Mi & Yu Noodle Bar – Baltimore Magazine

Weekend Lineup: Sept. 23-25

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 16:01:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

Mi & Yu Noodle Bar Grand Opening

Mount Vernon
Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Free.

We love the little nosh-worthy nook that is Mi & Yu
Noodle Bar on South Charles Street in Federal Hill. Just off the hubbub of the
Cross Street square, and amidst the multitudes of forgettable late-night eats,
it’s the perfect hidden gem for salty-sweet steamed buns and heavenly hot bowls
of soup. One year after opening, Mi & Yu can now be found in a second
location, having just opened its stall in Mount Vernon Marketplace. Joining the
ranks of the beloved Local Oyster and fellow Asian eateries Pinch Dumplings and Brown
Rice, the shop will be the first to offer ramen in this favorite food hall.
Expect the same deliciousness, with ramen, udon,
pho, and all that tasty pork belly in tow.

DRINK

September 24-25: Maryland Oktoberfest

Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York
Road, TImonium. Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Free-$8.
410-446-8189.

It’s officially
fall, which means it’s time for pumpkin beers, comfy sweaters, and front steps
covered in decorative gourds. It also means Oktoberfest festivities are about
to pop up all across the country (and world). Kick it all off with a
celebration of German heritage and culture at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.
For two days, don your lederhosen and dirndls and indulge in all things Deutschland, with authentic cuisine—think all the pretzels and brats your belly
could crave—giant steins of beer, traditional music and dance, and handmade
goods.

SEE

September 21-January 22: John Waters’ Kiddie Flamingos

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700.

We’re all familiar with Baltimore’s most notorious (and beloved) auteur, John Waters. The renowned director is a legend thanks to his iconic camp films and, increasingly, his fine art, which has been twice featured at The Baltimore Museum of Art. This month, catch his latest project: a 74-minute, G-rated rendition of Pink Flamingos, with lines read by children in wigs and mock versions of the original costumes. We can’t wait to see the pint-size Divine.

HEAR

September 23: Blacksage

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $10. 410-662-0069.

Basement Vows was the kind of breakout record that would be hard to follow, full of modern R&B trappings, producer Drew Scott’s captivating beats, and singer Josephine Olivia’s honey-coated vocals. But in that last album’s cathartic wake, this new record (out next week via Friends Records) reveals a much more sparse, sophisticated Blacksage. Themes remain the same—desire, romance, heartache—but each song slows down, spreads out, and oozes with newfound confidence and ease. With an emphasis on jazz, the duo declares itself a powerhouse of the local music scene, one that should definitely be reckoned with and heard (especially the new undeniable title track). See for yourself on Friday night in Remington, with Best of Baltimore-winning R&B artist :3ION (also featured on the album), hip-hop quartet Soul Cannon, surf-pop rockers Sweepstakes, singer-songwriter Beya Likhari, and DJ James Nasty.

DO

September 23-25: Baltimore Book Festival

Baltimore Inner Harbor. Fri.-Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. 410-752-8632.

The Baltimore Book Festival makes us pretty confident that we are still “the city that reads.” After 21 years, this three-day fete continues to be a book-lover’s paradise, with hundreds of speakers, exhibitors, and booksellers of every genre. With local food, drinks, and music in tow, listen to live stories by Stoop Storytelling, catch Baltimore native D. Watkins and True Laurels editor Lawrence Burney as they discuss their new books and magazines, respectively, and hear Best of Baltimore-winning poet Tariq Toure read from his debut collection. On Friday, don’t miss Bond Street District perform on the music stage at 6 p.m., and on Saturday, be sure to catch BmoreArt’s Art Critic Panel with editor-in-chief Cara Ober and Baltimore’s own Gabriella Souza, as well as the National Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Panel for Chesapeake conversation with local chefs John Shields and Spike Gjerde, True Chesapeake Oyster owner Patrick Hudson, and outdoor photographer Jay Fleming.

