A ‘Blade Runner’-themed ramen bar is opening in a Center City basement

Center City nightlife has been coming back since the pandemic, but late-night options are still lacking.

This was acutely apparent to Tim Lu and Derek Gibbons of Glu Hospitality, who earlier this year opened a Bagels & Co. location on the upstairs level of a building at 1526 Sansom St., where the Michael Solomonov-Steve Cook restaurant Goldie was.

At night, after the bagel shop had closed, clubgoers line the sidewalk outside the shop on their way to Ladder 15 and Pulse. Where they go afterward for a bite is anyone’s guess.

Gibbons said the basement — which had housed Rooster Soup, The Rooster, and a Federal Donuts location — felt like a nighttime eatery. It had the stools and counter of a diner, and reminded him of the late-night places he frequented when he worked in the nightlife industry in New York.

But what kind of theme? As Glu operates two Japanese-theme restaurants — 1225 Raw in Center City and Izakaya Fishtown — Gibbons and Lu decided on a ramen shop.

Their real estate broker, Josh Weiss, referred them to Boxwood Architects, which had set up the previous Cook and Solomonov restaurants. One mood board that Boxwood submitted was “cyber punk — this neon concept,” Gibbons said. “Without any question, I was like, ‘Let’s lay into this one.’ Boxwood came back with the Blade Runner inspiration. There’s that scene where Harrison Ford’s eating at the noodle shop.” The space is ringed with metals, neon, and graffiti murals.

They’re calling it Chika, an easy pick since it means “cellar” or “underground” in Japanese. It opens Thursday.

Lu knew Dean Leevongcharoen, a Thai-born chef who trained in Japan and France. He had been traveling since last year, when he closed his last Ramen Bar location in University City.

Leevongcharoen signed on to the project. “I think it was just the right place at the right time for both of us,” said Leevongcharoen, who is also consulting with Glu at Raw 1225 and Izakaya Fishtown.

Leevongcharoen offers five styles of ramen ($15 to $17), including kara kara tonkotsu, whose spice level you can dial from 1 to 5. You can add noodles after your first serving by instructing the server, “Kae dama kudasai.” Starters, all made in-house, include the usuals: edamame, fried gyoza, agedashi tofu, tuna rice crisps, takoyaki, yakatori, kaarage, and steamed buns. There are hand rolls available by the piece ($6 for vegetable up to $10 for lobster) or by the set, plus fried ice cream and mochi ice cream for dessert. There are gluten-free options.

Michael Ego, who oversees Glu’s Asian concepts, is working with local and Japanese beers, and is serving Blade Runner-themed cocktails and sakes.

Starting Thursday, hours will be 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The kitchen will close an hour before closing. Lunch and brunch are planned.

Chika’s space had lots of history. Rooster Soup Co. opened in 2017 as a fundraising vehicle for the Broad Street Ministry — even winning accolades from GQ. The concept was changed to a Jewish deli (The Rooster) before it became the Rittenhouse location of Federal Donuts (now at 1909 Sansom St., next door to the relocated Goldie). Before all that, it was Sansom Kebob House, an Afghan restaurant, from 2001 till its move in 2014 to 13th and South Streets. From 1974 to 1994, it was Charlie’s Water Wheel, a popular luncheonette where owner Charlie Rechnitz handed out samples to customers in line. Rechnitz died of cancer at age 56 in 2014.