It’s winter. It’s cold. And that’s fine with me. When it’s cold, we Buffalonians tend to do a lot of things different than when it’s warm out. Especially when it comes to eating food. One of the best foods available during the wintertime is ramen. There’s nothing better than sitting down to a bowl of steaming broth and noodles. My wife was the one that got me on the ramen kick. Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding locally prepared dishes that we found satisfying. That is until we rediscovered Kaydara Noodle Bar. Now it’s become our new favorite place to go, and I’ll tell you why.
First of all, I love the space. It’s a brilliant, wide open restaurant with plenty of seating options and tons of natural light, located in the historic Sidway building. Personally, I enjoy eating on the elevated area, snug up against one of the giant windows. The only problem with this spot is that the floor needs to be repainted, which really should be an easy fix. A coat of black paint would do wonders. The views out onto the intersection of Main and Edward are breathtaking. It’s one of the finest examples of historically significant Buffalo, with architectural stunners galore. If only the Vernor building could have been saved, instead of being demolished. It’s time to rebuild something significant where it once stood, if only to obscure the lame looking Collision Masters.
Upon settling in at our table, we always take the time to peruse the menu, even though we typically know what we want. Last week, my wife decided to change things up, and we’re both glad that she did. Instead of ordering her standby ramen, she went with the wheat noodles, even though our server said that they would take twenty minutes to cook. Since it was already in-between lunch and dinner time, we had time to wait. I ended up ordering the same item that I got the last time that we visited – the stir fried beef udon. I just couldn’t pass it up – personally, I find it a lot easier to eat… the broth bowls can be tricky even with a ramen spoon and chopsticks. By the way, it would be great to see this place provide porcelain spoons, instead of the metal ones that they stock. Although Kaydara has been open for five years, they only recently got their beer and wine license, which will certainly be good for business. I have a feeling that the beer and wine license will greatly help to attract additional customers, which will then allow the restaurant to improve upon a few of these minor updates (like paying for commercial free streaming music).
While awaiting our Vietnamese meals to arrive, we took note of a few things. One was the water offering. Kaydara offers a variety of house fruit infused waters served in large bottles for a small charge. It’s a really nice treat. When it comes to the culinary options, there are a ton of sides including Brussel sprouts, jasmine rice, prawns, lap chong and tofu. There are also a bunch of add ons, ranging from tea-smoked egg, to bean sprouts to chilis. Most of the dishes that we have ordered were nicely spiced – you don’t have to worry about being served the world’s hottest pepper, but you will be pleased by the generous spice level offered (spice levels can be altered).
When it comes to the broth noodle selections, customers can choose between phở, somen, mung bean, wheat, udon phở and house ramen. Then there’s the stir fried noodle selections – udon, crispy egg and lo mein (all served with chicken, beef, tofu, mushroom and prawn options). Finally there are the bowls – fried rice with a number of ingredients to choose from, broccoli served with jasmine rice (and extras to choose from), and tofu & mushroom stir fry (with broccoli). Small plates and salads are also available, making for a very well rounded eating experience.
Per usual, I loved every single bite of my stir fried beef udon, which comes with super tender beef and a medley of peppers. My wife’s wheat noodles with braised beef and sesame chili was the hit of the day. We both agreed that it was the best dish that we had tried so far. There was a hint of star anise and cinnamon that was magical – we were both in heaven as we ate. Fortunately, she couldn’t finish her dish, so I get to lap up the remains. Each time we go to Kaydara, it appears to get better and better. The noodles are always perfectly cooked, and the broth is never oily (one of my wife’s biggest pet peeves).
A trip to Kaydara is worth it, no matter how far you are coming from. I have a feeling that the owners are just starting to hit their strides. If you’ve been on the hunt for good ramen, then you won’t be disappointed.
Kaydara Noodle Bar | 777 Main Street | Buffalo, NY 14203 | (716) 768-0038 | Facebook | Menu | Lunch/dinner – see hours