Cheu Noodle Bar

Pretty sure all of the different ways to say «their ramen is awesome» can be found in the existing reviews for this small, bustling treat of a restaurant. They have some lovingly constructed, balanced ramen dishes to suit a range of different palates, and at ~$ 14 per main dish it won’t break the bank. And, yes, everyone should try their brisket ramen because how often do you see a bona-​fide matzoh ball in a Japanese dish?
But the real reason this place gets that 5^th star is their staff: Not just because they can handle a hungry crowd waiting for painfully few tables on a Friday night, but because when my girlfriend and I sat down in a bit of a rotten mood (totally unrelated), they noticed. They checked in with us tactfully throughout the meal to make sure everything was okay and that we were being taken care of. To me that means a lot.
I’ve been here before and will definitely be back. Next time you’re looking for a hot meal in Philly, try Cheu.

Cheu Noodle Bar delivers. Perhaps even more so than its sister shop, Bing Bing Dim Sum which I didn’t think was possible. Absolutely DELISH! Every single bite of every single plate. We’ve gotten take out several times since our first visit we like it that much.
This is my absolute favorite way to dine, small plates for sharing! Mix that with big huge bowls of innovative, very non traditional ramen… You’ve got one happy Sari ignoring her diet.
We came for happy hour with our little girls where some of the signature dishes are just $ 5, a fraction of the usual cost. We were seated right away, but we did arrive earlier during the 5 – 6:30 time frame so maybe plan accordingly as the place is super tiny and the later you come, the longer the wait.
We had the Chefs special which was the dumplings below. I now see has been added to the menu!
*Tofu wasabi gyoza with herbs in a pickled soy vinaigrette topped with cucumbers. Oh my goodness was this so incredibly good!!! I asked the manager Melissa why it’s not on the regular menu and she said they’re adding it so if it wasn’t available when you were there, go again and try it! Delish!!!
*Brussels with kimchee
*Broccoli with the sausage on the side for hubs. He loved it!
*My husband is obsessed with the brisket ramen! The marriage of Jewish and Asian food is one we are very fond of. A big fluffy matzah ball like Bubbie used to make with tender brisket and ramen! Genius. He’s been back for takeout almost a dozen times now. It’s his new favorite meal in the entire city. He sneaks a bowl every chance he can. (He may or may not have a problem).
*The coconut curry noodles with chickpeas, cucumber, cilantro and lime! Yummy! It was filled with creamy perfection and had a very fresh flavor which is drool worthy! In fact, I’m drooling right now!
Our waiter Shane was super attentive and on the ball. He even gave my girls their fresh juice of the day.
We spoke with Melissa the manager who is so sweet and helpful. She is your go to girl if you are planning a party!
It is small as I mentioned, but cozy in a sense. We loved the funky vibes, boasting with personality! The walls were just as mine were in my bedroom in high school so I was totally digging throwback. The ramen art was kitschy.
We loved the open kitchen and even chatted with the sweet cooks who were making our food right in front of us. Love that!
Parking was super easy right out front! Kiosk.
Free on Wednesday night. Free all day Sunday.
Fab Philly Mom says: If your kids are baby foodies and very well behaved, go ahead and bring them! Check the menu first to make sure there’s a dish for them. It’s definitely not for all kids however! I would say earlier during happy hour or first thing when they open on a Sunday would be your best, least crowded bet.

I got the vegetarian curry noodles. They were delicious! So flavorful, a bit spicy, and fantastic. I came by myself and sat at the bar. I didn’t have to wait long at all. I can’t wait to bring the whole family here. Plus I can’t wait to check out their dim sum restaurant.

— TIP: Their hand torn noodles are back — available on Sundays with a different spin each week.
— CON: Just wish the hand torn were still available all the time.
— BOTTOM LINE: I returned to Cheu after giving them a 3 star review a couple months ago. Since then, they’ve brought back a key menu item (hand torn noodles on Sundays) and the rest of their food & service was back up to the standards that made me love them in the first place.

This was good, but not great. They were relatively busy but there were about 4 – 5 cooks working and my cold ramen, to go, took nearly 25 minutes. The ramen was okay — not as flavorful as I was hoping for based on other reviews. I did like the funky vibe of the restaurant, interior and exterior, and the wait staff was very friendly and even filled my water bottle with ice water on a hot day. Maybe the cook staff had an off day… had higher hopes.

