Rougamo & Noodles is a newly opened noodle shop near Tsujiri in the Yonge/Sheppard area. The food was just ok, as we got:
- Signature braised beef chuck noodle soup: I was a bit worried with the beef as it was a brighter red than I thought would be good, but it ended up tender/tasty enough. The soup was ok, with enough flavour to not make it generic. The flat noodles were a bit disappointing - they didn't have that awesome hand-tossed texture that Artisan Noodles up at Yonge/Finch does.
- Shan'xi meat sauce noodles: The server warned me that this dish would be a bit salty... and it was A LOT MORE salty than expected. Too bad, because all the salt detracted from a pretty good meat sauce and generous helpings of veggies.
- Halal beefgamo rougamo: The star of the meal! I know people who don't like rougamo because they think the bread is too tough. I found this to have the right amount of chewiness+crispiness. Oh, and the beef was nice and tender (vs being overly stringy or clumpy, which sometimes happens in other places).
In terms of the other stuff:
- Service was efficient and they explained the menu options pretty well
- The place, though small, didn't feel overly cramped and was clean
- Open kitchen but you didn't leave with the food smell sticking to your clothes
Given my main reason for giving this place an average rating is the food (versus the service or setting), I'm not sure being 'new' had any effect on my rating. I'm happy I tried it but likely won't be back.