Use Your Noodle

In college, those stockpiled packages of ramen were everything — quick, filling and oh-so-tasty. So when Jonathon Sawyer opened Noodlecat nearly five years ago, we eagerly devoured his graduated build-your-own version with a milelong list of ingredients. But with slow-moving lines and heaps of unfamiliar Asian add-ins — from dashi to kombu to tonkatsu — the downtown spot could leave even sophisticated slurpers with analysis paralysis. So Sawyer recently streamlined his menu to a multiple-choice checklist of six ready-to-eat options: Just pick your favorite noodle (two kinds of ramen, udon or "properly steamed" rice) and eeny-meeny-miny-moe your way to lunch perfection. Although we love a good tofu curry or even spicy octopus, try the super-approachable crispy beef short rib with cabbage and house-made semolina udon. With chewy noodles and crispy fried beef in a rich pork broth, it's spicy, sweet, sour and salty — and our go-to answer for speedy sustenance. 234 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-589-0007, noodlecat.com