Edward Kim, of Soigne fame, to open Federal Hill ramen bar

Edward Kim, who ran the former Fort Avenue restaurant Soigne, is returning to the Baltimore dining scene.

Kim will open Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, a 15-seat, fast-casual Asian restaurant at 1016 S. Charles St. in Federal Hill. The restaurant will be a counter-service operation and is expected to open in late June or early July.

"My concept is basically noodles, mainly ramen, but udon and pho, too," Kim said of his new restaurant. "I'll also have steamed buns, banh mi and duck-fat French fries."

Kim opened Soigne in 2002 with his business partner, Lisa Heckman, in the Riverside neighborhood to rapturous reviews. "Edward Kim's food is rich and strange, with a personality all its own. You could call it Asian fusion, but that doesn't convey its charm," Baltimore Sun critic Elizabeth Large wrote in her review.

After Soigne closed, Kim worked for the Washington restaurant Merkado; Saffron, an upscale Indian restaurant in Mount Vernon; and Luminous, a restaurant in the Westin BWI Hotel. Kim said he has been out of the restaurant business for the past five years while he was taking care of ill family members.

Kim said he is now ready to shake up Baltimore's dining scene. "I want to give Baltimore something different than a plain-Jane ramen shop and plain-Jane sandwich shop," he said.

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Kim said he is "taking a page from the Momofuku playbook," referring to restaurant empire founded by the chef David Chang, which started in 2004 with the opening of Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City's East Village.

"David Chang and I are very similar," Kim said. "We are both Korean-American, classically trained chefs. We both use French technique to supply a superior product to the customer."

Kim said that he's sampled some of the ramen around town and found them wanting. "They lack creativity, they lack technique." he said. "I believe in using texture and flavor contrasts to create a harmonizing dish."

At Mi & Yu, the average cost for main offerings like ramen will be $13, Kim said.

The most recent former occupant of the space at 1016 S. Charles was a catering company.

Edward Kim, of Soigne fame, to open Federal Hill ramen bar

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