Sick of Ramen noodles? Give Suzie's Soba a try - This pan-Asian place offers a good mix of cuisine for prices that you can afford

Suzie's Soba

1009 W. 36th St.

Also: 7 N. Calvert St.

Phone:410-243-0051

Price: $9-$17

Location: Hampden

Hours: Mon.- Fri.: 12 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

Sat., Sun.: 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Weekend lunches by request

Suzie's Soba is a one-of-a-kind place. A small, pan-Asian restaurant conveniently located in Hampden, Suzie's offers an eclectic mix of new-age and traditional eastern foods in an unusually-decorated atmosphere for slightly above-average restaurant prices.

Located in Hampden, the restaurant's eclectic decorations set it off from the street. Banners adorned with fat red lips slurping noodles hang from the front of the building, and mosaic tilework coats the fa?ade. Inside, you walk past a kitchen reminiscent in appearance to a deli counter to the tables in the back.

The dining room is uniquely decorated as well: large white paper creations sculpted into fish adorn the walls, connected by wooden vines, clumps of moss and beaded lights. The number of tables is relatively small.

As the restaurant's slogan implies, the menu offers a collection of "noodles and things." The "things" category includes everything from sashimi to nouveau cuisine to traditional Japanese.

For instance, under appetizers, the house salad combines ingredients including pickled ginger and shiitake mushrooms over mesclun greens ($5), and the steamed dumplings emerge from the kitchen in a tidy bamboo basket served alongside a soy sauce-based dip ($5 to $6).

The menu also includes a handful of traditional Japanese donburis, a broiled meat, fish or vegetable dish served atop rice ($9 to $17).

The noodles category includes some of the most reasonably priced entrees, with the most expensive costing $14. I ordered the tuna sashimi somen, an assortment of mesclun greens and julienne-sliced cucumbers that surround a pile of cold, thin somen noodles in a spicy sauce, topped with a handful of tuna sashimi. Like many of the restaurant's meals, the dish feels light yet is relatively filling.

Other noodle dishes include the traditional Korean dish chap chae, spicy seafood noodles and spinach and shiitake noodles. The latter is an unexpected combination of vegetables mixed with buckwheat soba. At $9, it's one of the restaurant's cheapest dishes, but it's also one of the least filling.

Yet more noodle dishes can be found under light fare, which range from $6 to $10. These are best if you're looking for a snack, not a meal.

Many of the entrees are seafood dishes, such as the char-grilled citrus salmon ($18), seafood hot pot ($15) and grilled spicy tuna ($18). Other options range from Korean-style stuffed Cornish hen to spicy citrus pork loin and tempura. The entrees, while creative, place the restaurant slightly above average in terms of price.

Suzie's Soba offers an assortment of flavored bubble teas, the trendy Asian drinks with brown tapioca starch balls filling the bottom of the glass ($3.95).

Some of the more unusual drinks include roasted rice green tea and homemade limeade ($2), and dessert options include a delightful little scoop of homemade sorbet ($4.50).

Conveniently a security escort van-ride away from campus, Suzie's Soba's ambience makes it an ideal place for a date or a classy lunch. In general, the food is good, service is relatively quick and you won't find yourself unable to move after eating, either. But the unique dining experience will cost you -- don't expect to get a lot of food for your money.