Pho-nomenal

In December the already robust South Norwalk dining scene was bolstered by the opening of Mecha Noodle Bar. The super-sleek restaurant, serving lunch, dinner and late-night snacks Thursday through Saturday, offers a hot and steamy hip-hop mix of Asian comfort food from various cultures.

Mecha means “mom and pop” in Vietnamese, and the specialties here are big cure-your-cold-delicious and warm-your-soul bowls of pho (a Vietnamese rice noodle soup pronounced “fa”) and ramen (Japanese wheat noodle soup). Other highlights of the menu include a section of steamed bao items — Asian American-inspired fluffy buns wrapped around ingredients like shrimp, pork belly and KFC, Korean fried chicken.

Located in the former Pasta Nostra space on Washington Street, the restaurant is the second location for the popular noodle house that originated in Fairfield. It is owned by Tony Pham and Richard Reyes. Pham, the restaurant’s culinary director, also owns the popular Danbury Vietnamese restaurant Pho Vietnam. Like Reyes and Pham’s other establishments, Mecha Noodle Bar in Norwalk is a winner.

On a Thursday evening in early March, the place was packed with a SoNo crowd of young professionals and baby boomers. The inviting and open space consists of long communal tables beside a bar and open kitchen area, where steam rises from giant bowls of soup and flames fly into the air with a visual flare reminiscent of hibachi. A smart-looking bamboo design covers the walls and ceiling, and the bright but warmly lit space has a New York City-meets-anime aesthetic. During our visit a dance-ready mix of soul and R&B played over the PA system.

Menu highlights include the pho king (say that out loud three times if there are no children around), a bowl of pho made with a tender, braised short rib; the tonkotsu pork ramen, featuring spicy sprouts, scallions and a boiled egg; and my personal favorite, the paitan chicken ramen, served in a broth that comes alive with a symphony of spices including black garlic, nori, scallions, egg and menma (a Japanese condiment made from bamboo shoots).

The pho dishes tend to be lighter and are complemented by the softer, airy pho noodle, while the ramen dishes are more aggressive, saltier and have a crunchier noodle. Both are excellent depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Though a neon sign behind the bar proclaims “Slurping Encouraged,” pho and ramen broths are not all this place is about. Appetizers include the red oil dumplings (made with pork, shrimp, sichuan vinegar and cilantro) and the downright inspiring bao shrimp roll, a must-try sandwich that has left me craving more bao — a delicacy I’ve never had before but will have again at the earliest date possible.

Beverages include delicious bubble teas served spiked with bourbon and other spirits upon request and a slew of creative house cocktails like the “99 Problems” (named for the hit Jay-Z song) made with Laird’s applejack whiskey, perfecto amor and housemade ginger beer, which gives the drink a prominent ginger flavor. Also featured are Asian spirits like shochu and sake, as well as on-tap craft beer offerings, including a rotating beer from sought-after New England brewery Maine Beer Co.

The restaurant recently launched a late-night menu from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Thursdays and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Late night features a variety of cocktail and drink specials, and after midnight, breakfast items like the shoyu breakfast (ramen, brown butter, bacon, egg and cheese). There is also a special “happy meal” offered for members of the industry who have just finished their shifts at other restaurants.

Hours: Mon.-Wed., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thu., 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sun., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; late-night menu, Thu., 10 p.m.-1 a.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

Price range: Appetizers, $7-$11; steamed baos, $7-$10; pho, $10-$14; ramen, $12-$13 Wheelchair accessible