. "I gave the place an honest shot. I like the idea of fusion restaurants, but Noodlecat just manages to strike out all around. \n\nThe Decor\nThe comic on the wall was sort of fun. Apart from that, the place had the generic, oh-so-self-conscious hipster \"charm.\" I had to keep reminding myself that this place wasn't a chain, and that the waiters weren't required to wear flair. The whole place feels like the product of marketing research and sloganeering\nThat, and why does it feel like I'm about to start mining coal? A noodle joint should be bright so you can appreciate the color and contents of the soup. \n\nThe Service\nCan't complain about it. They were prompt, polite, and competent. \n\nThe Food\nIn a word, a disappointment. We split a steam bun; I can't say much. It was decent. The pork chop was crispy and well-seasoned, but apart from that, it was unremarkable, and I'm frankly surprised I even remembered it. \nI had the squid udon noodles. I'm reasonably sure it's a copy of a Korean dish, and honestly, not a good one at that. It was like the VHS copy of someone's Blu Ray version; the seasoning wasn't there, it was too dry, and the squid was overcooked and a little tough. \nThe noodles my companion got were salty and too thick. The broth might as well have been gently-heated tap water; it wasn't the right temperature to cook the noodles properly and was impressively bland. \nThe final insult came with the bill; for half the price, we could have feasted over in Asiatown, and not felt like we were eating in a hipster's basement. \n\nI don't see myself coming back here anytime soon."^^ . . "3"^^ . . "1"^^ . "3"^^ . "5"^^ . "2012-05-22T00:00:00"^^ .