About相馬
SOMA Noodle Bar is a ramen shop in Tbilisi owned and operated by Yuta and Eriko Soma, a Japanese couple who moved from Japan to Georgia. We opened on 10 November 2025 at 39 Irakli Abashidze Street — a space many locals still remember as the former restaurant AKIRA. SOMA is our family name.
What we offer is simple: a real experience of Japan, in Georgia — in the bowl, and in the service.
Eriko Soma — Owner, service & nutrition
A licensed dietitian — a demanding Japanese national qualification — who also served front-of-house at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the United States. The Japanese omotenashi hospitality you feel at SOMA is hers; our Google reviews tell that story. Eriko is also an active competitive runner: at the Tbilisi Half Marathon she was the second woman home in 2025 and the women’s winner in 2026, and her marathon best is in the 2:40s — achieved after taking up the marathon in her 40s. Her nutrition-first approach to food shapes SOMA's recipes, and is one reason everything here is made by hand.
Yuta Soma — Owner-chef
Fifteen years in restaurants across Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver, before opening SOMA in Georgia. Before cooking, Yuta was a competitive distance runner: as a first-year at KU University he won the section prize for Leg 8 of the Hakone Ekiden, Japan's most famous road relay. The discipline carried over — do one thing properly, every day, and refuse to cut corners.
Why "Japanese-owned" matters here: many Japanese restaurants in Georgia call themselves authentic, yet are not run by Japanese owners. We don't claim that every Japanese-owned restaurant serves great food — but our ramen is made by the people whose name is on the door, with one motto: food that tastes good to anyone, anywhere in the world.
The Ramen
Our menu changes with the seasons and with what we can source well in Georgia. What never changes: noodles made in-house with our own original method, and broth we make ourselves from scratch — no powders, no milk, no shortcuts.
Our signatures are the Tokyo tonkotsu shoyu ramen and our karaage (Japanese fried chicken). Four ramen — Tokyo tonkotsu shoyu, Tokyo tonkotsu shio, chicken shoyu and chicken shio — are 34 ₾ each, seasonal tsukemen from 38 ₾, plus onigiri, donburi, teishoku sets, appetizers with vegan options, Japanese tea, beer and sake.
Visit
Hours
14:00 – 20:00
Closed Wed & Thu
* Hours can change temporarily — for the latest, check our Instagram or Google Maps.
Reservations
Not taken — walk-in only
Payment
Cash or card
Sister shop
SOMA Onigiri Cafe
72 Merab Kostava Street, Tbilisi
Our weekly schedule changes temporarily at times — this week's hours are always posted on Instagram Stories before you visit.
Questions we get asked
- Is SOMA Noodle Bar Japanese-owned?
- Yes. The owners, Yuta and Eriko Soma, are Japanese, and Yuta cooks in the kitchen daily. The restaurant carries our family name.
- Are the noodles really made in-house?
- Yes — we make our noodles in-house with our own original method.
- Is there milk in the tonkotsu broth?
- No. We make our tonkotsu (pork bone) broth from scratch with ingredients sourced in Georgia and simmer it for 18 hours.
- How long does the food take?
- Every dish is prepared after you order — noodles are boiled fresh for each bowl, and fried dishes are fried to order. How long it takes depends on what you order and how busy we are; at busy times there may be a wait. Thank you for your patience.
- What is the relationship to SOMA Onigiri Cafe?
- SOMA Onigiri Cafe (72 Merab Kostava St) is our sister shop — same owners, different specialty. The Noodle Bar's specialty is ramen (its menu also has onigiri and donburi); the Onigiri Cafe serves onigiri, Japanese curry and donburi, with Japanese tea and coffee. Its hours and menu are on the SOMA Onigiri Cafe page.
- Is SOMA Noodle Bar the same as "SOMA Noodle Cafe"?
- No. "SOMA Noodle Cafe" was the earlier name of our shop at 72 Merab Kostava St, where SOMA's ramen began. It is now SOMA Onigiri Cafe and serves no ramen. Today our ramen is served only here, at SOMA Noodle Bar, 39 Irakli Abashidze St (opened 10 November 2025). SOMA is always written in capitals.
- Do your opening hours change?
- Our regular hours are 14:00–20:00, closed Wednesday and Thursday, but they sometimes change temporarily. Please check our official Instagram or Google Maps for the latest hours before you visit.
- Do you take reservations?
- No — SOMA Noodle Bar is walk-in only.
- How can I contact you?
- Everything we announce — including temporary schedule changes — is posted on Instagram as posts and Stories. We are a small kitchen-first team, so we are not able to answer direct messages.