Squirrel Hill's Viet Nom Nom closing February 28.

Squirrel Hill's Viet Nom Nom will close its doors on February 28. From its Instagram story:

There's a little sadness in letting go but there's plenty of beauty in starting over. Squirrel Hill was home to 2 of my businesses the last 14 years. This community has welcomed me with open arms as I introduced Vietnamese cuisine to the neighborhood with the opening of Tan Lac Vien in 2012. It was my first dine-in restaurant where i Offered more unique and authentic dishes. I had a great run. In 2023 I decided to down size to what is currently Viet Nom Nom. It was a fun, quirky and cozy spot. I offered quick and casual dine-in where I served no fuss dishes. I will forever be grateful for the patronage and friendships that I have created here over the years. I am honored to have served the Squirrel Hill community. Life is filled with changes and I have to allow my new priorities to align with my home and work balance. A reset is deeply desired, but Please don't worry because if any of you know me, you'll know that I am a "serial entrepreneur " - to be continued...

It opened January 2023 at 1711 Murray Ave (map).

Sushi restaurant Sokoya coming to former Patron spot in East Liberty.

A sushi restaurant called Sokoya is coming to the former Patron spot in East Liberty, located at 135 S. Highland Ave. (map). Patron closed in November 2025. Beyond new signage, no changes are expected to the exterior, but permitting paperwork is still pending for the sushi bar and other interior changes.

Peel teahouse soft opening in Squirrel Hill, February 20.

Peel, a new teahouse in Squirrel Hill, is soft opening from Friday, February 20.

Peel is soft opening this Friday 2/20/26, 12pm - 11pm!! on 2nd floor @ 5806 Forbes Ave

We’re beta testing so free tea after 8pm on Fri in exchange 4 ur thoughts, come hang 🌀🌀🌀

*We’ll be in beta testing/soft open mode for the next two weeks for us to find grounding, hours are as follows:

Mon to Tue: closed
Wed to Thurs: 12pm- 10pm
Fri to Sun: 12pm - 11pm

Signage went up for the Chinese-owned place in January, though work has been underway for nearly a year.  It is located at 5806 Forbes Ave., second floor, above Uncle Sam's (map). The text on social media, and the front-door signage, says Peel

is a (tea)house for drinks, eats, inquiries & play

All-you-can-eat sushi place Umiya coming to Squirrel Hill, in former Eat n' Park (and failed Kpot) spot.

An all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant called Umiya will be coming to Squirrel Hill, in the former Eat n' Park spot where a Kpot hot pot restaurant was "coming soon" for a few years before abandoning the site. It will be located at 1816 Murray Ave. (map), which has been unoccupied since Eat n' Park left in early 2022.

I drove by the spot on May 28, 2023 as workers were putting up the Kpot banner, which allowed me to be the first to post about it (and have my photo used across local outlets without attribution, of course), but after no movement on the space for two years---not even old EnP furniture was moved---the banner came down and a For Lease sign went up in May 2025. All-you-can-eat Korean-style BBQ and Hot Pot restaurants were a Pittsburgh dining trend in 2023 and 2024, while all-you-can-eat sushi places and Asian buffets took off in the area in 2025 and 2026.

Berry Fresh II opens in Oakland, in former Little Asia spot that was briefly going to be another Meetcha.

Photos via ownership on Google

Berry Fresh II, a second location of the Berry Fresh frozen yogurt spot in Squirrel Hill owned by Guobao An, recently opened in Oakland. It is located at 301 S. Craig St., in what was formerly Little Asia restaurant and what was briefly, according to license paperwork, going to be a second Meetcha location back in 2023-2024. 

Sushi Atarashi, Wushiland Boba eye Summer 2026 opening for new Shadyside location.

The new joint Sushi Atarashi Wushiland Boba location coming to The Meridian in Shadyside is aiming for a June-July location, according to ownership. The combined sushi and bubble tea space was announced in Summer 2024, and will join Giant Eagle Market District, Shake Shack, Cava, Barnes & Noble, Sephora, and Meridian Nail Bar, along with 231 apartments at the corner of Shady and Penn Avenues (map)

Pitt buys former Spice Island Tea House, Smile Thai building.

The University of Pittsburgh has purchased the former Spice Island Tea House building, which was most recently home to Smile Thai and Sushi:

Pitt purchased 251-253 Atwood St. for just under $1.37 million last month, according to Allegheny County real estate records.

University officials wouldn’t disclose plans for the 4,436-square-foot property.

“The university is always looking for opportunities near campus that support our long-term mission and give us flexibility to meet future academic needs and to contribute to the vibrancy of Oakland,” spokesman Jared Stonesifer said. “This purchase helps ensure we can continue to grow in a thoughtful and strategic way.”

The spot was home to Spice Island Tea House for 28 years until it closed in September 2023. Smile Thai and Sushi opened in October 2024 and closed in Summer 2025.

Asian stationary store DooBoo opens in East Liberty.

An Asian stationary store, DooBoo, opened in East Liberty in December. It is located at 6012 Penn Ave. (map). Their Instagram has a variety of photos and videos, and a post before the soft opening previewed some offerings:

DooBoo’s a small little project run by two cousins hoping to bring some more relaxed joy & mindfulness into their busy lives. sometimes we forget that there’s so much more to life than just existing, so this small brick-and-mortar hopes to share stationery products focused on being mindful about and embracing your inner soul 🧚‍♀️

expect journals, notebooks, planners, pens, highlighters, stickers, memo pads, washi tapes, and more!! oh, and we’ll also try our bestest to support local and national artists and creators because supporting small businesses is a must! ✨ so go ahead and tag your artist friends or favorite artists and support them in their dreams 🌱

Chinese teahouse Peel coming soon to Squirrel Hill.

