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Photo by Ash Daniel
Malaysian ramen with pork
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Photo by Ash Daniel
Hawker fried-fish tacos
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Photo by Ash Daniel
Shazam Shrimp
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Photo by Ash Daniel
Foo Dog interior
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Photo by Ash Daniel
Japanese manga adorns the bar beneath my drink. The projection screen to my left is set to sports instead of cinema. A Destiny’s Child remix plays, then Biggie Smalls, his voice both chiding and melodious, like an itch that scratches itself, comes over the sound system. In the window behind me sits a young couple on a date; the man talks about the Jamaican economy with a lilting accent. His companion looks into the smiling face of her combat boots-and-short-shorts-clad waitress, then orders ramen and KFC (Ken’s Fried Chicken). The server turns, her heavy boots muffled by wooden flooring and hip-hop, the militant footwear contradicting feminine musculature peeping from the open back of her shirt. Shortie looks strong striding past the murals painted on the restaurant’s walls. At Foo Dog, where Asian street food gets top billing, the head chef may be male, but females are alpha.
Foo Dog has an open kitchen, and I’ve noticed that some cooks, including chef Ken Liew, are Wild Ginger transplants, but two women appear to be running things tonight. One works the line, dodging and weaving between stockpots and woks. The other calmly preps, splicing proteins, the brim of her Yankees cap cocked backwards. These women move like a VCU’s Treveon Graham taking it to the hole in heavy traffic — they’re sharp, fast and steadied for a punch. Waitresses dress mostly in short and black, as if suited up for a house party. Instead, they’re throwing one. That’s the vibe Foo Dog gives off. Fun, hip, confident.
When I see the words “Asian street food,” I think stinky tofu, soup dumplings and roasted intestines — stuff you don’t easily find in Richmond. Foo Dog’s mode reads déjà vu. Sushi-O has a tempura rock shrimp appetizer resembling the fried and creamy Shazam Shrimp at Foo Dog. Ken’s Fried Chicken, a riff on Korean fried chicken, displays spiced chicken skin tightly wallpapered to the chicken’s thigh instead of crackling and crisping up from the meat like that at Bonchon. Ejay Rin (remember Manchester’s Momofuku?) made softer bao than the firm buns served at Foo, but Foo’s pork belly filling has more bite. Fish-tacos and sashimi-grade tuna over seaweed salad suggest cruising Main Street, RVA, not shopping Shibuya in Tokyo.
Grilled satay skewers, in pork, chicken, beef or shrimp varieties, puddled with peanut sauce, won’t scare the neighbors. Another cocktail party favorite, pork dumplings, impresses. House-made ponzu sauce starts vinegary, then fronts lemon, as it caresses good-fat fillings wrapped in thin dumpling skins, pockmarked from the wok.
The most expensive dish on Foo Dog’s menu hits $12, but most bites are less. It isn’t a taste of home to someone who grew up visiting Chinese night markets or the ramen bars of Japan, but the restaurant can back down a soup craving.
Afternoon soup slurpers appear to be on their first meal of the day. Many are restaurant workers fueling up on bowls of Japanese ramen enriched with poached egg. Malaysian ramen, a coconut broth popping with Cheeto-orange chili oil, seems designed for a squeeze of KIMKIM sauce, Richmond’s answer to Sriracha.
Foo Dog’s ramen noodles have delightful QQ, a Tawainese description of the push and pull and fight of bouncily cooked starch. Italians eat pasta al dente; Asians prefer QQ in their rice and noodles. Broths here aren’t milky with fats and punchy with soy, but almost clear and not as easily congealed. Foo Dog keeps their soup on a leash.
The compact beverage program fits. Wine and beer lists are short, with sake, soju and draft Sapporo offered. Cocktails are kitchen craft — fresh fruit, lemon juice and clear spirits from the South, served without a wait. This blend of inexpensive dining buttressed by a citified atmosphere appeals to college students, families searching for a quick dinner and after-10 p.m., artsy bar hoppers. Well-trained employees, eye-catching decor and bang-for-the-buck dishes earn Foo Dog a blue ribbon for affordable eats. A more adventurous menu might net them Best in Show.
Foo Dog
1537 W. Main St.,
804-342-1800 or foodogrva.com
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday 4 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Prices: $3 to $12
