Afuri Ramen + Dumpling

When the popular Japanese chain Afuri opened its first California outpost in 2019, it started offering a style of vegan ramen that no one else was doing in the Bay Area. Instead of using the more typical vegan ramen ingredients like mushrooms or root vegetables, Afuri’s ramen, $16, gets its complexity and richness from hazelnuts and miso cashew crumbles. Bok choy, shiitake and leeks add a refreshing veggie crunch.

The vegan ramen was originally developed for Afuri’s Portland, Ore., location with the goal of being a lighter, decidedly non-textbook option. The vegan hazelnut bowl was a hit among customers and the local media, and quickly became a mainstay in the U.S. and in the chain’s restaurants in Japan.