NoNo NOrth of NOrthern FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com july 23, 2015 • BUZZ • The Queens Courier 67 dining out Photo by Bradley Hawks Now that’s using your noodle MU RAMEN 12-09 Jackson Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 917-868-8903 View Over 200 Reviews at queenscourier.com By Bradley Hawks 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-andmortar restaurant at its current location. Heidy hands me a menu, and begins to explain some of the ramen and accompanying treats. “If I could only have one dish,” she volunteers, “it would probably be the clams.” And now the one dish that captivated me the least has piqued my curiosity. “This is from Josh,” she smiles as she places a wooden bowl in front of me. The dish is called U&I and is typically served at dinner, but I have been anxiously waiting to try it. “It’s a play on the spelling of uni,” explains Heidy, “but Josh thought calling it U&I might be more romantic. Try to get a little bit of everything in each bite.” The color of rainbow sherbert, this uni and ikura blend consists of warm sushi rice topped with cubes of spicy tuna, amber orbs of salmon roe, golden slivers of sea urchin, and a tiny cap of wasabi. The bowl is emptied in moments, and I sit smiling blissfully out the window. Next, the “Okonomiyaki” arrives, and it is Smookler’s playful take on the Japanese classic. Light-as-air silver dollar corn cakes are drizzled with a foie gras-kissed maple syrup, smoked trout, tobiko and microgreens. The bite-sized medallions are wickedly delicious, and the trout is almost like blue lump crabmeat. I find difficulty pacing myself. Juicy slabs of braised short ribs appear at lunchtime, and the duo of buns comes topped with white kimchi and spicy mayo. And then come the clams. Steamed with garlic, lemon zest, butter and spicy chorizo, the shells arrive drizzled with saffron aioli. After plunging one into the accompanying Vietnamese dipping sauce, I am forced to chuckle out loud. When a meal can muster an involuntary laugh, I know it is one I will recall for a long time. The dining room is slowly filling up around me, and I sit grinning obliviously, genuinely delighted with my meal. Sadly, I push aside the extra clams, a short rib bun, and half the okonomiyaki. I have to at least try the ramen—as it is the marquis dish. Soon, the Shoyu arrives, and I’ve requested a nitamago (seasoned egg) to be added as a sort of cherry on top. Two slabs of roasted pork belly swim beneath a clear broth of chicken, along with menma, spinach, nori and scallions. The broth is decadently refreshing, and I eventually find myself slurping the final noodle into my mouth. Heidy arrives to see how I am enjoying everything, and I sigh in surrender, with a half a bowl of broth before me. “I tried,” I laugh. “You did a good job,” smiles Heidy, as she removes the bowl from the table. “Oh no,” I think to myself. “It was all your brilliantly talented husband.” TOP BINGO HALL PLAY Everyone Loves BINGO! Must be 18 and Over Ad sponsored by Charities of Top Bingo Hall IT’S FUN! Win Up to $6000! Computerized Bingo Available Free Parking • Free WiFi Every day except Wednesday & Sunday at 11AM Every night Except Monday Night at 7PM Every at 7PM 7 Nights a Week!! 220-34 Jamaica Avenue Bellerose/Queens Village, NY 11428 718.740.2524 • topbingonyc.topbingony.com com For More Information: Contact Barry Kessler, (516) 315-5305 42-23 Bell Boulevard • Bayside, NY 11361 718.428.NONO (6666) NoNoLounge.com NoNo bar and cocktail lounge Check Out Our Outdoor Patio With Fire Pits Afternoon Parties, Sunday Brunches, Baby/Bridal Showers, Sweet Sixteens, Birthday Parties or Any occasion. *$19.95 pp w/food… Packages also available w/drinks
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