Walked through Chinatown yesterday in the mid-afternoon on a post-lunch stroll from there to Haymarket. I was trying to work off some of my recent carb intake due to Noodle Month, so I wasn’t particularly hungry and was mostly looking to view the landscape and locate a couple spots there that have been mentioned to me here or by friends of late. (Side note: one of those friends mentioned Su Su Gourmet on Tyler that he really liked. Anyone tried it?) I also thought I might get a drink at Gong Cha, but holy heck! That place was jammed.
Spied Ruckus Noodles along the way, and went up the stairs to take a look in the window. As I did the guy at the register saw me and came out and handed me the menu, and so I figured what the heck, I’ll try something. Was going to do the pork belly onigiri but I let the dude talk me into the special which was a suckling pig korokke, basically a chopped pork shoulder croquette on a bed of Asian slaw with a quail egg on top. (Yeah, I know I said I wasn’t particularly hungry! Let’s not talk about the corner Sicilian slice at Haymarket Pizza). It wasn’t transporting, but I liked it–was fried nicely, and the slaw spryly cut through the fattiness of the croquette and the richness of the egg.
The place oozes hip, though, so if you find that a turnoff or if you don’t like loudish hip hop while you eat, then this may not be your gig. It’s set up for a fast casual, fairly quick turnover pace, seats maybe thirty or so and is lit brightly and kept clean. Service is fine, if maybe looking to upsell some. But hey, I got talked out of my onigiri, so that’s my fault.
In any case, a good first encounter. I will likely go back and try the house made noodles later in the month.
