JULY 2015 | BOROMAG.COM | 33 At Mu Ramen, tables zigzag together in a communal Tetris board of reclaimed wood. I have arrived 10 minutes early just to guarantee my spot at the table. I have seen the crowds gathered along Jackson Avenue in the evenings as patrons patiently await a coveted seat. A young woman opens the door and invites me in. Her name is Heidy He. Though she works the front of the house, she is also married to Joshua Smookler, the owner and Per Se-trained chef. “My birth name is Mu,” she says, “and Josh was sweet enough to name the restaurant after me—and it has several Zen connotations, as well.” Motorcycle helmets line the counter to the right, and tattooed chefs are vigorously prepping for the evening service. Though I am pleasantly surprised to have the dining room to myself, today is only the second day of lunch at this magnificent little noodle shop. They began as a pop-up at a nearby bagel shop, and then shuttered shortly after Pete Wells named them the best ramen in the city. Almost a year later, they opened their brick-and-mortar restaurant at its current location. (continued on page 34)
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