Work continues on Peel, a Chinese teahouse coming soon to Squirrel Hill. It will be located at 5806 Forbes Ave., second floor, above Uncle Sam's (map). Permits were first issued for the spot back in April. Recently-added signage on the door advertises PEEL

is a (tea)house for drinks, eats, inquiries & play

Coming this winter

Okane Sushi, featuring sushi tacos and omakase, set to open January 2 January 3 January 5 January 7.

Okane Sushi is set to open downtown on January 2 January 3 January 5 January 7, with a menu featuring set and customized sushi tacos on the first floor and a second floor dedicated to omakase (chef's choice of sushi). [Shipping delays have pushed the opening back a couple times, according to ownership.] It will be located at 245 4th Ave. (map), repacing Sushi i, which opened there in April 2025, and is from the team behind several new restaurants including Top Pot Hot Pot, Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, and the forthcoming Opal Buffet, among others.

Sushi place Shoku Next Door coming soon to Cranberry.

Shoku Next Door is coming soon to Cranberry Mall.

We’re your new neighborhood spot for quality sushi and casual dining. Grab a quick take-out on busy days or relax and dine in with friends — always delicious, always welcoming. Stop by and discover your next favorite sushi place, right next door!

Paperwork lists it as space 103 (map), which is currently occupied by the baby and kids clothing store Carter's.

Okane Sushi, featuring sushi tacos, opening downtown January 2.

Okane Sushi is set to open downtown on January 2, with a menu featuring set and customized sushi tacos. It will be located at 245 4th Ave. (map), repacing Sushi i, which opened there in April, and is from the team behind several new restaurants including Top Pot Hot Pot.

Poke Bowl Express & Asian Cuisine now open in Greenfield.

Poke Bowl Express & Asian Cuisine has opened in Greenfield, in the spot across from Giant Eagle most recently occupied by Gold Ladle. Signage first went up earlier in December for "a Chinese restaurant to a Poke Bowl-focused Asian fustion restaurant (Japanese & Chinese)." Gold Ladle was the latest in a line of Chinese restaurants occupying 4219 Murray Ave. (map), dating back to at least the 1980s, but it closed in April 2025 due to fire after just six months in business. It took over the spot after a few months of Wai Wai, which took over that spot after China Star was shut down in February 2024 due to repeated health violations.

Poke Bowl Express has posted its menu online, and it includes set and customized poke bowls, sushi and rolls, and an assortment of Chinese and Asian dishes like kung pao chicken, pad thai, sweet sour chicken, and more.

Nami Japanese Kitchen & Bar, offering all-you-can-eat sushi, coming soon to Bridgeville.

Nami Japanese Kitchen & Bar, offering all-you-can-eat sushi, is coming soon to the Chartiers Valley Shopping Center in Bridgeville. The torii, and signage, is up in the former Vocelli Pizza spot.

A huge local restaurant trend in 2023 and 2024 was planning---and sometimes opening---all-you-can-eat hotpot and Korean-style BBQ places, while a trend for 2025 was opening all-you-can-eat sushi places: 8 Star in Gibsonia, Let's Sushi in Wexford, and Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Monroeville opened over the past year, and Oyoshi in East Liberty is still under construction.

Paris Baguette in Shadyside now open.

The local Paris Baguette has posted on its Instagram story that the Shadyside location is now open. The Korean cafe chain's second Pittsburgh restaurant was first announced for 5514 Walnut St. (map) in January 2024.

Signage up for Poke Bowl Express & Asian Cuisine in Greenfield.

Signage is up for Poke Bowl Express & Asian Cuisine on Murray Ave. in Greenfield. Printed window signage went up 11 days ago announcing the arrival of "a "Poke Bowl-focused Asian fusion restaurant" coming soon to the spot most recently occupied by Gold Ladle. Gold Ladle was the latest in a line of Chinese restaurants occupying 4219 Murray Ave. (map), dating back to at least the 1980s, but it closed in April 2025 due to fire after just six months in business. It took over the spot after a few months of Wai Wai, which took over that spot after China Star was shut down in February 2024 due to repeated health violations.

Signage on the windows says

Dear Customers,

Our restaurant has been renovated and upgraded from a Chinese restaurant to a Poke Bowl-focused Asian fustion restaurant (Japanese & Chinese).

Coming Soon

After Monroeville's Bobae closes, owners reopen Korean/Japanese market "Ramen Mart" in Murrysville.

While searching through paperwork on another business, I found news of "Ramen Mart" in Murrysville, a Korean-owned store that specializes in Korean and Japanese snacks, ramen, beverages, and other food novelties. Of course it's not exactly news, since it opened over the summer, but it's new to me. It's located at 3920 William Penn Highway (map), a small outparcel it shares with Let's Taco and a real estate agent. The owner used to operate Bobae in Monroeville, with similar offerings, until it closed earlier this year. Photos of Ramen Mart's offerings are available on its Instsagram and Facebook pages

Ramen place coming to Brookline.

Word around town is a Japanese ramen restaurant will be coming to Brookline, in the spot most recently occupied by Oak Hill Post (map). The sign was recently painted over and an application was submitted to paint the new one, while work continues inside.

Vietnam 9 Vietnam closes after brief stint in Oakland.

Vietnam 9 Vietnam, a Vietnamese restaurnant in Oakland, closed in late-November. If the latest Google Review is to be believed, it aims to look for a new location. Vietnam 9 Vietnam opened in April at 338 S. Bouquet St. (map), across from the post office.

Viet Lounge coming to East Liberty.

Work is underway in East Liberty on a new restaurant and lounge called Viet Lounge. It will be located on the ground floor of 211 Tower on 211 N. Whitfield St. (map), in what was most recently Blue Sky Kitchen and Bar.