. It was to stay at home for my girls to give them some stability and comfort,” she said. “With so many limitations, it was hard to figure out what would be the best thing to do with Oisa Ramen Slurp & Go for everyone involved, including guests. I have been wanting to give a clear answer to my guests for so long. So, I feel relieved.”

Currently, Oisa is open for takeout and reservations for limited groups of guests for indoor and outdoor dining.

Oisa Ramen Slurp & Go; 1 3/4 Broad St., Boston; Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; oisa-ramen.com.