Always up to check out a new restaurant in the area, the Buffalo.com team ventured down Main Street to have a taste at Kaydara Noodle Bar on Friday.

Having heard a lot of buzz about the place, we stopped by the Asian fusion establishment at the corner of Main and Goodell. Arriving at the Sidway building, we noticed no outdoor signage for the place, just a propped up hand-written easel on the corner indicating “Kaydara Noodle Bar, Open Today, Lunch 11-3, Dinner 5-11.”

According to their Facebook page, “If you’re a fan of Vietnamese, Lao, Thai, Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine, then you’re in for a big surprise. Not only will Kaydara be serving up some highly uncommon Asian foods, guests will have a choice of six different seating areas.

Depending on their mood, patrons will be able to sit at the centrally located 360 degree bar, or if they prefer, seating overlooking the open kitchen or in the far corner with windows looking onto Main Street.”

The atmosphere itself was pretty impressive being a cool building with high ceilings and a great seating set-up. Plenty of space and an authentic noodle bar made Kaydara already look like a go-to spot to impress friends and colleagues. Not to mention a place “to see and be seen.”

We sat near the tall glass windows in the front of the restaurant that look out to Main Street. While not too much hustle and bustle was happening out on the street, a few groups of people also walked into Kaydara for lunch.

As an additional side, I ordered the curry potato disks which were served crispy in a group of three. They reminded me of the potato slices and were reminiscent of a fancy french fry with the curry and parsley seasoning.

Ben T. opted for a couple fresh rolls to start off with that included carrots, bean sprouts, pork and glass noodles served with a side of nuoc mam sauce (a mixed fish dipping sauce). They were also offered with chicken or enoki instead of pork.

Julia and myself both ordered the special vegan pho they were serving that day which included a hefty amount of cooked mushrooms serving as protein in place of meats. We agreed that the dish was much sweeter than we would have anticipated, having usually had pho that was on the salty side before. I added a decent amount of hot sauce to the dish to spice it up as well, but the flavor from the pho as a whole was pretty strong and satisfying.

Katie, who hasn’t had much experience with pho or other Asian fusion restaurants opted for the Ramen noodle special. She was treated to a large bowl with what she described as a “sweet beef” broth, hard boiled eggs, crab, chives and mushrooms.

Ben T. went with the stir-fried chicken with crispy egg noodles ($9.50 for a small, $12 for a large), a spicy-savory dish that was fairly difficult to eat with chopsticks. The crunch of the noodles was pretty unfamiliar to him, and a small was easily enough for a filling meal. It certainly felt like a comfort food, but one that he’ll frequently revisit in the future. There wasn’t a ton of chicken in the entree, but the overall flavor—which was “bursting,” you could say—justified his choice.

Overall, we had a great experience at Kaydara and are already planning on returning for another lunch sometime in the future. There were way to many interesting and intriguing options on the menu for this to be a one-time stop. For a complete menu, check out Kaydara Noodle Bar’s Facebook page.