Noodle Doodles Projects Opening Soon

June 9, 2025
By Sylvie Simmons
• After nearly a year since appearing before the Planning Board, a long-anticipated ramen restaurant looks to open this month. However, a prolonged permitting and construction process has pushed back the restaurant’s original opening date by several months.

Initially set to open in January, Noodle Doodles, located at 998 Great Plain Ave, is the newest of Ray Zheng’s four restaurants in the Boston area. Zheng’s other endeavors include Wen’s Yunnan Noodle & Ramen in Boston and Sono Asian Cuisine in Arlington.

Zheng and the Public Health Division project that Noodle Doodles will open in the coming weeks. No specific date has been announced.

After conducting an initial walkthrough of the site in late April, Sai Palani, an environmental health agent with the town, noted the Needham location faced challenges with the space — its fume hood system and venting process needed work, and its plumbing and electrical construction aren’t complete, Palani said. The owners must also meet requirements from other town departments, Palani added.

At the Board of Health’s May 20 meeting, Palani said the restaurant was “still in the rough stages of being built out” since he visited but that the space is “close to opening.”

“The delays were not really on our end,” Palani said in an interview. “There were some issues with the actual space that they’re moving into, and then they had to meet certain requirements with both the fire and building departments, which required doing some work on the hood.”

Before opening a restaurant in Needham, business owners must complete a food review plan, an extensive packet that covers floor plans, equipment, menu and permitting. After filing their plan, business owners may be subject to additional questions, Palani said. Noodle Doodles submitted its food review plan in July 2024.

While the restaurant’s intended opening has been delayed, “no two restaurants are the same,” Building Commissioner Joe Prondak wrote via email.

“There are no “typical timeframes” for these,” he wrote.

Restaurants must “submit as-built plans to the Planning Department, then get final inspections from Health, Fire, and Building” prior to opening, Prondak wrote.

While some restaurants can open significantly faster, Noodle Doodles’ prolonged permitting process is not unusual. Palani cited major construction as a frequent driver of delay.

Formerly the adjacent space of Harvey’s Hardware, the proposed 36-seat, under 1,500-square-foot space was not originally fit to be a kitchen and sit-in dining area.

“Of course, it’s not the first restaurant we built out completely brand new,” Zheng said, “so it’s nothing special for us.”

Looking to expand his business, Zheng said he was drawn to Needham for its business atmosphere.

“I was just driving through Needham Center, and the environment feels good,” he said. “And then also we saw the space available in [the] perfect size. It’s just feeling right.”

The Public Health Division will oversee a final inspection, review the proposed menu and ensure proper food preparation measures once needs are met.

“I don’t anticipate there to be many delays with that process,” Palani said, “but I’ll know once I do the pre-opening inspection.”

Similar to his future neighbors, Zheng has placed a “Not Our Vision” sign in the store’s front window to oppose the Envision Needham Center project. When asked about the proposed project, Zheng expressed some concern over its potential impact on the portion of Great Plain Avenue in front of his restaurant.

“The worst difficulties are for the traffic, and then also the parking space,” Zheng said. “It [Needham] is perfect now. I don’t know why we need to change to something else.”

While apprehensive about opening — “I don’t have time to be excited,” he said — Zheng said he is looking forward to the food he’ll soon serve.

“I’m just excited to bring Japanese ramen to the town,” he said.

Sylvie Simmons is a graduating senior at Dana Hall School in Wellesley interning with Needham Local. In the fall, she plans to pursue a major in media studies and continue her interest in journalism at Pitzer College.