Recognized
in MetroWest.

External press & media articles

In the news.

• 2025-12-09

  Doragon Eatery Facebook

  Voted Best Asian Restaurant & Best Japanese Restaurant in MetroWest

  Doragon Eatery confirmed receiving two top awards for Best Asian Restaurant and Best Japanese Restaurant in MetroWest for 2025.

• 2025-10-28

  MetroWest Community Choice

  Doragon Eatery Wins TWO First-Place Awards

  Doragon Eatery announced winning First Place for Best Asian Restaurant and First Place for Best Japanese Restaurant in a MetroWest community vote.

• 2025

  Doragon Eatery Instagram

  Chef Paponake MacIntosh Publishes Book: Where the Smoke Begins

  Chef Paponake MacIntosh released a hardcover book titled Where the Smoke Begins, available on Amazon. Announced to the Doragon community, adding a new dimension to the restaurant's culinary brand and story.

• 2025

  MyFM 103.3 Quest for the Best

  MyFM 103.3 Quest for the Best — Silver, Best Japanese Restaurant

  Doragon Eatery won the Silver Award for Best Japanese Restaurant in the 2025 MyFM 103.3 Quest for the Best community awards program.

• 2024-02-29

  Boston Restaurant Talk

  By Marc

  Doragon Ramen in Ashland Is Becoming Doragon Eatery – Comfort Kitchen

  Reported the rebrand to Doragon Eatery – Comfort Kitchen opening March 5, 2024, with a new menu of fried pickles, beef short rib poutine, lamb meatballs, wing burgers, chicken sandwiches, roasted miso salmon, mac and cheese, green curry prawns, and vegetarian shepherd's pie.

• 2024-02-29

  Better Boston — Marc Hurwitz

  By Marc Hurwitz

  Doragon Ramen in Ashland to close this weekend and be replaced by Doragon Eatery

  Short note from Boston food writer Marc Hurwitz confirming the closure and rebrand of Doragon Ramen to Doragon Eatery, shared with his regional food audience.

• 2024-02-09

  Patch.com

  By Montana Samuels

  Ashland's Doragon Ramen Announces Next Chapter

  Breaking news on the planned rebrand to Doragon Eatery. Owners cited the unsustainable cost of scratch ramen and increased local competition. New menu announced as smash burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and wings, with possible ramen retained. Launch set for March 2024.

• 2024-02-09

  Patch.com

  New Worcester Brewery, Framingham Ramen Spot Changes — MA Food Week

  Doragon Ramen's rebrand to Doragon Eatery was included in Patch's statewide weekly Massachusetts food and restaurant roundup.

• 2023-09-16

  MetroWest Source

  By Metro Staff

  Dumplings Coming To Doragon Ramen!

  Announced that Chef Alan MacIntosh would begin offering hand-made Japanese dumplings starting September 18, 2023. Includes background on the restaurant founding, farm-to-table philosophy, chef story, and the 2021 Best of MetroWest award for best ramen.

• 2021-02-16

  Patch.com

  Fundraisers Set Up For Dulce D Leche After Founder Dies

  Alan MacIntosh of Doragon Ramen was noted for setting up a GoFundMe for the family of the Dulce D Leche founder after her passing, highlighting the restaurant's community involvement.

• 2021-02-12

  Patch.com

  11 Framingham Restaurants That Deserve National Attention

  Doragon Ramen in Ashland was highlighted as a notable out-of-town suggestion by local diners, cited alongside other MetroWest restaurants considered deserving of national recognition.

• 2020

  MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau

  MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau Annual Dining Guide

  Doragon Ramen (formerly Noodle City) listed as a recommended dining destination in the official MetroWest Boston annual tourism guide.

• 2020–2021

  Eat This, Not That!

  Best Ramen in Every State, According to Yelp

  Eat This, Not That! named Doragon Ramen the best ramen in Massachusetts based on Yelp data. Doragon celebrated the recognition in a Facebook post that drew significant local engagement.

• 2019–2020

  MetroWest Daily News — Chew On This

  Chew On This: THE BEST ramen in the MetroWest

  The Chew On This column declared Doragon Ramen hands down the best ramen in the MetroWest. Referenced repeatedly by Doragon on social media and across MetroWest community food groups.

• 2019–2020

  Taste of Massachusetts

  Taste of Massachusetts Feature Review

  Taste of Massachusetts featured Doragon, describing it as the best ramen in Massachusetts and covering its authentic house-made dishes, award-winning wings, and ramen.

• 2019-03-08

  Boston Globe

  With Noodle City, Ashland finally gets its own ramen spot

  Feature article on Noodle City's opening in Ashland. Covers owners Alan and Paponake MacIntosh, their ramen-focused menu, broth options, chicken wings, and bubble tea, plus the build-your-own-bowl format and small 10-table space on West Union Street.

• 2018–2019

  Phantom Gourmet

  Phantom Gourmet Restaurant Visit and Review

  Phantom Gourmet visited and reviewed Noodle City during its first year of operation. Referenced in Doragon's own 2019 name-change press release as a major early validation.

• 2018-10

  TripAdvisor

  Doragon Ramen — Customer Reviews

  Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 27 reviews. Ranked #5 of 30 restaurants in Ashland. Described as an authentic, fresh-ingredient restaurant with very good ramen.