Ramen shop
Noodle Monkey will host a soft opening next weekend at 5260 Northland Dr. NE, inviting diners to come in and experience a brand-new, ramen-focused menu and interior aesthetic at the former
Rak Thai Bistro location.
Owner Yace Hang says he spent about a year looking for somewhere to open a new noodle bar — something he’s wanted for awhile now after seeing the success of his winter noodle menu at Rak Thai Bistro’s Downtown Grand Rapids Market location — but wasn’t having any luck finding the right location in downtown Grand Rapids.
However, with a previously scheduled remodel of the Northland Dr. location interior already in place, Hang says he realized he already had the perfect space — he just needed a new menu and some revamped branding.
“I was going to remodel the Thai Bistro anyway, and I like this space, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I just turn this into the Noodle Monkey space and see how that goes,'” Hang says.
His new menu will feature entirely house-made noodles for a variety of ramen dishes, including a vegan broth, as well as more traditional stir-fry noodles, all inspired by the Asian comfort foods Hang grew up eating.
“I’ve evolved as a cook,” he says. “I wouldn’t consider myself a chef because I’m not classically trained, but I’m a great cook and I cook for all of my restaurants and when you’ve been doing it for so long, you get creative. Noodle Monkey, for me, is a representation of the food that I eat or the food I want to cook. I’m not following any set of guidelines or specific recipes for my menu — everything on there is something I’ve made myself or a version of something I saw that I liked and wanted to make my own take on.”
The remodeled 1,800-square-foot space will feature updated interior fixtures, including new communal seating for diners and a host of brand-new kitchen equipment.
Hang says though Noodle Monkey plans to locally source as many vegetables and meat products as possible, working with local providers like Byron Center Meats to create some of his dishes, he also wants to be sure his main focus is on the quality of the end product.
“As a restaurant owner, the end product — your food — is what’s most important," he says.
For more information on the menu or to stay updated on next weekend’s soft opening,
visit Noodle Monkey on Facebook here.
By Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Noodle Monkey/Yace Hang
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