Avenging Noodlecat

Earlier today I was watching Anthony Bourdain in one of his MANY visits to Japan and he was really digging on some soba and ramen noodles. Now I am not the worlds biggest fan of Asian foods (your standard fare of kung-pow chicken and wonton soup are the way I lean most of the time) but if I have learned anything from watching food programs, it is that you can, and will, get hungry for what they are eating. So I contemplated the various Chinese food options in my neighborhood and found my choices lacking. Then I remembered that Chef Jonathon Sawyer just opened a brand new restaurant called Noodlecat and today seemed as good as any to check it out.

However, standing in my way of noodle goodness were explosions, mass destruction, actors, and directors. It was day whatever of filming the new "Avengers" movie downtown. And as happy as I am that this is filming in my home town it was located about 3-4 blocks away from my goal of great noodles. Undeterred I hopped in my car and off I went. Traffic was not terrible and seeing all the crap that was in the street was super cool. I even passed the "trailer park" where the likes of Samuel L. were probably hanging out. There were also tons of crowds hanging around just trying to get a glimpse of Hollywood in Cleveland (Hollyland or Clevewood, your call).

I parked just off E. 4th st. and made my way over to Noodlecat. It was clear that the lunch rush was just ending so I had no problem getting a table. The service was excellent and although I do not remember my waiter's name he was quite helpful throughout the entire meal. I was originally going to order the Tsukemen Ramen but they were out. That's when the waiter suggested a Hokkaido style ramen with fresh corn and some Ohio roasted pork. I took him up on his offer and also ordered the Chicken wings (I am a sucker for this) that were just the right amount of spicy and savory.

When it was all said and done I had a VERY good meal. The broth with the noodles was just the right amount of spiciness (although I did add a bit of hot sauce near the end) and the noodles themselves were the perfect consistency. Combine that with great pork (although I wish there was a touch more) and fresh corn shucked off the cob and it made for a very enjoyable lunch. Honestly I can't wait to go back for more. If there is a downside to this it would be the size of the napkins, which are not big enough to handle the amount of slurping you will be doing.

I left happy and thought the world needs to know of this place. Also, if your getting your information from Yelp you are asking the wrong people. I have decided that most of the time they will shit on a restaurant before it even has a chance to get off the ground. Trust me on this it is a cool place to go and you will not be disappointed.