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Open & Shut: Five and Dime Ale House; Mi & Yu Noodle Bar; Smashburger

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 13 May 2016 11:03:00 +0000

OPEN:

Lotsa Pizza: The Towson dining scene welcomed a new late-night option earlier this week with the debut of this fast-casual pizza destination. Situated in the former home of The Orient on York Road, the national college-town chain (other targeted locations include Purdue and West Virginia universities) serves 11-inch, wood-fired pizzas, which diners can either customize themselves or order from a menu that lists flavor combinations like barbecue chicken, Hawaiian, and shrimp Old Bay. Towson University students will be happy to hear that the eatery, which is offering daily specials to celebrate its launch this week, will be open until 3 a.m. on weekends. 319 York Road, 410-705-4400

Insomnia Cookies: Speaking of late-night eats, this University of Pennsylvania-founded bakery is opening not one, but two locations in Charm City this week. Known for its fresh-baked cookie flavors like snickerdoodle, chocolate peanut butter cup, and s’mores deluxe, the new shops in Fells Point and Federal Hill will offer a showcase full of goodies in-store, as well as neighborhood delivery service offered as late as 3 a.m. Cookie cakes, ice cream sandwiches, and requisite pints of cold milk will also be available. 3301 N. Charles St. and 812 S. Broadway, 877-632-6654 and 877-632-6654

COMING SOON:

Arba: R. House, Remington’s yet-to-open communal food incubator, has recently announced the third of 10 micro-restaurants that will set up shop inside the 50,000-square-foot converted automobile showroom when it opens next fall. The latest tenant is Farid Saloum, who will be opening Arba, a spinoff of his South Baltimore restaurant Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Fusing both old-world and new-age cuisine, the stall will feature house-made falafel, schwarma (carved meat cooked on a spit), and hummus alongside creative dishes like grilled octopus salad and eggplant fries. 301 W. 29th St., 443-347-3570

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant: A
grand opening date for an Annapolis location of this Chicago-based
restaurant is scheduled for Monday, May 16. The two-story, 300 seat
space boasts a Napa-style tasting room and a gift shop on the lower
level, as well as a full-service bar and restaurant upstairs. The menu,
which keeps the brand’s handcrafted wines in mind, lists global dishes
such as red wine-braised short ribs, soy-ginger salmon, Asian pork belly
tostadas, and Mexican drunken shrimp. The Annapolis location marks the
23rd Cooper’s Hawk restaurant in the country.
1906 Town Center Blvd Ste 238,
Annapolis, 443-837-9989

Five and Dime Ale House: Come summer, Hampden locals
won’t need to venture far to down some of Pratt Street Ale House’s
signature beers from Oliver Brewing Company. The owners, who also
operate restaurants in Columbia and Severna Park, are opening a spinoff
in the old G.C. Murphy five-and-dime antique store on the 900 block of
The Avenue. Co-owner Justin Dvorkin recently told us that he plans to
preserve the space’s heritage in the restaurant’s interior design, and
that the food menu will mirror the eats at the Columbia location—which
features a wide array of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and tacos.
Naturally, the beer list will highlight Oliver Brewing Company’s
releases, but Dvorkin says that the bar will also feature guest draft
lines from the likes of Union, DuClaw, and Jailbreak breweries.
901 W. 36th St.

LB Skybar: Although it
might not seem like it this week, rooftop lounge season is finally upon
us, and the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel is re-opening its 60-seat
skybar on Thursday, May 19. The debut will feature upgrades such as a
state-of-the-art sound system, new furniture, and an expanded menu
including new options like sushi and antipasti. Guests can look forward
to taking in the sweeping views while sipping drinks from a specialty
summer cocktail menu.
20 W. Baltimore St., 855-539-1928

Mi & Yu Noodle Bar: In addition to dumplings, cupcakes, charcuterie, and oysters, foodies will soon be able to get their fix of ramen at Mt. Vernon Marketplace. The communal food hall—which houses the likes of The Local Oyster, Big Bean Theory, Edible Favors, and Ful Café—will welcome Mi & Yu Noodle Bar to its lineup in early July. The Federal Hill Asian-fusion restaurant will set up shop in an 800-square-foot stall and serve its signature steamed bun sandwiches and DIY bowls full of ramen, pho, or udon noodles. 520 Park Ave. 888-897-8859

Modern Cook Shop: This long-awaited restaurant and marketplace is slated to open on the first floor of the Union Wharf apartment building across from The Red Star in Fells Point this summer. Co-owners Andy Gruver and Jason Sanchez, the duo behind Fork & Wrench in Canton, have been hard at work readying the 125-seat space, which will feature dine-in service focusing on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors, as well as a plethora of comestibles available to-go. Among them are charcuterie, canned and pickled ingredients, baked goods, and fresh produce. The 4,500-square-foot dining destination will also feature a traditional bar with craft beer and barrel-aged cocktails. 901 S. Wolfe St.

