The Glass Noodle, an international noodle house, is coming soon to 600 block of Central Avenue
/THE GLASS NOODLE WILL REPLACE DOORMET AT 681 CENTRAL AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN ST. PETE
The restaurant group behind Mangosteen on Central Avenue and Green Pagoda at 7900 4th Street North plans to add another St. Petersburg eatery to its portfolio when it opens The Glass Noodle, which will take the place of Doormet at 681 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete.
Doormet closed its doors earlier this month after over two years in business. In an email to customers, the owners acknowledged that they “have had consistent issues in St. Pete, everything from finding help, to growing the business, to increased food costs, to increased labor costs, high rents, and a general difficulty in reaching residences and getting orders from homes at night.”
Khao Piek Sen, the Lao equivalent to American chicken noodle soup, will be served at The Glass Noodle
There’s no set opening date for The Glass Noodle, but owner Sean Thongsiri says he hopes to have the new restaurant up and running by the end of year.
“It’s an international noodle house,” Thongsiri says. The menu will feature “the most popular noodle dishes from almost every country in Asia. You name it — Korea, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan. Some of the noodles on the menu will be made in-house daily.”
Proteins such as crispy duck, crispy pork belly, shrimp, chicken, and steak can be added on to any noodle dish. Or keep it vegetarian with tofu or no protein.
Thongsiri is most excited to offer Khao Piak Sen, a traditional Lao noodle dish made of broth stewed with chicken, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, ginger, and soy sauce. It’s the Lao equivalent to American chicken noodle soup and a dish Thongsiri often ate as a child growing up in Laos.
Another Lao NOODLE dish, Khao Poon, will be offered at The Glass Noodle
“Nobody really serves it in the United States, except for home cooking,” he says. “It’s not popular yet.”
Thongsiri acknowledges that some of the noodle dishes at The Glass Noodle will introduce completely new flavors to American palates. He recommends that, “if you don’t like it at first, try it again.”
The menu will also include some rice dishes and appetizers, most under $10. Entrees will be priced between $10 and $19 — “that’s affordable for downtown,” Thongsiri says — and will be served 10-15 minutes after an order is placed.
“So many Asian restaurants in St. Pete serve Pad Thai and Pho. I can’t wait to introduce St. Pete to dishes that people haven’t tried before,” he adds. “For me, it's not all about money. It's about creating something that people like and something different at the same time.”
Mee Ka Tee, a Laotian pork curry noodle soup, will be available at The Glass Noodle
The Glass Noodle will serve beer — including popular Asian brands from Laos, Thailand, and China — and wine but no liquor.
The restaurant will have a capacity of about 120 people. Indoor and outdoor seating along Central Avenue will be available.
Another upcoming culinary concept by Thongsiri, The Crane, was originally slated to open in early 2022, but experienced permitting and construction delays. The steak and seafood restaurant, which is currently being built out at 575 Central Avenue, will hopefully be open sometime in the first half of 2023.
