Noodles!

 

Tonight Wayne and I went to Urban Belly for dinner around Avondale. We were craving something affordable yet tasty and Urban Belly definitely met our requirements.

When you get to the restaurant it's in a tiny plaza next to a laundromat. At first we thought it was closed because the lights inside are kind of dim. But thankfully for our stomachs, it wasn't.  Once you walk in you instantly see its not your normal place to eat. For one thing there's communal tables. In other words, don't be the jerk that sits in the middle of the table. But I think it's BYOB, so you do have the potential to make friends. :)  If you can get over that initial shock that you will probably have to sit with a complete group of strangers, it's a great place to get delicious noodles and dumplings. The atmosphere is casual and can be quick because you can order carryout. 

 

Plus I really liked reading about Chef Bill Kim's philosophy for Urban Belly. On their website it says, "Urbanbelly is about the communal dining experience. Meet new people. Eat great food. Feed your belly from the heart."

In my personal opinion, eating good food and being around the people is a form of happiness. I don't believe that materialistic things can make you happy. They can sustain your happiness for a little bit. Happiness is a revolving emotion. Some days you're happy and some days you can't find the happiness. And there are some people are constantly searching for happiness. When in reality, it is right in front of them.  I strongly believe that being around good people who make you feel good about yourself/make you better person, can be the best route to happiness. But anyway, I digress...

THE FOOD:
For appetizers we ordered the lamb & brandy dumplings and the duck & pho spices dumplings. And wow, these dumplings were really delicious. The duck dumplings had a little subtle kick of spice. While the lamb and brandy dumplings were fried tasty little pockets. I think my favorite dumpling was the duck though.

 

 YAY dumplings!

For entrees, I ordered the Rice Noodles and Wayne got the Urban Belly Noodles.
The Rice noodle had hominy, kimchi and a spicy pork broth.  I thought that the kimchi made the noodles taste really good. Then again I'm biased because I'm South Korean and Koreans love their kimchi. :)

 

Rice Noodle Bowl 

But if you're looking for something with a little more spice then this is the noodle bowl for you.  The only downside I saw with the Rice Noodles was the fact that there was too much Tteok (떡) or rice cake. If they had cut them smaller or added less it would have been perfect in my book. As for Wayne's Belly Bowl, I thought it was really tasty. However, I quickly got bored with the taste. Probably since I like my noodles to be a bit spicier. But if you're looking for a safer choice, or something a little bit heartier then this may be the noodle bowl for you.

 

Urban Belly Bowl

In short our verdict is, if you're too lazy to make your own ramen and want to take a person out for a date (but still haven't made it to the intimate stage) this might be a good place. Or if you just want Ramen Noodles after a long day of work, you should check this place out. :)

As always,

"The Couple that Grubs Together,

Stays Together"

-Grub Couple-