Noodlecat

Delicious! A pleasant surprise. Had the crispy Brussels sprouts appetizers & braised short rib ramen along with a Sapporo for dinner. Hit the spot!

Noodlecat has the unfortunate advantage of being one of the sole ramen experiences in Cleveland. The joint looks like a winner, seems to have all the ingredients that would lead to success — the logo is adorable, service is not bad, and the menu items read appetizing and creative. But the nasty consequence of having no competition is just that — Noodlecat does not have to try. Marketing «Asian fusion» while serving instant noodles in bland, flavorless broth makes me question whether the chef understands what Asian fusion is — or if he has ever had real, authentic ramen to begin with.
You can’t create a fusion restaurant without first understanding the authentic roots of the cuisine you serve. And Noodlecat is nowhere near where they need to be. I ordered the Crispy Short Rib Ramen. New experience: I didn’t think it was possible to wash out the flavor of kimchi before trying this dish.
Ramen isn’t about noodles so much as it is about broth, and this dark broth tasted like hot water — I had to ask the waitress for salt. Noodles were crimped and flavorless like instant noodles. The short ribs were tough, bland, and doused in a greasy sauce.
We also ordered pork steam buns — bun was wet and greasy, messy to eat. They spritzed our edamame with lemon and something else; a bold move, but it didn’t do much for my palate.
Why is Noodlecat still around despite less than stellar food? Probably because they offer a cheap «almost ramen» to clientele that do not know better. I guarantee this place would not survive in a bigger city, where it would have to answer to competition, or at the very least, a more diverse population that won’t stand for bland broth.
I really wanted to like Noodlecat as a native Clevelander, but until their chef gets it together, they are a no-​go for me. It is unfair not to make an effort just because you can. I hope in the future they’ll do Cleveland justice and step it up.

Deep in the heart of flavor country a lone noodle vendor stands, Noodle cat. Offering ramen, soba, and steam buns this booth had quite the selection.
I opted for the miso ramen and the market special bun of the day which happened to be Dohar’s spicy smoked sausage.
First of all the steam buns were amazing, and i’d recommend dohar’s meats to everyone. The bun itself was perfectly steamed, great consistency.
The ramen was rich, the pork amazing, and the garlic perfect. I did ask how spicy and they warned me it was mild. They offered to kick it up and I asked them to take it to overdrive. Unfortunately I was driving a Porsche and they were in a civic so our ideas of overdrive differed vastly. It was still good, but not as spicy as I like. The only other drawback was the lack of soft-​boiled eggs to add.
When it’s all said and done, I’ll go back. I’d even recommend it to everyone. Noodle Cat was delicious, you just need more kick.

I thought I would give this place a shot and boy was I disappointed. I tried the Kimchi Ramen and I couldn’t even eat it. I love Kimchi, and this was not even close. The broth tasted like someone took a jar of Kimchi and washed it out. The noodles were lack luster and it was just all around awful.
I have been to Korea and Japan and the food here just feels so far off from the actual Asian flavors.
Maybe Noodle Cat has some tasty stuff, but I’m not going to run a flavor/​cost gauntlet just to find one good item. :(

$ 10 for 2 buns and a salad = worth it.
I recommend the Super Salad. It’s not a ton of food but if you are at WSM and need to eat something to clear your brains before over purchasing un-​prepared food, it’s the way to go.

I had my Noodlecat delivered so I cannot comment on the décor or service, but the food was bland, so incredibly bland. I had the Shio College Ramen and a pulled pork steamed bun. The noodles reminded me of plain noodles a child would eat, no flavor whatsoever hardly any chicken or other ingredients. The bun wasn’t so much a bun, but some folded bread, slightly more flavor, but still lacking in the sense of a traditional steamed bun. How anyone could enjoy this food is beyond me since it is completely flavorless. I’ll be staying away.

While I love the brick-​and-​mortar noodle shop, the stand at WSM is not super consistent. I’ve gone a lot over the last 3 years since I work and play in the area often. The steam buns are usually a solid choice, I’ve never had one I didn’t like. But the noodles, the most important part since the place is called Noodlecat, leave a lot to be desired. Most of the times I’ve gone I’ve enjoyed the noodles but I’ve never been particularly thrilled with any of them.
Last summer I worked near Tower City so I started frequenting the actual restaurant and realized the stand at WSM was doing them a big injustice. The noodles were consistently flavorful and exciting to eat.
This past weekend I went – it was a Saturday – and I got the dan dan ramen hoping to satiate my mega craving after having practically inhaled the same dish at the Euclid location days before.
When I got it the noodles were not the same kind of noodles that were in the dish when I first tried it and it was covered in nuts which was not on the dish when I ordered it at the Euclid location either. I shrugged it off and took a bite. While it was delicious I was confused because it tasted almost nothing like the dish I thought I was getting.
So bottom line, if you are looking for some decent noodles, you can find them here but if you want the real noodle cat experience the restaurant will be a better experience all around since there is a lack of consistency between the food at the stand and the restaurant.

I got the miso ramen, and the Ohio pork buns for my six year old. She ate two!
This is not the place if you are looking for authentic asian flavor or preparation but the noodles and the pork were very good and fresh. Definitely a fusion approach. The ramen portion was hearty for the price and more noodle than broth. The pork bun is overpriced. The line was very slow. I would eat there again.

I went to West Side Market in January when it was VERY cold… after walking by Noodle cat, a steamy hot bowl of ramen sounded perfect. They were sold out of the miso ramen so I decided to try the spicy tofu udon. The noodles were good, I believe they were from Ohio City Pasta. The actual soup itself was nothing special. Not very spicy and very vinegary. It lacked your typical Asian flavors. I was disappointed because I had heard a lot of good things about this place. The West Side Market is foodie heaven and in my opinion, you’re better off going elsewhere instead of this place if you’re looking for a bite to eat.
Kudos though to the guy working there. He was very friendly.

The perfect winter lunch! Stopped here for a huge steaming bowl of ramen last week during my weekly westside market trip. I went with the miso ramen, I wish I could just order a huge cup of the broth because it was perfect! The noodles were from Ohio city pasta and everything worked well together. I was happy but there’s so many good eats at the market and I’m sure the noodlecat restaurant is even better so now I cannot wait to head downtown and try the real thing!

This has become one of my regular stops at the West Side Market. The little steam buns are a delicious snack for on the go eating. They always have an interesting daily special on rotation. I usually get the pork. The soup is also a pretty good deal. The pork miso ramen is my usual choice. The soup is a little more difficult to eat while standing in the bustling shopping area so it is ideal to get a seat in the balcony area and enjoy the majesty of the building. The super salad is a must try. It is my favorite salad to eat at any restaurant and can be had for the nice price of $ 5. It is kale, avocado, orange slices, adzuki beans, blueberry, granola and quinoa. Not only is it packed with «super foods», it is tasty! You don’t have to wait around for happy hour at Noodlecat, because this is happy hour pricing whenever the market is open. I encourage you to check it out.