A Dallas sushi veteran is expanding his reach to ramen with a new restaurant in east-East Dallas. Called Casa Ramen, it will open at Casa Linda Plaza, in a former Subway location in 9440 Garland Rd. #108.

Casa Ramen is from Armando Ramirez, who was previously with Deep Sushi for many years. (He sold his interest in December 2022.)

It's slated to open in late spring.

Ramirez became familiar with Casa Linda Plaza after lending his sushi expertise in the opening of Yogi's Sushi, which opened in the center in 2021. That gave him insight into what the center was missing. Namely: ramen, which has been a new passion.

"I love ramen, my kids love ramen, and I felt like it would be a great addition to the center," Ramirez says. "I started falling in love with it when my daughter was at the University of Oklahoma. I'd visit her and we'd go have ramen often. She loves the culture, and that's another reason I wanted to do this - for my daughter."

When the Subway space opened right next to Starbucks, he dove in. He's currently fine-tuning details on the menu, which he says is 90 percent completed.

"I'm traveling to Seattle, I'm working with a chef there, but I know we'll have five ramen options, including the classic Tonkotsu and probably a vegetarian ramen," he says. "We'll also do a selection of small plates like shishito peppers."

He's sourcing some ingredients from Japan, from vendors he's known thanks to his years submersed in Japanese cuisine.

He also owns Sushi Mockï, the popular pan-Asian restaurant he opened in 2022 at Mockingbird Station.

But one thing he definitely won't do at Casa Ramen is sushi. "I just want it to be about the ramen," he says.