Shibuya Eatery Goes Fast-Casual With Ramen and Rice Bowls in Chevy Chase

"Chef Darren Norris says he and his wife/co-owner Candice Wise-Norris decided to shut down the DC restaurant amid rising labor costs, soaring fish prices, and pushback over service fees. "It all just became tiring. It wasn't profitable at all anymore for us," he says. Ultimately, he felt a fast-casual model made more sense for the times: "No servers, no service fees, and no Initiative 82 in Maryland.""

""It's all my stuff that I've always done," says Norris, who opened DC's pioneering izakaya Kusshi back in 2010. "Everything is done from scratch. There's nothing processed, nothing coming out of a frozen box." For example, Norris says he still simmers his creamy tonkotsu pork soup base overnight. It's one of several ramen broth options, including chicken shio or spicy miso, paired with wavy or straight noodles, proteins (like a shabu shabu shaved beef or pork belly chashu),"

Shibuya Eatery closed its Adams Morgan location last fall and reopened in Chevy Chase, Maryland as a fast-casual restaurant focused on customizable ramen, rice bowls, and salads. Chef Darren Norris and co-owner Candice Wise-Norris cited rising labor costs, soaring fish prices, and pushback over service fees as reasons for the closure and shift. The new model removes servers and service fees while retaining many original ingredients and recipes. Broth options include creamy tonkotsu simmered overnight, chicken shio, and spicy miso, paired with wavy or straight noodles, multiple proteins, and up to five toppings. Donburi, salads, signature bowls, and finishings like flavored oils and crunchies round out the menu with most items priced around $19.

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