Mecha Noodle Bar has just opened a second location in the former Pasta Nostra space on Washington Street in SoNo. The restaurant is a joint venture between longtime friends, Tony Pham and Richard Reyes, who have set out to create a unique way of enjoying the fresh and nourishing flavors of Southeast Asia. Grounded in the satisfying familiarity of comfort food, Mecha embodies a sense of innovation, family, and community, a reflection of how Pham and Reyes view their roles as restauranteurs. Their philosophy sits right at the heart of every dish they create and pushes them to find better ways in all that they do.
From pho (above is Pho King) and bao (below) to other comfort food that isn’t broth, the resulting dishes are a marriage of cultures borrowing from Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese traditions. The menu has been created to soothe, nourish, sustain and inspire – and with a modest price. Eighty percent of the core menu in South Norwalk will be similar to the Fairfield location, with the remainder of the menu debuting new dishes with a Mecha twist.
Once you make your way inside, a feng shui alarm bell starts to ring. Bar to the left and dining to the right, with a large kitchen that oversees the restaurant. The dining area will be an open space with communal space accommodating (60) people and also boasts a larger bar creating (15) more seats for dining and imbibing. The bar was built as a place of gathering to quell an impatient army of empty bellies with expertly crafted draft beers, spiked bubble teas, and Asian spirts like schochu and sake.
As the hour gets late a dim, a relaxed atmosphere will replace the hustle and bustle of the busy noodle bar experience during the day. Building upon the great cocktails, beer, wine and sake of daytime, the late night bar program will showcase a menu of classic cocktails meant to not only satisfy the aficionado, but also to allow guests who are unfamiliar with the classics to experience them in a fun and fuss-free way. Passionate and talented bartenders will shake, stir and pour these tasty libations and also offer a shochu cocktail of their own creation so that guests can experience the world’s most popular spirit.
Mecha Noodle Bar currently serves dinner seven nights a week from 5pm – 10pm Monday through Saturday and 4:30pm – 9pm on Sunday. Lunch will be served in January 2016.
Check out our review of Mecha Fairfield.
116 Washington Street
Norwalk, CT 06854
Tel: (203) 295-8718