Horrible horrible service and attitude. Came for a lunch and won’t do it again. It would be enough that we were moved and rude server didn’t work through seating issue with us. But the long delay (30 + minute which I think was bc we decided to take food out with us and they acted in punitive fashion) for food, and overall unpleasant experience, for meh food makes this place totally off my list of local lunch spots.
I’m not hard to please at lunch spots, but being rude enough to argue with us and then follow it with more rudeness is crap.

I ordered the brisket ramen take-​out from Cheu last night. While I appreciated that the broth was in a separate container from the rest of the dish when it was delivered, I was not impressed with the meal. The flavors were a little bit weak in my opinion. On the menu, it was listed as spicy but I didn’t really get any sort of kick (and I have very little tolerance for heat). The kimchi was my favorite part of it. The meat was tough and the noodles weren’t amazing. Too expensive for the quality that I got.

Woo! Who would’ve thought the ramen here would be so good? There was about a 30 min wait at 8pm on a Friday night, which wasn’t too bad. They took our number so we just waited at a bar down the block.
We were really only interested in trying the ramen so we ordered both the miso and brisket bowls. To me, a bowl of ramen is judged by its broth and meat, and both bowls hit home runs in that department. The miso bowl was very rich and flavorful, while the brisket bowl was more spicy with a kick of kimchi. The brisket bowl came with a matzah ball, which I found strange… I didn’t care much for it, but it did soak up the broth fairly well. The eggs they put in both bowls were really soft. like not just runny yolk, but runny erythang. Only the miso bowl came with the egg; the brisket bowl required an add on ($ 2 for an egg smh.)
All in all, would definitely come back for ramen fix.

Not great. Not terrible. It’s ramen, can’t go wrong with it. A bit expensive for ramen in my opinion.
Ambiance and décor is really trendy and kind of funky cool.

My boyfriend, his cousin, and I stumbled upon this place in Philly last weekend when we were touring some of the museums on Saturday.
This place is seriously a hole-​in-​the-​wall, narrow joint with limited seating. We arrived around 1:30pm and got the last table for three in the corner toward the back of the restaurant.
We decided to share some small plates. We ordered the black garlic wings (there’s 6 to an order) and they were DELICIOUS. My boyfriend hates bone-​in chicken because he doesn’t enjoy nibbling around bones (get your caveman on, dude), and he downed his two wings.
We split the brisket ramen, which had the most tender brisket ever, and the matzo ball soaked up all of the flavors in the bowl… it was soooo good. My boyfriend’s cousin ordered the bacon and kimchi rice bowl and she said it was delicious (I didn’t try it, but my boyfriend did, and he agreed with her assessment).
We also ordered General Tso’s brussels sprouts, which were AWESOME, so if you like brussels sprouts, ORDER THEM!
When we left about 50 minutes later, there were a few people waiting for seats at the entrance.

There were quite a few reasons why I could not give Cheu a five-​star rating but it does not include the food. First, Cheu is a small location. There are only three tables crammed into a small nook which should onlyt. Second, VERY limited seating. Therefore, this place does not offer reservations, except in extreme cases, and seating it fills up fast.
However, the food does come out at a fast rate so I cannot see why anyone would want to eat, relax and talk for a bit. The noise level is rather loud and the music does not help in that aspect.
Besides those little annoyances, Cheu does offer delicious ramen that is worth the wait and crammed area. The secret lies in their small menu that is precise and allows to make ramen a specialty. I tasted ramen from other restaurants and the menus tend to be huge; lots of combinations, food seems rushed and put together; but not here.
The slices of brisket in my ramen was lean and non-​fatty and the broth was absolutely delicious. Cheu does offer apps as well but you can feel up on the ramen alone; but if you must try an appetizer try the Garlic Wings or/​and the Pizza Dumplings.
Back to the ramen! I added an soft boiled egg that perfectly complemented the noodles and a Spiked Juice w/​Rum to top it off. Although the noodle bar is pricey the tasty and satisfying dishes makes it worth the investment

