Yagi Noodles
About Us
You won’t find any traditional ramen at Yagi Noodles. Chef Basil Yu expertly blends Japanese and Chinese techniques to create a unique, American ramen-focused menu.
Chef Basil Yu makes every noodle by hand using whole wheat unbleached flour from Ground Up Grain in Hadley, MA. This process takes place in the noodle room, where visitors can watch the master at work through a viewing window.
Located in the heart of Newport, the space is designed to feel laid-back and comfortable with an elevated coastal vibe. Our dining room is open for lunch and dinner. We serve craft bubble tea and specialty drinks all day at our cafe. There is seasonal outdoor seating with heaters to accommodate our fall and winter guests.
Our menu changes with the seasons, featuring limited-edition ramen dishes. We have a robust drink menu including specialty Boba (bubble tea), craft spirit-free cocktails and curated selection of sake, beer, and wine.
To reach as many customers as possible, we have a seasonal food truck that can be rented for events and can be found at pop-ups all around Rhode Island.
MEET
Chef Basil Yu
Basil Yu, a first-generation Chinese American, began his culinary journey in his parents' Chinese restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire. Starting off as a host and server, he realized he wanted to be in the kitchen. That's where his real magic started.
Fresh out of college with a health science degree, Basil dove headfirst into the culinary game, starting off at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine. But it wasn't until he landed a spot at the Vanderbilt Hotel in Newport that he really hit his stride. Inspired by the flavors of New England, Basil unleashed a culinary tempest with his Noodle Night pop-up at The Narragansett.
Looking for a change, he moved to Dolores, Colorado in 2016 to work at Dunton Hot Springs Hotel. The Relais & Châteaux property was a culinary playground, with a major emphasis placed on whole animal butchery, foraging, and preservation, as well as pushing out new menus daily. Yu also teamed up with a local brewery to continue running his noodle pop-up in the off season.
Wanting to be closer to home, he moved back to Rhode Island in 2019 and started to dive deeper into East Asian cuisine, going on to study ramen making in Singapore and Japan. Back in Newport, Rhode Island, Yu continued his noodle pop-up, and when the pandemic hit, pivoted to doing full-time takeout, which evolved into his brick-and-mortar, Yagi Noodles. Building on a foundation of freshly milled, local wheat noodles, Yu serves his expression of noodle soups, as well as other Asian-inspired comfort food.
Now, with locally milled wheat noodles as his canvas, Basil crafts a culinary masterpiece of noodle soups and Asian-inspired comfort eats. And the accolades? Yagi Noodles has been awarded Rhode Island Monthly's Best of RI 'Best New Restaurant 2022' and 'Best Asian Restaurant 2022 and 2023'. In 2023, he was awarded StarChefs Rising Star Coastal New England, and in 2024 he was nominated as a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef Northeast.
Our Story
The ramen noodle is the perfect metaphor for the way Chef Basil Yu approaches his menu at Yagi Noodles. While ramen is known primarily as a Japanese dish, it actually has origins in China. Likewise, Chef Basil is passionate about the ramen noodle, yet, he, too, has origins in China. Therefore, he approaches his menu by honoring both Japanese and Chinese traditions.
This is how he came to name his restaurant Yagi Noodles. Yagi is the Japanese word for “Goat.” The cross cultural references in the name and story (see below) are a reflection of Chef Basil and the food he cooks.
THE LEGEND OF THE FIVE GOATS
Chef Basil’s father comes from Guangzhou, China, which is the origin of The Legend of the Five Goats. This ancient story tells of the city suffering from years of drought and famine. According to the legend, one day a holy melody spread throughout the air, and five colored clouds drifted into the sky. On the five clouds stood the five immortals riding five goats. The immortals bestowed the goats upon the people, as well as wheat and rice to grow, and then disappeared into the sky. Thereafter, the city produced an abundance of crops, which ended the famine. Guangzhou is nicknamed “Goat City” and a statue can be found in the city’s garden.
YAGI NOODLES
Awards/Accolades
RI MONTHLY: BEST OF RHODE ISLAND
2023: Best Asian Restaurant, Newport Count
2022: Best New Restaurant
2021: Best Asian Restaurant, Newport County | Editors’ Pick: Best Bao Buns
FOOD NETWORK
As seen on Guy Fieri’s Best Bite in Town: Episode 8: NEWPORT, RI