Nudo House now open in Creve Coeur
After a series of delays, Qui Tran's long-awaited ramen shop opens a day early.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Don’t believe everything you read, especially when it involves a restaurant opening.
Two days ago, Nudo House, the much-delayed and highly anticipated ramen-and-more shop from Qui Tran and Marie-Anne Velasco, announced that opening day would be Friday, July 28. But after a successful dry run yesterday, in which 400 of Tran's friends and family were served, the restaurant will open today at 11 a.m., one day ahead of schedule. (Nudo's hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m.–9 p.m.)
The calm and the soft opening storm
In the past three years, a lot has been said and written about Nudo: about how Tran and Velasco traveled the country to sample variations of ramen, how they consulted with ramen master Shigetoshi “Chef Jack” Nakamura to dial in their interpretation of ramen, how they selected Creve Coeur for the flagship Nudo House, and how they tested the recipes at a handful of pop-ups. A week ago, in anticipation of Nudo’s opening, SLM published a Q&A with Tran, in which he discussed his family’s journey to the United States, their two restaurants, and the future of the St. Louis culinary scene.
But we’re not here to talk about the past. Here’s what's new and notable...
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
The Food: The headliners are the four types of ramen and pho, the latter of which begins with “3-1-Pho.”
“We’re all from St. Louis," says Tran quips. "It was catchy—why not?”
The price for a bowl of ramen is $12. Pho costs $10–$13, with the highest price version being a beef-chicken-and-shrimp combo that Trans calls 3-1-Pho Shizzle.
The shape of the bowls is deceiving and the soup portions are deceivingly large. “The $12 ramen contains five ounces of noodles, along with vegetables and rich broth,” explains Tran. “It’s a lot, but for $12, you’re supposed to be full.”
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
There are two banh mi sandwiches on the 20-item menu, including the Banh Mi Pho Dip (pictured above), a riff on the classic French dip. Flank steak is cooked in pho stock before being shredded and mixed with pho onions and bone barrow; a side of au jus is clarified and strained beef pho stock.
Rounding out the menu are several salads and four side dishes, all priced at $2 (the soy-seasoned bamboo shoots are an addictive steal), as well as appetizers, including Mai Lee classics, such as spring rolls and crab Rangoon.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
The Decor: Designed by Tran’s sister, Sara, the décor pivots around a “social media wall,” a new wrinkle in restaurant design, around which customers are encouraged to take group shots and selfies. The feedback mechanism is essential in building a brand, says Tran. “We want to know what people think about the place, what impressed them, what stuck with them,” he says, “the kinds of things that will help shape Nudo’s future.”
The Hashtags: Part of the feedback mechanism are two hashtags: #nudosquad (for the aforementioned group shots and selfies) and #showusyournudo (for food mentions and photos).
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Even the spoons are different at Nudo.
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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Pho spices on display: from left: cloves, coriander, star anise, cinnamon bark (the largest pieces we’ve ever seen), fennel, allspice.
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Soft serve ice cream is the only dessert option. The inaugural flavors, which will change monthly, are passionfruit and lychee, available separately or swirled.
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A shirt prototype, with Voltron accents.
The Name & Logo: “It’s how kids say the word noodle,” Tran says. “Both the name and the logo are goofy, kind of like me.” The whimsical Nudo theme is even carried into the light fixtures, with tangles of noodle-like wires terminating in a series of curlicue bulbs.
The Team: Tran's assembled an all-star chef team: In addition to Velasco, there's Kevin Pellegrino (formerly of Olive + Oak, Five Bistro, Annie Gunn’s) and Wil Pelly (formerly of Libertine, LHM Restaurant Group, and In Good Company restaurant group).
The tables look bowed but aren't. The unusual beveled edge just makes them look that way.
The Tables: Made of reclaimed poplar that matches the social media wall, the tables are finished in the same blonde and green tones as bamboo (a traditional, safe, material, but one that seemed trite to Tran and his sister). The tables were crafted by Narrative Furniture, a local company that teaches refugees to become master woodworkers. Tran was impressed the moment he met co-owner Andy Kim. “When he told me about their projects—an egg-laying facility in Africa, a clean poultry-processing plant in India, and the furniture place here—it was a done deal,” he says. “It’s a cool place. One of the workers has a master’s degree and speaks like seven languages. Now he’s a master woodworker." (Read more about Narrative Furniture in SLM.) Every Narrative table is inlaid with a bow tie (in Nudo’s case, by using contrasting walnut), an old-school technique for joining and strengthening wood planks. “The ties keep the wood from separating,” Tran says, “and it’s so much more interesting than glue.”
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
The Communal Aspect: The 70-seat restaurant includes several communal tables and sets of two-top tables along the main wall that can be pulled apart if desired. “But I hope that people keep them together,” Tran says. “Community seating was part of the design. We hope people will sit and talk to one another again." Angie Ortmann, Tran’s friend and social media advisor, distilled the philosophy to a quotable one-liner: “Shut up and make friends."
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
The Knick-Knacks: Nudo is interspersed with Voltron knick-knacks and prints, a throwback to Tran’s childhood. (Voltron was a Japanese anime series adapted to U.S. audiences in the 1980s by World Events Productions, owned by St. Louisan Ted Koplar.)
The Wall Art: On one side of the social media wall will eventually be four-by-six-foot murals of traditional Japanese artwork by local tattoo artist Brad Fink. On the other is a “journey wall,” a collection of images featuring friends, family, mentors, “anyone who’s shaped how we got to this point,” Tran says. One example: During high school and beyond, Tran dabbled in martial arts, and a plaque given to him by a former mentor and trainer now hangs on one wall. Asked if he continues to fight, Tran quips, “Only with myself.”
At the order counter is a lantern with the word ramen written in Japanese. “That’s what I hope it says anyway,” Tran jokes. “For all I know, it says 'sushi.' Or some swear word. Or 'dumb Vietnamese guy trying to do ramen.'”
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
