Credit: Design by Aaron Sechrist
David Chin began working at Flour restaurant as a line cook. Today, five and a half years later, he’s the chef de cuisine. Like many rising-star chefs, Chin has aspirations to do his own thing. And his own thing is Asian-inspired noodles. Those noodle bowls will be available to the public for the very first time tonight, June 3, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Kansui Ramen Pop-Up at Larder Deli (1455 W. 29th St., 216-912-8203). Larder is typically closed on Mondays.

“My grandfather on my dad’s side came here from China as a teenager,” Chin explains. “He was a cook his entire life and I’ve always had that influence on me. He started teaching me.”

Chin’s homemade ramen noodles get their texture, flavor and color from an alkaline liquid known as kansui, hence the name. Attendees tonight will have their choice of three different noodle bowls, a scallion beef ramen ($11) starring brisket, a mapo tofu-flavored ramen ($10) and a char siu pork belly version ($11). Three sides will also be available, Grandpa Chin’s egg rolls ($5), togarashi fries ($4) and marinated cucumber salad ($4).

The set up will be the same as Larder’s, with a la carte counter service.

“I’m hoping this leads to something else within three to five years,” says Chin.

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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 4, 2019.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.