A popular Bay Area ramen chain just opened in Walnut Creek

A regular favorite in the Bay Area’s ramen scene has opened an outpost in downtown Walnut Creek.

Marufuku Ramen held a grand opening May 27 for its newest restaurant at 1630 Cypress St., a former Extreme Pizza location. It offers both indoor seating and a spacious patio. This ramen shop adds to the more than half a dozen others the San Francisco-founded company runs in the Bay Area, with even more locations in Southern California and Nevada.

The kitchen’s focus is on making the long-simmered Hakata-style broth treasured for its milky, porky richness. Here, the broth is made by simmering bones for more than 20 hours; there’s also a comparable chicken-based version, topped with chicken chashu and chili powder, called paitan.

Marufuku’s bowls are typically accessorized with ultra-thin noodles, wood-ear fungus, a seasoned soft-boiled egg, scallions and bean sprouts. Guests can add other toppings like bamboo shoots, sweet corn and - in the case of the Chicken Paitan DX soup - a grilled chicken leg on a sizzling plate.

The restaurant’s menu is rounded out by the traditional offerings of a Japanese izakaya. There are mayo-and-fish-flake slathered octopus balls called takoyaki, spicy cod roe over rice, edamame and yakitori - tasty grilled bites on sticks. For the Walnut Creek shop, the kitchen is also offering Wagyu specials, cocktails and a selection of premium sake.

Details: Open 11-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays at 1630 Cypress St., Walnut Creek; marufukuramen.com.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 9:15 AM.