Dining | Short Order

Hidden Kitchen No More

Kirin Noodle Bar’s offerings already impress, with more on the way.

By BailEy TRask

Kirin Noodle Bar can be difficult to find. The restaurant (in the same Clintonville shopping center as Hot Chicken Takeover and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams) presents itself to High Street passersby as Chatime, a franchise of the Taiwan-based bubble tea chain.

Aside from a monitor showcasing images of Kirin’s dim sum and noodle-based menu and a few paper menus at the register, there are few clues that a full-fledged restaurant kitchen (hidden behind a curtain) coexists with the bubble tea shop. But that is all going to change. As the bubble tea scene in Columbus has expanded exponentially, owner Ryan Lu (who also owns Ramen on High, 2060 N. High St.) plans to retire Chatime and make Kirin a full-service restaurant, complete with a liquor license and an expanded menu. It was a change Lu originally planned for March before the pandemic hit.

Kirin currently offers dine-in, takeout and delivery through Grubhub, Seamless, DoorDash and others. The menu features a blend of Chinese and Japanese comfort foods (crafted by a Japanese chef), and Kirin makes it simple to host an at-home dim sum feast.

On the dumpling side of the menu, the fried pork dumplings ($4.50 for six) should not be missed. Featuring a crisp outer edge, they’re topped with sesame seeds and green onions, and they travel well for carryout. The pork xiaolongbao soup dumplings ($5) may congeal in transit, but the meat inside the handmade purses is delightfully sweet, making them a musthave. If you’re going for a trifecta, the delicate, crystal shrimp dumplings ($5 for four) can round out the order.

Other dim sum offerings include four thin scallion pancakes ($4) that add brightness to the array of otherwise meat- and dough-heavy dishes. And the steamed, sweetly fragrant and fluffy char siu pork buns ($4.50 for two) are filling but worth it.

Sweet-and-sour pork rib noodle soup

The steamed broccoli with braised pork sauce ($5) brings a crisp green to the mix, without abandoning the pork theme. An order will bring balance and a feeling of a healthy accomplishment to the meal.

Two noodle dishes rise to the top of Kirin’s offerings. The dan dan noodles ($10), topped with fried pork and al dente carrots, resemble a Sichuan spaghetti. While the dish usually includes peanuts or peanut butter, this version is nut-free, a nice accommodation for those with allergies.

And the sweet-and-sour pork rib noodle soup ($12) is my favorite offering on the menu. Tender, sweet, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs join a few pieces of bok choy over a pile of fresh noodles. The broth is more sweet than sour and packed with umami. It truly makes the dish. (Of note, the broth is served in a separate container, preventing sogginess and making it simple to divide the contents of the soup at home for sharing.)

While Kirin is already a delight, it’s exciting to think about the restaurant’s potential. When Kirin’s doors reopen after a few weeks of renovation in December, customers will find much more variety, including more noodle dishes, soups, rice bowls and a whole lot more magic happening behind that curtain. ◆

kirin Noodle Bar 4227 n. high st., Clintonville, 614-867-5356, facebook.com/ kirin.noodle614

The Scoop

By ERiN EDwaRDs

Openings & AnnOuncements

North Side institution Carfagna’s Market announced it will relocate next spring to the Polaris area, bringing its market and restaurant locations together under one roof. The family-run Italian market has operated at 1405 E. Dublin-Granville Road in Northland since 1971; that location will be closed once the market moves. The new facility at 1440 Gemini Place (previously Earth Fare market) will be designed with an Italian piazza marketplace in mind—complete with a butcher’s shop, pizzeria, bakery, gelateria, Illy Café, farmers market, bar and an expanded wine department.

