First Look: Giant Bowls of Ramen and More at Glo Noodle House

What: Glo Noodle House

Where: 4450 West 38th Avenue

When: Open 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

For more info: Visit glonoodlehouse.com
What we saw: Glo Noodle House has been open since March 17 — just under a month — but it's already gaining fans in the neighborhood. In the middle of a recent meal at the small chef's counter inside the brightly colored eatery, a man walked over to chef/owner Chris Teigland to gush about his experience. "Everything is just so flavorful," he said, before promising to return soon.

Chris and his wife, Ariana, have both been in the hospitality business for years, but had always worked for other people. Glo is their first solo venture, and it's named for Chris's mom. "She was a pastry chef, so I grew up in the kitchen," he says. His mom passed away not long after Chris got his first executive chef job, but with the new restaurant, he's honoring her memory: She bought him his first wok after he showed an interest in Asian cuisine.

Cocktails arrived first — a coconut and tequila concoction called the Typhoon Club for me, and for my dining companion, the Shall We Dance, an all-booze rendition of an Aperol spritz made with Peychaud's Aperitivo, umeshu (a Japanese liquor made with plums) and Francois Brut. "I was making drinks I want to drink," Ariana says of the cocktail selections. (Each drink we tried was $14.)

There's also a lineup of sake and wine, kinds not typically found in local liquor stores, Chris says. Instead, he opts to serve up more unique selections.
While the restaurant has "noodle house" in its name, many of the best bites here are not noodles at all. The "Smalls" section of the offerings includes skewers for $4 to $9 (go for the spicy chili pork with housemade kimchi), raw items (the ultra silky hamachi, $16, with white ponzu, basil and thin slices of serrano and green grapes is a must) and small plates.

"We're trying to do an elevated, fine-dining take on a lot of things, but everyone loves fried chicken," Chris says, referring to the karaage (Japanese fried chicken) on the menu ($10). While takes on fried chicken are everywhere right now, this one is a standout. It has a super-crisp coating with a light, sweet and slightly spicy chile glaze, but the real kicker is the yuzu aioli underneath, which adds a touch of creamy brightness.

There are seven noodle options ($15-$19) — six traditional ramens and one brothless variety, Kimchi Bolognese (mazeman), which is loaded with noodles and ground pork and beef in a play on red sauce made with gochujang. It's topped with a soft-boiled egg, green onion, bean sprouts and a shower of pecorino for an umami-packed effect.

All of the noodle dishes come in large, deep bowls — another nod to the restaurant's namesake. "Everyone left my mom's house with a doggie bag," Chris recalls, and that inspired the generous serving size at Glo Noodle House: You're meant to take home leftovers.

These are not standard ramens. Chris has added his own touch to each, like the Deathwish ("A great hangover cure," he notes) with confit bacon in a super-spicy chili pork broth, and Lemon Chicken Sho, a play on the comforting quality of chicken noodle soup with chunks of super-bright, lemony fried chicken.

A refreshing bite of lemongrass panna cotta with raspberry coulis ($9) was the topper on an overall impressive meal.
What surprised us: There's a bodega in the bathroom. At the back of the restaurant, in the restroom closest to the dining room, one wall is lined with small bouquets of flowers marked with price tags (most in the $12 range). On the opposite wall, above the toilet, are shelves filled with Pocky Sticks, Cup Noodles and more random finds. Although the cigarette packs on display are empty and just for decor, you can actually take the items with price tags back to your table to purchase — making for a nice treat for an unsuspecting date, who will wonder where you scored flowers and candy during a bathroom break.