Waldo ramen restaurant shut down. Owners back with new name, new look, expanded menu

Waldo’s Boru Ramen Bar — dark since June — reopens Thursday with a slightly different name to reflect its broader menu.

Owners Andy Lock and Domhnall Molloy refreshed the space, at 500 W. 75th St., and will open Boru Asian Eatery at 3 p.m.

Menu: The partners and their culinary director, Po Wang, are offering a mix of Asian influences, including shareables such as Boru Kimchi Fries (pork belly, sweet potato fries, fried egg and curry-lime aioli), Crispy Crab Rangoons (filled with blue crab, cream cheese and sweet chili sauce), shrimp dumplings (hand-made and pan fried, filled with shrimp and chives), and Honey-Hoisin Sticky Ribs (5-spice braised spare-ribs, sweet honey-hoisin sauce, crushed peanuts and fresh herbs).

Rice and noodle dishes will include Stir-Fry Ramen (cabbage, bean sprouts, Shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and a choice of chicken or shrimp), and General oh Tso Good Chicken (crispy chicken and broccoli with a spicy garlic sauce).

About 30% of the Boru Ramen Bar menu will return including Bao Buns, loaded fried rice, gyoza and three ramen bowls.

It also will have sake cocktails and craft cocktails, including the popular Fist of Fury with chili and basil infused vodka and ginger beer.

Hours: 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 3 to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Walk-ins are accepted or customers can reserve their table online via Tock at www.exploretock.com/boruasianeatery. It also is offering curbside pick-up.

When Waldo’s Boru Ramen Bar closed in June, the owners said it was shutting down permanently. They blamed the economic conditions caused by COVID-19.

But they said the response from customers was “overwhelming” — from requests for pop-ups to promises to patronize the restaurant on a regular basis. The expanded menu also is expected to draw new customers.

This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.