Less than a year after Edward Kim debuted Mi & Yu Noodle Bar in Federal Hill, the chef-owner is bringing his bowls to Mount Vernon.
Mi & Yu Noodle Bar will soon open a location at the Mount Vernon Marketplace. The new stall will be located in the back of the marketplace, and Kim said he hopes to have it up and running in about eight weeks.
The new Mi & Yu location, the restaurant's second, will serve beer alongside the same menu from the Federal Hill location. The eatery features build-your-own bowls (guests select a broth, protein and type of noodle) and steamed buns.
Kim is also looking to bring the concept to Charles Village, Hampden, and Fells Point or Canton, and he said his third restaurant could open soon. He plans to eventually expand to the Baltimore suburbs, too.
"It's all based on being cash flow positive from one location to another," he said.
Mi & Yu is among a number of noodle bars that have opened in Baltimore lately, feeding on the popularity of ramen.
Kim has received plenty of support from Federal Hill patrons and other customers from outside South Baltimore who have traveled to his 20-seat location at 1016 S. Charles St. The reception was better than he anticipated, he said.
"They're all asking me when I was going to open another on in their backyard," Kim said. "It shouldn't be a destination place, but it seems like that's what it's become."