Pretty good small noodle bar.
We started with the caramelized onion rangoon. It has a little tang to it, a good amount of onion taste, a pretty good crunch on the outside of the rangoon.
I tried two types of noodles. The miso ramen was my favorite. It is served with the pork shoulder, black garlic, and soft egg. I added vegetables to get a bit of green in there. The broth was pretty good after I added some spicy stuff to the dish, it had a little bit of the texture that I like from miso broth.
I didn’t like the brisket ramen as much as the miso, which surprised me after all of the praise for this dish. The broth wasn’t my favorite, I could have used a bit more heat and it has a bit too much of the tangy favor for my taste (perhaps it is a kimchi broth, but tangier than any kimchi jjigae that I’ve had). Not bad, but I would prefer the miso. The matzo ball was a pretty good texture with the soup. I added egg and vegetable to this dish.
For both of the dishes, the noodles were not my favorite. Slightly under cooked, past the mark of al dente
I tried an interesting gose beer with my meal that I hadn’t tried before. It was a blood orange gose. Not bad.
Service was pretty quick and friendly.
This place gets packed pretty quickly. There are only a few tables, with more seating at the bar.
I have wavered between three and four stars with this review, but I think three is more accurate when comparing it to some of the other ramen bars in philly (which Cheu is really is much more of fusion than actual ramen, so maybe the comparison is not entirely accurate, but I think that the miso ramen is fairly traditional).

This feels sacrilegious, but I can only give Cheu 4 stars instead of the 5 I so badly want to give it. To be clear, many of Cheu’s dishes are at least a ⁵⁄₅ and to this day, it remains one of my favorite restaurants. So why the beef? I’ve had a number of dishes over time that simply haven’t been at the high caliber I expect. Particularly, given my satisfaction at Bing Bing, I’m surprised that many of their dumplings are not as bold and scrumptious. I thought their wings also were good but not great. Now thats off my chest, there is so much cheu does right. Their miso and matzah ramen are staples and should be added to the food pyramid. Follow them on instagram for new menu additions, because some of their specials are unique and unprecedented in true definitions (as opposed to my usual hyperbole).
Pro-​tip: order takeout!

A friend and I decided to give this place a shot, especially after seeing the brisket ramen on the menu. The visit was an overall nice experience, if not a bit disappointing.
The brisket ramen had a delicious flavor with the red chile broth, the matzo was perfect, but my brisket had a huge vein of fat in it and there were only two thin slices of it; for a steep $ 14+tax, I wasn’t even full.
Someone else has it right that this is a dive bar meets ramen joint, which should turn out to be a good, charming thing. However, you typically feel good for that value you get for your money at a dive bar, yet most ramen joints are inherently overpriced.
It’s a cute place, but the room here is tight, with very few tables; so you are probably going to sit at the bar, squeezed shoulder-​to-​shoulder while feeling cramped in an awkward situation with others. At least our visit was not in the middle of a mad rush of diners, and we could relax.
Cheu is «A-​OK» (3 stars) for an occasional treat, but it’s a stretch to be a «huge fan».

Cheu Noodle Bar is like a dive bar crossed with a ramen joint. It’s dimly lit, and they serve unique cocktails, plus they have plenty of finger food. Their menu changes throughout the year, so come often to experience it all. I went with my boyfriend on a Monday night, and it was still completely packed. We were able to be seated right away, but our seats were at the bar.
My boyfriend and I both have allergies (me to peanuts, him to both peanuts and shrimp), so we’re pretty careful when we go out to eat and read the menu thoroughly. After we both ordered the brisket ramen, our server was chatting with us about a customer who had an allergic reaction after eating the brisket ramen because of the shrimp it contains. We were obviously alarmed because nowhere on the menu was it listed that there was shrimp in the brisket ramen. Luckily, we were able to change my boyfriend’s order before he ate it. I just thought it was strange because shrimp is such a common allergen, and this has obviously happened numerous times, so you would think that they would attempt to make a change.
The rest of our meal was pretty good. I liked the fusion aspect of my brisket ramen, and my boyfriend enjoyed his miso ramen. Not sure if Cheu really lives up to the hype, but it was a decent meal nonetheless.

