The grand dining room overlooking Moore Square, dark and quiet since Royale closed in 2020, is buzzing again. Kokoro Ramen & Izakaya has taken over the park-facing space at 200 E. Martin St., serving long-simmered ramen broths, izakaya-style small plates and a few dishes with a Thai twist. On the opening menu, downtown diners will find tonkotsu bowls, skewers and even a vegan ramen option.
Who’s behind it
Pinehurst restaurateur Neti Promkhotwong, known for Neko Thai & Sushi Bar, is leading Kokoro’s push into the Triangle. Promkhotwong told The News & Observer that the name Kokoro translates to “From the heart,” a hint at the team’s focus on authentic ramen. According to the same report, the kitchen simmers its broth bases for at least 10 hours and is banking on a pork-based tonkotsu as the standout bowl. The News & Observer also points to a lineup of grilled izakaya plates and a small, secret Thai menu tucked into the offerings.
What’s on the menu
According to Kokoro Ramen & Izakaya, the opening menu is built around pork-based tonkotsu served with a thin, straight noodle. Variations include spicy takes, a fermented-garlic option and a shoyu bowl, while a vegan ramen leans on fried tofu, mushrooms, sprouts and corn. NC Triangle Dining flagged Kokoro’s soft opening on July 5, and the site lists the address and early hours for walk-in service. Small plates like chicken karaage, chashu steamed buns, takoyaki and shrimp tempura round things out, giving the room an izakaya feel alongside the noodle program.
Space revived after six years
The Moore Square dining room had been largely vacant since Royale shut down in the early days of the pandemic in 2020, leaving a high-profile downtown corner quiet until Kokoro moved in. Promkhotwong told The News & Observer that the team “basically kept the structure” but otherwise rebuilt the interior. The refreshed dining room now looks out on Blount Street and Moore Square, with a brighter, ramen-forward design that trades Royale’s upscale French feel for a more casual, slurp-ready layout.
Training and craft
To get ready for the opening, the owners and staff trained at an American ramen school in Kansas City led by KC Craft Ramen. The program teaches broth building, noodle production and chashu techniques, according to the ramen school’s site. That kind of hands-on instruction lines up with Kokoro’s stated approach and the technical focus needed to keep long-simmered broths going in a busy downtown kitchen. The training is meant to help the team keep the bowls consistent as service grows beyond the soft-opening phase.
Downtown roundups are already listing Kokoro among recent openings, a sign that the Moore Square dining mix is continuing to refresh this summer, as highlighted by DoRaleigh. For those plotting a visit, the restaurant’s site has the latest hours and updates as Kokoro shifts from soft opening to a regular schedule.
