The latest addition to College Park’s rapidly diversifying restaurant scene: a fast-casual ramen and hibachi shop.
Replacing a now-closed pizza place next to Nando’s at 7406 Baltimore Ave., Qù Japan follows the now-familiar formula for turning international cuisine into the next Chipotle-like fast casual chain.
In this case, your hibachi protein options include calamari and crabmeat in addition to beef, chicken and shrimp, and your vegetables include Chinese cabbage, pineapple and bean sprouts alongside broccoli, carrots and mushrooms.
While ramen is best known in the U.S. as a super-fast and super-cheap dorm-room dinner, in Japan it’s something like barbecue in Texas — a simple, popular dish whose flavor showcases the skill of the chef.
The options for ramen include the classics: tonkatsu pork cutlets, tofu, fish cakes, bok-choy and a boiled egg, or just a simple shrimp and bean sprout noodle soup.
Qù Japan is the latest Asian restaurant to open in College Park, joining Japanese restaurants Kiyoko and Hanami; Chinese/Taiwanese restaurants Northwest Chinese, Ivy Noodles and Ten Ren; Kung Fu and Ten Asian Food Hall bubble tea shops; Aroy Thai; and Vietnamese restaurants Pho Thom, Pho D’Lite and The Red Boat.
Still to come: SeoulSpice Korean, Poki District poke and Gong Cha Taiwanese bubble tea.
