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COLUMBUS—On May 2, the newest restaurant in Polk County, Naruto Sushi Bar & Ramen, opened in the Columbus Commons at 155 W. Mills St., Suite 101.

Owned and operated by Jie Yang and Jing Yang, who also run Joy Wok next door in Suite 102, the Naruto is named after the popular Manga character because of his love of ramen, a Japanese noodle dish of Chinese origin. 

“When we think of ramen, we think of Naruto,” says Manager Vivi Wang. “The idea for the restaurant came about because Jing and Jie both used to be sushi chefs and wanted to get back to preparing sushi.” 

The menu is packed with options, offering dozens of sushi rolls, miso soup, salads, appetizers, sashimi, ramen options and vegetarian options. The sushi side of the menu features all of the classics. Customers can choose between crab, tuna, beef, salmon, shrimp, eel, yellowtail, cucumber, avocado, and more. They also serve a selection of beer, wine, and several varieties of saki. 

They have eight ramen options prepared with vegetable, chicken, or pork broth. The many toppings include tofu, eggs, corn, bean sprouts, and shrimp tempura. For dessert, they have mochi ice cream, a Japanese-American dessert that combines a ball of ice cream with a soft, chewy mochi dumpling made from rice flour. 

They serve dine-in as well as take-out. Customers can place orders online at narutosushionline.com and by phone (828) 802-1019. Naruto Sushi Bar & Ramen is open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9:30 p.m.