Yagi means goat in Japanese, and there are two reasons why that name makes sense for this spot. All the recipes pay homage to the chef's hometown of Guangzhou, nicknamed "Goat City," and these noodles really might be the greatest of all time—or at least the best in Newport. Their dishes take local ingredients, like Aquidneck Farms beef and seasonal vegetables, and combine them with bonito furikake and shio to create dishes that somehow manage to tick every single flavor box.

For lunch: For an unforgettable lunch in Newport between shopping and sailing tours, Yagi Noodles is a can’t miss. Chef Basil Yu is hand making all of the noodles for his ramen bowls from freshly-milled local wheat, and it may sound cliche, but you really can taste the love in each bite. The menu is inspired by American, Chinese, and Japanese comfort foods, and there’s really no wrong choice when ordering.

Chef Basil Yu’s handmade ramen noodles, made from locally sourced stone-milled wheat, have created a cult-like following in Rhode Island and beyond. A departure from his French-influenced and contemporary fine dining past, Yu’s constantly evolving menu at Yagi Noodles is inspired by his Chinese heritage and his ramen-hunting expeditions throughout the Far East, manifested in each bowl of aromatic brothy goodness. Smell, slurp and savor ramen bowls of roasted pork, spicy chicken, locally-raised beef, or Rhode Island mushrooms.

Newly relocated at Long Wharf Mall, Yagi Noodles is a dedicated American Ramen restaurant with influence and technique from Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Their new location has a large dining area, a boba cafe serving milkys, boba and coffee, and a noodle room visible through a window just past the cafe—where you can watch the Noodle Master (aka Chef Basil) work. Choose from the rotating seasonal menu featuring fresh ingredients from local farmers and fishermen and hand-made noodles (or noods as they like to call them.)

Yu’s ramen has developed a cultlike following since he opened Yagi Noodles (580 Thames St, Newport) in Newport’s historically Irish Fifth Ward neighborhood. The food he serves is a far cry from the ubiquitous “classic New England fare” that dominates menus throughout waterfront towns like Newport. While the coastal cuisine category has evolved exponentially from chowder, lobster rolls, fried clams and other spoils of the sea, a new wave of international flavors has diversified Aquidneck Island’s culinary breadth.

Yagi Noodles opened up their pop up in Newport Rhode Island from December 2019 through April 2020 and just loved the experience so much they decided to go full time!. They joined the Vieste / Vino family and found their new home at the old Bank Newport in Wellington Plaza at 580 Thames Street in Newport and have created a new eatery space down at lower Thames Street. They asked for our Newport Sea Salt to join their menu and you can find us seasoning their WONTON NOODLE SOUP. YUM!!

Yagi Noodles, which specializes in handmade noodles and bao buns, is the kind of place where local chefs go on their day off. If it was located anywhere other than the Long Wharf Mall, a charmless remnant of the urban renewal era, getting a table would probably be next to impossible. The 10-dish Feast of the Seven Fishes that they offered last December was worth the drive from Providence.

The final addition is Tolia, a new concept from Turkish chef Alp Gumuscu, formerly of Yagi Noodles in Newport. Drawing from the rich culinary traditions of Anatolia, the food hall will offer a journey through Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors, highlighting ancient ingredients and techniques.

Mr. Needlepoint and I make it a point to visit every trip to Newport. I adore the Spicy Miso, while Mr. N orders the Tonkotsu. The bao buns and the Kung Pao Cauliflower are also amazing!

If you’re looking for something different from Newport, RI restaurants, particularly if you’re craving international flair, we can’t recommend the ramen at Yagi Noodles enough.

During the Newport episode, judges visited Mission, Giusto, Yagi Noodles, Flo’s Clam Shack, Stoneacre Brasserie, and Perro Salado – trying two dishes at each restaurant.