Japan’s Afuri Ramen + Dumpling opens in Cupertino

Restaurant's signature touch? Yuzu citrus-scented broth

A Japanese culinary standout has made its way to ramen-crazy California.

Afuri Ramen + Dumpling, which is known for a light, chicken broth-based ramen instead of the traditional pork broth, has opened its first restaurant in the state — in Cupertino on Stevens Creek Boulevard.

That popular bowl comes with an unusual touch: “We’re particular about all of our ingredients, but there’s one in particular that makes Afuri ramen special,” the website says. “We make our signature ramen with yuzu, a small yellow citrus fruit native to Asia. We splash it in our fresh chicken broth and we garnish it on top, too.”

Founder Hiroto Nakamura launched his ramen business — Afuri is named after a mountain — in Tokyo. The company in 2016 opened its first U.S. outpost, in Portland, Oregon. There are now two in that city, and the CEO, Taichi Ishizuki, lives there. Expansion has also taken the Afuri ramen to Lisbon, Portugal, and soon to British Columbia, Canada.

In Portland, an early review of Afuri’s delicate ramen by PoMo senior editor Kelly Clarke said: “One slurp of Afuri’s signature yuzu shio broth and you get what the fuss is about: The flavors of gently simmered chicken and dried seafood mingle in a subtle soup steeped with Japanese citrus.”

Besides yuzu shio ramen, the restaurant focuses on what it considers its other specialty, dumplings (gyoza). Also popular are the soft-shell crab buns.

Cupertino’s Afuri is a casual, dinner-only restaurant, with kiosks taking customer orders. The doors open at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, but the line starts forming much earlier.

Details: 20803 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino; www.afuriramen.com