This famous ramen restaurant from Tokyo is expanding to San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- A famous ramen restaurant from Japan is gearing up to open its first San Diego location this summer.

The Tokyo-based chain, Ramen Nagi, will be expanding to Westfield UTC, bringing its traditional and fusion flavors to America's Finest City.

“There is a tremendous demand for authentic Japanese ramen in San Diego County," Chef Satoshi Ikuta said in a statement to FOX 5. "We are very excited to introduce our ramen noodles to an entirely new audience."

Ramen Nagi was founded in 2004 by Ikuta as a pop-up. Since then, it has gained a "cult-like" popularity, with nearly 40 locations around Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines.

The spot gained notoriety for its customizable bowls with both traditional and fusion broth flavor options, from a classic tonkotsu to black squid ink and spicy red.

Once guests pick their ramen base, they can build out the rest of the bowl with proteins like pork loin or pork belly, as well as select noodles with their desired thickness and firmness.

Master ramen chefs are available for diners that are not sure how they want to customize their d...