By mid-November, four vendors had opened at the new North Market Bridge Park (6750 Longshore St.) in Dublin. Coastal Local Seafood (Page 64), Market Bar, Dos Hermanos and Reuse Revolution were the first vendors to make the new market their home, with more expected to open on a rolling basis through the end of the year. Downtown workers have a new sandwich shop option courtesy of chef Stephan Madias (formerly The Crest Gastropub). wario’s Beef and Pork is now open at 111 W. Nationwide Blvd., across from Nationwide Arena. The East Coast-style sandwich shop replaces Arena Sandwich Co.

sexton’s Pizza recently added a second Central Ohio location at 943 E. Johnstown Road in Gahanna. The tavern-style pizzeria, owned by brothers Jamey and Joey Sexton, got its start in Reynoldsburg last year.

The Ethiopian restaurant Nile Vegan opened a second location at 1223 Goodale Blvd. in Grandview, replacing Red Hook Grill. Nile Vegan’s first location opened a year ago at 1479 Worthington St. in the South Campus area.

The new vegan deli by seitan’s Realm (Page 65) held its grand opening in early November. The deli replaces A Common Table at 3496 N. High St. in Clintonville.

Milo’s Catering has taken over the event spaces vacated by Juniper and Dock580 in the historic Smith Bros.’ Hardware building, located at 580 N. Fourth St. The three event spaces will be called Post 4, Brick & Mortar and — on the rooftop — Revery. Juniper and Dock580 closed for good in June amid the economic fallout from COVID-19.

Mala Hot Pot has opened at 3777 Park Mill Run Drive in Hilliard. Located next to CAM International Market, the new restaurant specializes in Chinese hot pot — a communal dining experience in which customers cook their own soup at the table using a variety of soup bases, meats, veggies and sauces.

Meshikou Ramen’s new sister business, Meshikou Chikin, is now open next door. Located at 1504 Bethel Road, the new spot serves a simple menu of fried chicken with the choice of several Asian sauces and spice rubs.

From left, siblings Dino Carfagna, Julie Riley and Sam Carfagna are pictured outside the longtime Northland location of Carfagna’s Market.

clOsings

After a tumultuous move from Clintonville to Downtown this year, Nancy’s Home Cooking permanently shuttered its new Lynn Alley diner this fall. Owner Rick Hahn has shifted operations to a delivery-only kitchen at the CloudKitchens’ facility on Essex Avenue.

To keep up with the latest restaurant/bar openings and closings, check out The Scoop at ColumbusMonthly.com or go online to subscribe to our food newsletter, Copy & Taste.

after hours with

Chakeyla anderson

Chakeyla Anderson’s business career has taken her all over the world, including to South America, where the Indiana native developed a deep appreciation for coffee. About 18 months ago, her job in business risk and liabilities landed her in Columbus.

After getting her family settled, Anderson sought out a business to invest in and stumbled across Bottoms Up Coffee (1069 W. Broad St.), a Franklinton coffee shop that raises money to combat infant mortality and promotes local authors and artists.

“Between the investment opportunity, the work in the community and my love for coffee, those three things culminated here, and I decided to buy it,” says the mother of three.

For now, Anderson says the coffee shop’s menu will remain largely the same as before: Brioso Coffee roasts, espresso drinks like the Canary Island latte, pastries from Happy Little Treats and sandwiches by Tupelo Doughnuts.

We asked the new Columbus resident to share some of her personal favorites. —Erin Edwards

First food memory: “My grandmother was an amazing cook and baker. My first memory of food was eating my first fried chicken leg with my cousin in a rocking chair at Granny’s house. It was a family tradition to take a picture of each grandchild’s first chicken leg.”

Comfort food: “Comfort food for me is a bowl of mustard greens with hot water cornbread.”

Go-to bar: “I love the limoncello at Vittoria. It’s difficult to drink just one.”

Favorite new restaurant: “The Royce. I love the Cajun flare and hospitality.”

Hidden gem: “I love fresh fish and recently discovered Frank’s Fish & Seafood on the West Side. The red snapper is life.”

Favorite travel destination for food:

“By far Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seafood and steak restaurants along Puerto Madero.”

Thing that Columbus needs more of:

“I love Georgian food, especially the cheesy breads and dumplings. I think Eastern Europe food would mesh well here.”

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