Zen Box Izakaya closing after 20 years in downtown Minneapolis

Since its days serving steaming bowls of ramen to downtown workers in the skyway to its full-service restaurant expanding the reach of Japanese comfort food, Zen Box Izakaya has been a Minneapolis dining fixture for more than two decades.

On Nov. 22, the restaurant will serve its last meal.

Owners John Ng and Lina Goh announced the closure Friday, citing an accumulation of challenges: pandemic recovery; a 2½-year road construction project that cut off access; and the recent sale of the Mill District building where they are located. The building was in foreclosure at the time of the sale, according to Hennepin County records.

“It’s a lot,” Goh told the Star Tribune. “With a 20-year run, it’s a sign for us to move on and do something else.”

Ng and Goh opened their first Zen Box in the skyway in 2004. When they expanded to Washington Avenue S. in 2011, “we were young and ambitious,” Ng said. They went from a casual ramen shop to a full-service izakaya, introducing Twin Cities diners to the social, shareable style of Japanese eating. The new space near the Guthrie Theatre became a neighborhood mainstay for pre-theater dinners of Japanese curry and Ng’s intricate bowls of ramen.

Ng earned the nickname “Ramen Architect” for his background in architecture and his meticulous approach to balance and structure. For him, the restaurant was about more than food. “It’s about honesty,” he said. “Even though we’re far from Japan, we can still show people what real Japanese ingredients and technique can do.”

That philosophy made Ng one of the region’s most respected ramen chefs and inspired him to launch Ramen Attack, a four-year festival that brought guest chefs from around the world and drew thousands of attendees to downtown Minneapolis to celebrate the art of broth and noodles.

Goh said that beyond ramen, Zen Box helped broaden Minnesotans’ awareness of Japanese cuisine. “It’s not just about sushi,” she said. “It’s about helping people understand the spirit of an izakaya.”

In 2022, the couple partnered with the owners of Bebe Zito to open Eat Street Crossing food hall in Minneapolis. There Ng furthered his ramen reach with Ramen Shoten, which he ran until leaving the food hall in 2024.

But the last few years brought challenges they couldn’t have predicted. “COVID tested us,” Goh said. “But the resilience of knowing everyone was in the same boat gave us hope. We couldn’t give up.”

Then, the prolonged construction on their block took a toll. “Customers couldn’t find us,” Ng said. “They’d call and ask if we were closed because they couldn’t even see the restaurant anymore.”

Knowing what they know now, what would they tell their younger selves, or others starting out in the business?

“And be honest with your food,” Ng added. “That’s the fundamental part of being a responsible restaurant owner.”

The couple’s focus now is their team. “The only thing we worry about is them,” Goh said. “We don’t care if our future is uncertain, but we want to make sure that they are taken care of.”

They hope to invite some former staff back for special events before the restaurant’s final service.

After that, Ng and Goh plan to take a break, visit family, “take a deep breath, and go from there,” Goh said. They hope to revisit Japan, where their inspiration began and “where we find our happiness.”

Ng says the door isn’t closed forever. “I have hundreds of ramen recipes. If anyone ever wants to collaborate or learn about Japanese comfort food, I wouldn’t say no.”