For four years, I called Baltimore my temporary home as a college student, and yet I missed out on the vast majority of food opportunities waiting to be explore in Charm City (a case study of poor college student syndrome). Lucky for me, I currently live and work in what is considered the same metropolitan region. Since I was up in Baltimore for the day, here was an opportunity to try out Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, a hip little noodle joint in downtown.
The concept at Mi & Yu is versatility in Asian noodle soups. They offer several different broths, several different protein toppings, and three different types of noodles (ramen, udon, pho) ready for the customer to mix and match. It was easy to tell that they want to create a sense of endless experimentation and several return trips for the customer, and I knew going in what I was getting into. Presented with all the options they offer, I ordered the miso ramen with roast duck and barbecue pork belly, pictured below.
Here is what they did really well:
- The duck was prepared correctly. Duck is a gamy meat, and I think too many restaurants view that as an undesirable trait to be feared. These restaurants where I tried the duck went to such excruciating lengths to mask or remove the natural flavors that the final product tasted more like over-salted protein out of a 3D printer than like duck. Then, asking you to turn the other cheek after they slapped you once, these restaurants proceed to charge you an exorbitant amount for their excruciating efforts to make your duck not taste like duck. Mi & Yu treated the gaminess of duck as a flavor advantage as they should, and the duck rewarded them for it.
- The barbecue pork belly stole the show. Spiced, braised, and then grilled with a sweet glaze, the pork belly was easily the highlight of the bowl. If not for each bite causing the sweet, long-cooked fat to melt on the tongue, the bowl of ramen would have been severely underwhelming.
And here were the unimpressive parts:
- The soft-boiled egg was overcooked and not marinated. While they may have been trying to differentiate their art from the typical Japanese seasoned egg (味付け玉子) offered with ramen, I was not sold on the idea.
- The noodles came out of a ramen packet. Watching Shokugeki no Soma has made me amenable to the idea that, with enough finesse and tender love and care, low-grade or cheap ingredients can be turned into a refined, delicious meal. But if your cheapest bowl of ramen is over $10 (their cheapest is $12.75 before tax), the noodles cannot come out of a packet that I could buy from the store.
My overall verdict: Worth a try because of its novelty in Baltimore, Mi & Yu is great if you are confined to Baltimore City for your ramen needs. If you are not confined to Baltimore City, then their ramen leaves too much to be desired. Their meat toppings are top notch, but unless they step up their Asian noodle soup game, I don't think their identity as a "noodle bar" really makes sense.
