C AT E Z O N E C H I N E S E C A F E It takes a lot for a Chinese restaurant to make a splash on Olive Boulevard, but Cate Zone Chinese Cafe’s regional cuisine has attracted lengthy wait times since it opened on the highly competitive corridor last November.
NUDO HOUSE
NUDO PHOTOS BY IZAIAH JOHNSON
Nudo House, the noodle shop from Mai Lee’s Qui Tran and Marie-Anne Velasco, was years in the making. When instant gratification is the norm – we want what we want, and we want it yesterday – it’s nice to be reminded that some things are worth the wait. Unlike the voluminous menus found at many Asian restaurants, Nudo keeps things simple with a handful of cold apps like spring rolls and kimchi, vegetables sides and two bahn mi variations. Four versions of pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup Tran’s Mai Lee is famous for, are also on the menu. But the star of the show at Nudo is the ramen, the December 2017
traditional Japanese noodle dish that inspires untold obsessive devotion in so many diners. In those seeming eons of R&D, Tran and Velasco delved headfirst into the world of ramen, sampling versions from across the country and hosting pop-ups around town to keep up interest. At Nudo, there are four different versions that build on the basics, melding tradition with a distinctive creative bent. Standouts include the vegetarian Shroomed Out ramen, which deploys meaty, earthy king oyster mushrooms to delicious effect, and perhaps the ultimate in cross-cultural comfort cuisine, the Hebrew Hammer, a rich and creamy combo of tender ramen noodles and chicken schmaltz. Tuck in with a bowl and take your time. – M.S.
top left: the shroomed out ramen at nudo
top right: the korean cold noodle soup at cate zone chinese cafe
middle: from top, qui tran and marie-anne velasco
Cate Zone’s interior is casual and understated, adorned with black-andwhite photos of NYC and wallpaper crisscrossed with the names of subway stops. The distinct lack of flash, pageantry or stereotypical decor (not a dragon, shrine or fish tank in sight), puts all of the attention squarely where it belongs: on the food. Your server may not speak perfect English, but don’t be afraid to ask questions and solicit recommendations. The menu has plenty of familiar dishes – the sweet and sour pork, killer stir-fried noodles and crispy eggplant would please any palate – but Cate Zone sets itself apart by offering up a bevy of traditional favorites from northeastern China. Off-cuts make myriad adept appearances in dishes like pork jelly and tripe in chile sauce. Don’t miss the super fresh and healthy-feeling Korean cold noodle dish in a slightly sweet broth with cucumber and kimchi. Want to expand your culinary horizons? Get in the Zone. – M.S. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 39