The food scene of the Brick City was once somewhat of a Garden State secret, but a barrage of celebrity chefs, biergartens, blues bars, and more has gotten the word out a bit. Last week, the corridor near the Prudential Center got another culinary option, as Noodle Shop & Bar officially soft opened at 218 Market Street.
The Asian-inspired restaurant comes from the RockPlaza Restaurant Group, who also own nearby Mercado Tomato Pie and Novelty Burger. The modern space in a historic building shines with repurposed barn wood floors, proper dining tables, and a wood-based bar area. Walls at the restaurant feature local works from Newark-based artist A Pintar Con Sirio that depict famous landmarks of the city’s streetscape and skyline, plus a few nods to local sports teams.
The menu at Noodle Shop & Bar consists of several variations of ramen dishes for entrees, which include broths as diverse as bone, vegetable, chicken, and a thick creamy variety. A more unique and hyped option is the restaurant’s noodle-based “pasta” bowls that include Novelty’s Mac N Cheese, a ramen bowl prepared in chicken broth with a homemade cheese sauce.
Extra toppings that can be added to their ramen bowls include shrimp skewers, chashu pork, seaweed, jalapenos, mushrooms, bok choy, spinach, red peppers, avocado, or bacon. Other bar snacks and appetizers at the eatery include items like wings sporting a ponzu glaze and sesame seeds, yakitori shrimp, edamame with sea salt, pork buns, and homemade chips.
Fans of libations need not fret; Noodle Shop & Bar hasn’t forgotten about the last part of their name. While drinks aren’t flowing yet during their soft open, the restaurant will eventually have 30 beers on tap that include domestics and Japanese brands, plus a large selection of sake, cocktails, wines, and even sangria for the happy hour crowd to enjoy.
A downstairs area has also been renovated for events and can hold up to 40 people. The trial run for Noodle Shop and Bar began on May 30 and for now, they are serving a limited menu Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
When fully launched, their operating hours will run from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week. A formal complete opening date has yet to be announced, but those interested can follow them on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
