I like Lifting Noodles Ramen. The ramen here is good and it's certainly the best you're going to find in this ramen-starved part of town (East Atlanta).
This ramen shop opened right around the new year (2018). It's a counter-serve joint located inside the We Suki Suki food hall (https://www.yelp.com/biz/we-suki-suki-atlanta) in EAV (East Atlanta Village). It's owned and operated by the same folks behind Poke Burri (https://www.yelp.com/biz/poke-burri-atlanta-4), the poke and sushi burrito counter. The two stalls are located right next to each other.
I would park on the street. Free street parking is available along Flat Shoals (right in front of the food hall) and Glenwood. If you can't find parking there, then I suggest parking down one of the streets off Glenwood. There's a parking lot next to the building, but I'm not sure exactly who it's for (I know you can park there if you're going to Gaja Korean Bar). The lot is also pretty beat up (bunch of pot holes).
We Suki Suki is a narrow, bare-bones, communal space with about a half-dozen picnic tables shared by the four or five vendors inside. I've never had a problem finding a seat, but you'll more than likely have to share a table with strangers if you're not with a group of at least five or six. The vendor kitchens are small and out in the open. You and your clothes will leave this place smelling like food.
Like Poke Burri, Lifting Noodles has laminated menus which you write your name on, mark up (using a dry-erase marker), and hand to the cashier to place your order. You pay up front. The food hall has a communal water cooler if you want water (free). Lifting Noodles sells bottled water, tea (green, Thai), and soda too.
The menu is simple with a handful of starters - ginger miso beet salad, wakame (seasoned seaweed) salad, fried pork gyoza, and crispy fried Brussels sprouts - priced at $3.00-4.50 per order. There are seven ramen choices and four different kinds of broth: pork (tonkotsu), miso, chicken, and vegetarian. The ramen is priced at $11-13 per bowl. Add-ons, like extra protein, egg, and kimchi, cost $1-3 each. You can also build your own ramen starting at $11. Kale noodles, in lieu of standard egg noodles, are an option and they certainly make Lifting Noodles unique.
Again, like Poke Burri, Lifting Noodles also has a secret menu. You can ask them about it on Instagram at @liftingnoodlesramen or at the counter. One of the secret menu items has been a ramen carbonara.
Here's what I've tried:
* Fried pork gyoza ($4.50) - fried pork dumplings with house ginger soy dipping sauce
* Crispy fried Brussels sprouts ($4.50) - deep-fried Brussels sprouts glazed with a house red sweet chili sauce
* Korean fried chicken wings - not on the regular menu
* Angry Zuko ramen ($11) - spicy creamy pork broth, roasted pork, noodles, sweet corn, black mushroom, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, scallions, sesame seeds, pickled ginger, marinated soft-boiled egg, and roasted seaweed
* Miso ramen ($11, spicy version) - creamy miso broth, pork belly, noodles, sweet corn, black mushroom, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, scallions, pickled ginger, marinated soft-boiled egg, and roasted seaweed
* Spicy seafood ramen ($13) - spicy creamy pork broth, shrimp, mussels, squid, noodles, sweet corn, black mushroom, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, scallions, marinated soft-boiled egg, and roasted seaweed
In general, the food has been good. The fried pork gyoza and crispy fried Brussels sprouts were tasty/par for the course. I've had the Brussels sprouts twice so far and they've been consistent. The chili sauce they add to the Brussels sprouts tastes a lot like the Thai Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce I used to eat a lot with chicken growing up.
My favorite app is the Korean fried chicken wings. I didn't see these on the regular menu, so they must be a special or secret menu item. They were delicious. Crispy wings slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce with black and white sesame seeds. These wings were definitely on the sweeter side (one of my friends thought they were too sweet), but I liked them.
As for the ramen, I liked all three about the same. I can't say I prefer one significantly over another, but if I had to recommend one, it would be the Angry Zuko. I've had that one twice. It's named after the character Zuko from the animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The above three ramen are all prepared very similarly. They pack each bowl with fresh and flavorful ingredients. The soft-boiled egg in particular is good quality and nicely cooked. The egg noodles, while not my favorite around town (I prefer my noodles to have a denser and chewier consistency), are yummy. The miso broth has a more subtle sweet and tangy flavor to it while the pork broth is richer and tastes more robust. My sister said, "The spicy seafood ramen was the best, tastiest ramen I have ever had. Great broth!"
Service is excellent from co-owner Seven, manager Simon, and their staff. read more