Pot Belly Ramen brings together two current trends in the culinary world: gourmet ramen noodles and the build-your-own-meal approach. The result is a fast-casual eatery where customers can design their own Japanese dish. It's as simple as picking up a menu, marking off your selections, and handing over the completed form to the kitchen team.

The innovative concept has local foodies talking. In fact, Pot Belly Ramen already boasts more than 100 rave reviews, despite the fact that it only opened two months ago. When you come to Pot Belly, you'll understand why it's garnering so much buzz. Start by picking your base, like the classic Tonkotsu 12-hour pork bone broth with pork belly or the vegetarian mushroom-soy miso with a medley of veggies. Then load on extras, such as chashu pork, roasted seaweed, and corn. Pick a soft drink, green tea, or Pellegrino and get ready to enjoy.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr lauren.topor