Apparently Philly’s new hotspot. I’m willing to try any noodle bar. Since this was my first time in Philly, I let my friend (who has lived there on and off for the past 4 years) choose.
Eats:
black garlic wings
brisket ramen
caramelized onion rangoon
miso ramen
pork pizza dumplings
I would probably give all the appetizers ⁵⁄₅ but the bowls themselves ⁴⁄₅. Miso ramen broth was different than any other miso ramen broth I’ve ever had before. I don’t say this in a bad way. It was just different.
Of course I ordered the brisket ramen because it came with Asian-​style brisket, kimchi, and a matzo ball. Just Korean-​Japanese-​Jewish fusion nbd. Don’t worry about it.

Definitely a hit or miss kind of place. Because I live close by, I always take my friends here for a bit of Asian fusion instead of making the trek to Chinatown. I feel like half the menu items are amazingly delicious (such as the Fried Chicken Tantan) and the other half is very mediocre (Coconut Curry Noodles). Cheu has a modern Asian vibe with some cool artsy décor scattered throughout the small interior. It’s always been crowded when I’ve gone, so expect to wait no matter what time you stop by. Here’s a quick summary of my thoughts:
(+)
–Fried Chicken Tantan — unique, warm, soupy goodness
–Crispy Sweet Potato Rangoon — so good, you’ll want to order more
–ambience
–noise level
–prices are pretty fair, considering the location
(-)
–some of the food like the Coconut Curry Noodles and the Brisket Ramen (unremarkable)
–service is sometimes harsh since it gets so crowded
–wait time
–crowded interior — you’re going to be pretty close to all of the other diners

I have been trying to find my way to Cheu Noodle Bar for a long time. Weekend dinner always seemed like too risky of a chance, and getting there after work on a weekday seemed like a bit of a challenge, too. So, stopped by on a rainy, quiet Tuesday for lunch — and it was still pretty crowded. I grabbed a seat at the somewhat cramped bar, and was ready to dive headfirst into some noodles.
I ordered the Brisket Ramen at the suggestion of the employee/​bartender/​guy behind the bar. It came out really quickly and was definitely delicious. I loved the mix of flavors (Jewish meets Japanese) and the combination of the fluffy matzoh ball and the spicy Kimchi really hit the spot. The broth was intense and flavorful, and the noodles were cooked very well.
I need to go back to dive into some of the small plates, but couldn’t bring myself to spend $ 20+ for lunch (for just me.)

Finally tried this place out and I’m slightly disappointed. For the price, quality, wait time and space, I would much rather go to Terakawa or Hiro for ramen.
Dislikes:
— I had already ordered a drink, and was about to order ramen from the menu when a server switched menus for the table with a newer menu w/​same items, but price increase. Not cool.
— Because it’s a small space, the wait time can be long. So come early. They only sit your party when everyone is present.
— My table had Miso ramen $ 14, Brisket ramen $ 13, and Coconut curry noodles $ 11. All were just so-​so, not great or memorable, but not terrible either. For Philly, I think it’s a steep price for so-​so ramen.
— For a noodle bar, there is a very small selection of ramens.
Ging Ging cocktail $ 12 — again it was so-​so. I would request more ginger.
Likes:
— Spiked juice cocktail $ 10 — featuring juice of the day and your choice of booze. This was delicious! I highly recommend it. No matter what booze you choose, you can’t go wrong!

Cheu Noodle Bar
PA Philadelphia Washington Square West
7pm Friday 23^rd October 2015
Four Stars
The place is small, hip, and crowded. I put my name on the list at prime time Friday night and it was only a 15 minute wait. I enjoyed an Anderson Valley Gose ($ 5.5) outside on the sidewalk while I waited. I sat at the bar. I ordered a Miso Ramen ($ 14) which is a dollar increase from their website. The broth was light but packed with nice salty and umami flavors. The thick curvy noodles were undercooked a bit but not unenjoyable. The egg yolk was a perfect velvety texture and white was just solidified. Plus the seasoning on it was on point. The braised pork shoulder was not very fatty but nicely rendered with nuances of smoke and salt. It was warmed under a broiler and topped with a barbecue-​like sauce on it. There were not any sea beans but some sort of pickled cabbage. The raw bean sprouts were a nice phở-​like touch.
Overall, the service was friendly and great. The food was prepared with consistency and care. The price point was reasonable.