After buying my boyfriend a Naruto graphic-tee where the young anime character is scarfing down ramen, we were both inspired to check out the month-old Short North addition – Ampersand Asian Supper Club.
Located between West Second Avenue and East First Street, the modern restaurant sits in the new Wood Building and features a wall of windows where the setting sun glistens into the space. As we walked in, soft music and delicious smells of ramen and rice waft across our faces.
Megan Ada, the owner of Ampersand, is not new to the restaurant game. The young entrepreneur also owns Asterisks Supper Club and Sunny Street Café, both in Westerville. But she was ready for a new challenge and found inspiration at home.
“My dad’s side of the family is from Guam, which has a huge Japanese influence, so I grew up eating ramen pretty much every day in the school cafeteria,” she says. “And I love Asian food and wanted to see more Asian restaurants in the Short North.”
Given the option between quick service and full service, we decide to sit down at the bar and enjoy our time. Over my left shoulder, an intricate booth catches my eye. The six-person table is accessible via two steps and blue cushions surround the tabletop. Defiantly a focal point, Ada describes the space as an inspiration of the traditional Japanese tatami room.
“I know it was taking up valuable relate space to build a booth like,” Ada laughs, “but I just wanted it to be the cool table of the Short North.”
Peering over the menu, the teriyaki chicken catches my eyes and the spicy shoyu sparks my boyfriend’s interest. But first, a drink. He orders the Japanese Old Fashioned – shiitake infused Suntory Toki Whisky, black ginger molasses and house bitters – and isn’t disappointed. To make it even more Instagramable, the smooth drink is poured over an Ampersand branded ice cube.
(The man next to us later ordered the drink and remarked that the flavor combinations were splendid.)
Spicy Shoyu
We order our entrees and when they arrive my boyfriend, at this point, is giddy with excitement. Featuring dashi and chicken broth, spicy confit chicken, shishito pepper and more, the hot dish looks delicious even on a 95-degree summer evening.
“This is the best ramen I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of ramens,” he says. “It’s perfectly spicy, with layers of flavor, which makes each bite unique.”
As for Ada, she says her favorite is the shio – sea salt and fish broth with squid ink noodles, baby octopus, and more.
“I’m a seafood lover, so I love the shio because it’s pretty much an ocean in a bowl,” Ada says. “We get our octopus in fresh… and just the wakame – the rehydrated seaweed – on it and the basically fish jerky flakes all come together. It’s actually my daughters favorite, too.”
Ada notes that even though the menu features a lot of ramens, she wants to expand into other Asian-inspired dishes including sushi and possibly French desserts with an Eastern flair.
“Our options are endless and I don’t ever want to limit myself,” Ada says. “But yeah, it’s been exciting and surreal to be in the short north; I never thought this opportunity would come to live.”
We pay our bill – which is perfectly placed in an origami box – and wave goodbye to the friendly staff. I tell my boyfriend we’ll be back and I’ll get ramen next time too, he responds with the confident remark of “Oh, you know we’ll be back.”
Lydia Freudenberg is the brand loyalty specialists. Feedback welcome in the comments.
