Lots of Heart Options on an Expanding \"Noodle Row\"

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Lots of Hearty Options on an Expanding 'Noodle Row'

Three newcomers join pho favorite Ngon Ngon

by Walter Foley

The 600 block of South 3rd Street is now home to three restaurants taking creative approaches to pho, pasta, ramen, and other delicacies. The staff at Cry Baby Pasta—at the corner of Bainbridge—has even dubbed the strip “Noodle Row.”

The first to settle in was Ngon Ngon, which opened in mid-2018, and specializes in vermicelli, pho, and other Vietnamese offerings. Most of their noodle soups are $9 to $12, with meat, seafood, and veggie options.

Next on the block was Neighborhood Ramen, which opened a brick-and-mortar spot on South 3rd Street in January. Owners Lindsay Steigerwald and Jesse Pryor had been hosting pop-up locations throughout 2018.

Then, a few months ago—after a number of letdowns during their search for a storefront—they found themselves at Ox Coffee, venting to one of the owners, who jokingly suggested that they move into the vacant space across the street.

“We called the realtor that day, took one look at the place and knew that it was the one,” Steigerwald said.

During their pop-up phase, Neighborhood Ramen had two secret locations that were doing ten-seat dinners, which

Bridget Foy and Paul Rodriguez of Cry Baby PastaPhotograph by Drew Callaghan, drewcallaghanphotography.com

was followed by public events at Res Ipsa Cafe, Amis Trattoria, and Garage Fishtown.

“Prepping that amount of food, especially the broth, and then transporting it was incredibly annoying,” Steigerwald said. “The pop-ups were a ton of fun, but we are definitely happy to have our own kitchen to work out of now.”

Their restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, but that doesn’t mean they get to kick back and relax. Each week begins with the highly involved preparation of the broth, when pork belly is braising and eggs are marinating.

“One broth takes over 24 hours to make and is made in a 160-quart stock pot—I can fit in it, to give you a visual,” Steigerwald said. “So if you ever walk by on a Monday night and our storefront is all steamed up, you know why.”

After a month of traveling in Japan, Steigerwald and Pryor noticed how versatile ramen can be from region to region, and they decided that their restaurant would explore the cuisine’s creative emphasis. Their signature ramen, shoyu, is a delicate, clear chicken broth seasoned with a housecurated blend of Japanese soy sauces.

QUEEN VILLAGE QUARTERLY CRIER \\ SPRING 2019