We remember the college days in which we were so broke that Maruchan ramen noodles proved to be a cheap, practical meal. We’re not alone. Our friends also recall binge eating Maruchan ramen noodles because they were easy to buy and effortless to make. We failed to realize that eating Maruchan’s version was a disservice to our taste buds. Some of us went on to try real ramen in cities such as Boston. Others neglected to try it and failed to realize that restaurants exist in Connecticut that serve real ramen noodles. It wasn’t until after graduating college that Christina and I decided to venture to Fairfield to try Mecha Noodle Bar. Knowing that “mecha” means “mom and pop” in Vietnamese, we were in high hopes for a home cooked, ramen dinner.
Mecha Noodle Bar
Grade: B+
Location: 1215 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT
Atmosphere: 9/10-We were disappointed to discover that the image we captured of Mecha Noodle Bar’s interior was too blurry and used an image from Yelp instead. We’re pleased to report, however, that Mecha Noodle’s interior is one of intrigue. Immediately upon walking inside, we saw a plethora of decoratively hung and placed wooden pieces that reminded us of a bamboo village or forest. The music did not add to the atmosphere though.
Service: 8.5/10-Mecha Noodle Bar seemed short staffed that night and it took longer than we expected to receive our meals. A restaurant that attracts many customers per night needs a number of staff members to keep up with the demand. Nonetheless, we received competent, friendly service. We found our waitress to be both personal and knowledgable. Without hesitation, she answered our questions about the menu and the restaurant itself.
Price/Selection: 9/10-The restaurant’s menu offers a wide selection of items, including ramen, pho, dumplings, cocktails, wines and beers. We were particularly impressed by their beer selection, as Dogfish Head is our favorite IPA. We were also surprised by the number of ramen items on the menu versus the number of pho items because of the reputation the restaurant carries for its ramen. We figured that Mecha Noodle Bar also has a reputation for their affordable entrees that range from only $10-19!
Taste: 9/10-When you try ramen or pho from Mecha Noodle House, you probably won’t want to settle for the store brand again. While the entrees varied in terms of taste, our taste buds were pleased with what we tried, especially with the ramen and dumplings. If you have never treated real ramen before, we recommend the miso ramen because we are especially fond of the red miso/chili oil combination. If you’re a seafood lover, we recommend the mazemen dish for its variety of shellfish.
In a nutshell: 35.5/40-We recommend that you stop by Mecha Noodle Bar for its admirable selection of ramen, pho and alcohol along with its decorated interior. If you have never tried real ramen before, you might not revert back to your store brand ramen days!
CT Snapshot 