In the southeast corner of Granby located just beyond the town line of Simsbury on route 202, there is a chef quietly doing some very special things all in the name of noodles. Ki’yen Yeung, Chef and owner of Tiger Belly Noodle Bar is serving up his take on Japanese Ramen and Vietnamese Pho. I am here to tell you that both are anything but quiet in their flavor.

I had a chance to finally sit down with the busy chef after several visits and it quickly became clear how passionate he is about his most recent venture. To understand how he arrived at this moment, with this restaurant, I first had to learn about where the love started. His love for food developed early on in childhood as a young boy while frequently traveling to Chinatown in New York City with his parents to visit family. It was on these trips were he devoured traditional Cantonese wonton soups and instant ramen noodle packets all over the place. “I remember the simplicity in these soups, but was always impressed with the intense amount of flavor they had” explained Ki’yen, “they were super fast to make and even quicker to eat, something I appreciated because they helped us to keep up with the faced paced lifestyle of Chinatown.”

Ki’yen was born in and grew up in New Jersey where he spent much of his childhood around the family business, two separate restaurants connected by a shared prep kitchen in the back that his parents had converted from an old auto garage space they purchased. On one side they had a small breakfast diner that would open early and continue serving through lunch where the most popular item on the menu was a Philly cheese steak Sandwich. Immediately afterwards they’d move next door and begin prepping the Chinese restaurant for dinner service. I can only assume that this is where he developed his incredibly hard work ethic. Watching KI'yen seamlessly glide around his own restaurant now, as people continuously pour in is a sight to see in itself, but the calmness he displays as the tickets start spitting rapid fire out of the kitchen printer like a broken card shuffler, speaks volumes about his upbringing in his parents restaurants all those years.

As Ki’yen got older he eventually moved to Millerton New York and while in high school, helped his older sister turn a small takeout restaurant called the Golden Wok, into a successful full scale restaurant. Together they turned enough of a profit and made enough money to purchase the entire building so that they could knock all the walls down and design the restaurant the way they wanted. During that time, Ki'yen graduated and decided it was time to take a break from food and pursue a different passion of his. Ki'yen moved to Philadelphia for college to pursue what he calls "the art experience. Unfortunately I ended up just doing basic graphic design work. It didn't exactly pay the bills.” Finally, Ki’yen decided that the art world wasn’t calling for him, and he moved back to New York to help his sister. During this time he realized he could still be artistic and apply what he had learned in college, but in a field and industry he already knew very well.

The thing that actually got Ki'yen to Connecticut happened totally by chance. “I was with my parents picking up some relatives from Bradley Airport, and while we were driving around we stumbled open a space for sale in East Windsor and the rest becomes history. My parents and I opened Wok on the Wild Side in 2004 in East Granby. As they grew that business, a few years into it I decided it was time to try and do my own thing, and in May of 2007 I opened Mei Tzu in East Windsor which I named after my Mom, meaning 'beautiful child'". As I began to grow that restaurant into what it is now, I always secretly knew in the back of my mind, that I had to do Ramen. As I continually thought about it, the timing just never seemed to be right because I was having trouble finding the right space. I almost gave up searching but a great opportunity finally opened up in Granby, and Tiger Belly Noodle Bar was born in August of 2016.” Don't think it was just as easy as that at first, because it wasn't explains Ki’yen, nothing ever is. “When people think of Ramen in this area, no one knows what it is. They equate it with instant noodles, and while that may be a small part of it, it’s more, much more.” Now almost two years later, it is safe to say that not only do people know what Ramen is, they can't seem to get enough of it. Tiger Belly Noodle Bar serves up Pho and Ramen side by side on the menu, faster and faster with each new day.

At Tiger Belly Noodle Bar the signature dish is a take on traditional Pork Tonkotsu broth and is as good as anything coming out of New York. After my conversation with Ki'yen I think I understand why. He is a very diligent student when it comes to understanding and studying tradition. He knows the history surrounding the art of Ramen. He uses this knowledge to continuously progress his food even further, and as I slurp up a bowl of The Darkness while we talk, I learn that ironically enough, Ki'yen actually didn’t even enjoy his first couple Ramen experiences! “My first and second time having ramen were at Momofuko and then Rai Rai Ken, both of which I actually didn’t enjoy at all. I did absolutely love the vibe that both restaurants were putting out, as well as all of the other food they were serving which was mind blowing. David Chang is a food genius. It wasn’t really until I went to Ippudo and Nakamura that I changed my mind and began to fall in love with ramen. At Ippudo I had a pork Tonkotsu that was super rich and silky. Everything is the bowl was there for a reason, and now I got it. I made my way over to Nakamura on the lower east side, and really began to understand what I was missing. They were doing really high end ramen that was more Shoyu based and it carried a very refined elegance to it. I was mesmerized.” These trips and experiences must have helped lay the foundation for the Tiger Belly, which continues to evolve and grow still. Ki'yen subtly hinted that there is a new dish in the works as well as a new component being built in the kitchen that eventually raise the bar even further for what Tiger Belly Noodle Bar is capable of being known for. We also need to know that even though its obvious that Ki'yen loves both dishes because he grew up eating them, he has managed to help elevate them into truly amazing dishes. Not surprisingly, Ki'yen has successfully found a way to add his own artistic touches along the way. I have a feeling that the Ramen and Pho he's putting out are much better than the stuff he ate as a child. Even though both dishes use different ingredients, it is those exact differences that make them go so well together on one menu. “Pho is definitely a lighter, more simplistic dish that can be enjoyed year round. My Ramen however, tends to be a little bit richer, heavier, and deeper in flavor, which I think people tend to crave a little bit more in the colder New England months.” Ki’yen is referring to his signature dish The Darkness, and once you have it, there is no coming back from it because the force is strong with this one. It sticks to the bones and doesn't want to let go, and I know I'll have no problem enjoying it all summer long but perhaps reserving it for those colder rainy days that we know New England weather will eventually provide. This bowl of Ramen completely amazes me in its complexity and continuously ignites all of my senses in a way that most food doesn’t, and I just cant seem to get enough. The Tonkotsu broth takes over 30 hours to complete and is adorned with perfect flame blistered pork belly, plenty of vegetables and a rich black garlic oil. If you enjoy heat, make sure to ask for the miso based spice bomb. You won’t regret it.

I am extremely fortunate to have Tiger Belly Noodle bar be just a short 5 minute drive from my house but the real winner is Granby, for being even more lucky at having Ki’yen choose to set up shop in their town. Definitely make this place a priority to get to, and as you walk in the front door make sure you glance left at the painting on the wall. The little kid in it has definitely outgrown the Tiger, but never forgotten it.

Tiger Belly Noodle Bar is packed on the weekends and most nights now, so if you are able to visit, try for a weekday during lunch, (closed Mondays) I highly recommend it. Before you wade into The Darkness make sure to start with the custom Gyosa and BAO buns. It’s BYOB and if you want one more tip, the kitchen crew loves juicy IPA’s.