CH-CH CHANGES:

The Corner Pantry: As working parents themselves, husband and wife owners Neill and Emily Howell recently unveiled a new dinnertime cold bar at the The Corner Pantry as a remedy for busy professionals who want to grab a wholesome meal on-the-go. The new bar, offered weekdays from 5-7 p.m., highlights a rotating menu of dishes such as salmon cakes, roasted cauliflower salad, and arancini (stuffed rice balls) with brown rice and sausage. 6080 Falls Road, 667-308-2331

SHUT:

Smashburger: After just a year in business, this Denver-based burger chain shuttered its doors in Fells Point last week due to a lack of business. The fast-casual restaurant, known for its signature seared burger technique, offered made-to-order burgers, chicken sandwiches, haystack onion rings, and handspun milkshakes. The eatery boasts other locations in Ellicott City, Gaithersburg, and Rockville, and has signed a lease to open a fourth restaurant inside the yet-to-open Foundry Row project in Owings Mills. 616 S. Broadway

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Review: Mi & Yu Noodle Bar

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

It seems the ramen revolution that was so ripe for explosion two summers ago has settled down to a slow simmer, with just a few new options popping up around Baltimore these days. Of these, Federal Hill’s Mi & Yu Noodle Bar has drawn particular attention, thanks to its chef and proprietor, Edward Kim, remembered fondly by old-school Baltimore foodies for his elaborate, modernist cooking at Ixia and Soigne 15 years ago. Although the offerings are highly streamlined and firmly rooted in tradition, the food at Mi & Yu still possesses that fullness and depth of flavor one might expect from a highly seasoned chef.

On cold days, the windows at this charming, unfussy noodle bar are opaque with steam, while, inside, the narrow space stretches back from a sparse but bright dining area to a small galley kitchen that’s set up assembly-line style for massive volume.

In fact, that the kitchen is granted more real estate than the dining room is a very good portent.

Mi & Yu uses a modular menu system, wherein one chooses from an array of proteins, noodles, and broths to build a custom noodle bowl. This open-ended scheme may fluster ramen purists, but this place is billed as a “noodle bar,” and ramen is but one of the starches on offer, along with thick udon noodles and pho noodles.

Broth selection ranges from a clean, yet rich, Japanese miso to one flavored with the punch of Korean spicy peppers and garlic. All soups come with the same vegetables—napa cabbage, carrots, red onions, and daikon radishes—but you can further garnish with meats such as braised pork belly or short rib, duck carnitas, or even buttermilk-fried chicken. Seared tofu and vegetable broth options also are available for vegetarians.

NOODLE BOWL WITH PORK BELLY, KIMCHI, AND CHICKEN
We loved every combination of noodly noms, but the ramen topped with pork belly, kimchi, tender chicken, and a kick of ginger and spicy chili pepper, is a required order.

Most individual components seem recognizable enough, but the preparations are drawn from such diverse cuisines that for the adventurous, it is possible to end up with a fairly off-the-wall concoction. (The sweetness and five-spice flavor of the pork belly make for an unusual pairing with the already complex sambal broth, for example.) But, whether it’s thanks to careful menu planning or straight-up culinary chops, it’s nearly impossible to come up with a combination that’s anything less than tasty (if unconventional) and deeply satisfying.

And while regular patrons seem to have it down pat, rattling off their orders in efficient Starbucks-style staccato, first-timers are often seen gripped in menu-gazing paralysis, as is apt to happen with so many options.

To avoid such a fate, one need only be armed with the following six words: “pork belly, kimchi, ramen, add chicken.” It is this combination that provides the most intense, yet familiar, flavors, pleasing contrast in textures, and the all-important “ahhh”-inducing feeling that is only attainable from a good bowl of noodle soup. The kimchi broth is deeply savory, with unmuted high notes of ginger and spicy chili pepper—indeed, the only caveat would be the considerable heat. The barely resilient texture of the ramen noodles, whose crinkliness helps transport a bit more of the broth in every bite, is nicely offset by the napa and daikon mixture, which is right at home with the kimchi flavor.

So, too, is the pork belly, which is seasoned subtly enough that the five-spice merely perfumes without overwhelming. The buttermilk-fried chicken frankly speaks for itself, and is straightforward enough to complement any permutation with a bit of crunch.

Pro tip: Mi & Yu does not take carryout orders over the phone, only online via its website or mobile app, which is also where one can find timely updates about the availability of the elusive special “beef dashi broth.”

There are other noodle bars in town, but this one is not to be missed.

MI & YU NOODLE BAR 1016 S. Charles St., 443-388-9295.
HOURS Mon.-Thurs. 12-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 12-11 p.m., Sun. 12-9 p.m.
PRICES Noodles: $11.50-14.
ATMOSPHERE Minimalist zen.

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