The much anticipated No. 1 Noodle House pop-up restaurant at 1 West Cordova opened its doors tonight for their soft opening. Scout broke the news of its imminence a month ago. Some context:

Restaurateur Mark Brand (Save On Meats, Boneta, etc.) has joined forces with first timers Tyrell Shaw, Lindsay Lapierre, Matt MacDougall, and Alex Usow (his Sharks + Hammers, Sea Monstr Sushi partner) to open No. 1 Noodle House in the old 1 West Cordova address (the original Boneta spot at Carrall and Cordova in Gastown).

It’s basically a big ramen joint. They’ve been researching the hell out of broths and are now onto noodles (heading to LA on a ramen spree next week). The menu will be small – just three ramens (soy, pork, maybe chicken), fried chicken wings, bao buns, salads and Banh Mi sandwiches – with a small beer, sake and spirits component.

The place will be geared towards the chefs who work on the line all night and then don’t have many options for food and drink when they clock out. No. 1 Noodle House might stay open until as late as 4am, with a capacity for 75-90 people. Guest chefs will also regularly moonlight to create specialty dishes of their own.

Right now, the concept is for a 7 month pop-up, which Brand describes as a “business incubator”. If it works, they might stay or move somewhere else. Opening day is scheduled for late April or early May.

Items on the very short lunch and dinner menus include bowls of ramen ($9.50), banh mi sammy’s ($7.50), bao buns with fried chicken and kimchi ($7.50), and pork spring rolls ($7.75). Nothing is over $10. The room looks rough and ready, with communal picnic tables fronting the giant hood vent (complete with stenciled cobras emerging from ramen bowls) and all of the mirrors that used to hang from the ceiling back in the Boneta days now decorating the walls. Take a look for yourselves over the weekend and let us know what you think.

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS