After sitting vacant for six years, a glitzy Raleigh restaurant space reopens
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- Kokoro Ramen & Izakaya opened this week in the former Royale space at 200 E. Martin St.
- Owners and staff trained at a Kansas City ramen school led by KC Craft Ramen.
- Kokoro’s broths simmer at least 10 hours and the menu includes tonkotsu and vegan bowls.
One of the most prominent dining rooms in Raleigh has been revived, with piping hot noodle bowls and park views.
The new Kokoro Ramen & Izakaya opened this week at 200 E. Martin St. in Downtown Raleigh, taking over the former Royale space off of Moore Square. The menu combines varieties of soulful ramen bowls, grilled izakaya skewers and Thai street food.
Kokoro is the first Raleigh restaurant from Neti Promkhotwong, who owns Neko Thai & Sushi Bar in Pinehurst. Promkhotwong previously owned and sold a ramen shop in Southern Pines and says the rich bowls of noodles and broth are a deep love of his.
“The name Kokoro means ‘From the heart,’ and we will focus on ramen, like authentic ramen,” Promkhotwong said in a phone interview.
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To prepare for opening Kokoro, the owners and staff went to a prominent ramen school in Kanas City, led by KC Craft Ramen.
“At many restaurants, I can’t finish the ramen because it’s too oily, but their ramen I can finish the whole bowl, it was really good,” Promkhotwong said. “I love ramen personally and I wanted to open my own ramen restaurant because, in the Raleigh area, they have good ramen, but not ramen the way I like it.”
At Kokoro, the broth bases are simmered for at least 10 hours. Promkhotwong expects the pork-based tonkotsu will be the most popular style, as it is most places in the United States, served with a thin, straight ramen noodle. Other styles at Kokoro include a spicy tonkotsu and one made with fermented garlic. There’s also a spicy chicken ramen and spicy shrimp tempura and soy-sauce based shoyu, plus a vegan bowl, made with fried tofu, mushrooms, sprouts, corn and other vegetables.
For more than six years, the high profile space has sat empty, since Royale closed in the early days of the pandemic in 2020. Promkhotwong said he liked how the space can be seen from practically any angle and looks out on bustling Blount Street and Moore Square. The inside of Kokoro has been entirely transformed from its days as an upscale french restaurant.
“Basically we kept the structure but other than that it’s brand new,” Promkhotwong said.
Beyond ramen, Kokoro has a menu of small plates, serving crispy chicken karaage, chashu pork in steamed buns, takoyaki octopus balls and shrimp tempura. There are also rice bowls and a “secret” menu of Thai dishes from Promkhotwong’s home country.
Ramen and izakaya have become one of the hottest trends in Triangle restaurants, with several recent shops opening in Raleigh in the past few years. In opening Kokoro, Promkhotwong said he’s seen the North Carolina understanding of ramen evolve.
“They know what ramen is and our whole idea and focus will be on authentic ramen,” he said. “I just follow my heart and I love it.”
