In the middle of Bōru Ramen‘s new space in Electric Depot, a glass room sticks out from the restaurant’s freshly painted Marc Fresh Art mural that spans the length of its back wall. While it currently sits vacant, in a few weeks, upon the restaurant’s grand opening, the small space will come to life, as fresh noodles are crafted in front of eager diners’ eyes.

“Once I tasted real ramen for the first time, nothing was good enough. I was obsessed,” explains co-owner and chef Patrick Wong, whose family has a history of bringing Asian cuisine to Baton Rouge through popular destinations like Ichiban. “I saw a niche that needed to be filled. I wanted to bring the real Tokyo experience home.”

And Vong is uniquely equipped to provide such an experience to the Capital City. Training under a ramen legend in Tokyo, he spent his time learning the tricks of the authentic trade by immersing himself in the city. Excluding an awkward run-in on a gender-designated train car, Wong found inspiration at every turn. Most of all, he found an appreciation for the painstaking process of perfecting flavors.

“Ramen is a lot like gumbo. It’s all about the love that goes in,” he explains as he presents a bowl of Rouge Red Tonkotsu, a spicy creation Wong has crafted especially for our south Louisiana city. “The broths take hours, and it’s all about the temperatures. Different enzymes affect the flavors. This one takes 20 to 26 hours to make.”

In addition to the noodle-making room and an open kitchen, Wong is bringing kiosks into the mix in order to complete the authentic Tokyo feel.

“In Tokyo, there are no waiters. Instead, there are these vending ticket machines where you select the dish you want, rather than ordering it at the table,” he explains. “We’re doing that same thing here.”

Items on the Bōru’s menu will range from mild to spicy ramen (though the flavors are much more complex than can be put into words), as well as fresh takes on poke bowls and other exciting and out-of-the-box creations. Alongside co-owner Karen Vong, who has taken on the task of dessert with Asian dessert destination Sweet Society, the pair hope to deliver not only an Instagrammable experience, but an immersive experience that tastes even better than it looks.

“Every once in a while, you want something different,” Wong says. “We want to be that something for Baton Rouge. Something new and exciting.”

“We want to encourage people to be adventurous,” Vong adds. “It’s like a little getaway to Tokyo or Korea. You get the real flavors and the real feelings.”

While Bōru Ramen will open later this month, you can get an early taste of its unique flavors at this weekend’s Mid City Makers Market, which will take place this Saturday, September 19, at Electric Depot. To learn more about Bōru and get updates about its opening, follow the restaurant on Instagram at @boru_ramen.