Yagi, the acclaimed Newport restaurant from Chef Basil Yu and Kodi Keith, has officially opened its second location at Track 15, the food hall at 1 Union Station in downtown Providence.
The opening, announced Tuesday, follows news in March that Yagi would fill the space previously occupied by Giusto PVD, which closed at the end of April when its owners chose to refocus on their Newport operations.
Yu, who began Yagi as a pop-up at the former Lorusso’s Cafe on Thames Street in December 2019 before moving to 20 Long Wharf Mall in 2022, has since built one of the region’s most decorated independent restaurants. He was named StarChefs’ “Rising Star” for Coastal New England in 2023 and was a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef in the Northeast.
“The timing could not be better for us to join our friends at Track 15 and expand Yagi to Providence,” Yu said in a statement. “We’ve always poured ourselves into creating food that feels comforting, exciting and personal, and we’re looking forward to sharing that with a whole new group of guests while staying true to what has made Yagi so special in Newport.”
The Providence menu reflects what has earned Yagi a loyal following at home: housemade whole wheat ramen noodles milled from flour sourced in the Northeast, and a blend of Japanese and Chinese techniques Yu often describes as American-style ramen.
Offerings include a Miso Snap Pea Salad, Spicy Cucumber Salad, karaage Japanese fried chicken, seared dumplings, and a lineup of bao buns including the O.G. with seared pork belly and a Japanese eggplant tempura version with spicy sesame aioli.
Ramen options include a 16-hour Tonkatsu pork broth with Cantonese char siu; Tantanmen with sesame broth and beef soboro; a brothless Spicy Miso Mazemen with Szechuan chicken and charred corn; and a seasonal Spring Pea Yuzu. A kids’ version of house noodles in tonkatsu broth with garlic oil is also available.
Track 15 owner Chris Marsella welcomed the addition.
“Basil and Kodi have built something truly special in Newport, and we are excited to introduce their food to even more Rhode Islanders and visitors in Providence,” Marsella said. “Yagi is a perfect fit for what we continue to build at Track 15 — a dynamic collection of standout local concepts that reflect the strength and creativity of Rhode Island’s culinary community.”
Located in the historic Union Station building, which dates to 1898, the 18,000-square-foot food hall now houses seven Rhode Island-based restaurant concepts, including Little Chaska, Tolia, Dune Brothers, Dolores, There There, Yagi and Grumpy Pies. The space includes a central bar, indoor and outdoor seating for roughly 600 guests, an entertainment venue and a 10,000-square-foot plaza. Track 15 is also available for delivery through DoorDash.
Track 15 is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. More information is available at track15RI.com.
Yagi’s original Newport location remains open at 20 Long Wharf.
