It's no secret that we're big fans of Smorgasburg, DTLA's weekly culinary event that's always filled with some drool-worthy scents, sights and bites coming from dozens of food stalls every Sunday afternoon. It's then that we feast our way through some of the city's already-established dumpling houses, seafood slingers, ice cream shops and other vendors, but it's also where fledgling concepts can test their products and receive feedback from the hungry crowd.
One Smorgasburg standout is spreading beyond the market to serve its fans on more than just Sunday afternoons; We Have Noodles is opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Silver Lake next Friday with noodle bowls galore.
Expanding on his weekly selection of Smorgasburg noodles, chef and founder Darren Sayphraraj will launch We Have Noodles in a bright, modern 800-square-foot space at 3827 West Sunset Boulevard with small plates, beer and wine, and further down the line, Sunday brunch.
“My restaurant is an homage to all the little street-side stalls in Southeast Asia and to the mom and pop restaurants we have in Los Angeles,” says Sayphraraj. “I’ve always wanted to open a little noodle shop, even when I was working in fine-dining restaurants.”
Those fine-dining restaurants include the Modern, the Nomad and Dovetail—all in New York City—though it's back here that Sayphraraj, an L.A. native, established himself.
Photograph: Courtesy Sina Araghi
Guests will find a casual atmosphere, a patio overlooking Sunset and shared plates ranging everywhere from sweet potato lumpia to confit gizzards with ponzu and koji pickles. Of course there will be noodles, whether they're in the form of beef pho with garlic oil and charred tendon; squash khao soi with pickled mustard greens; or veggie ramen with whole wheat noodles and matsutake mushrooms. There'll even be rice cakes in black bean sauce with littleneck clams and chili breadcrumbs, and a few more surprises. Eventually, Sayphraraj hopes chefs from both in and out of town will come by the restaurant for dish collaborations and special events—a nod to the collaborative community found throughout his hometown.
We Have Noodles opens at 3827 West Sunset Boulevard on September 1.
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