Republic: Think Noodles at Union Square

Wonton Soup (wontons filled with shrimp, pork & vegetables; with glass
noodles, mushrooms, cabbage, chinese greens, fried shallots, garlic, cilantro,
celery and soy sauce. (photo: TheHopefulTraveler) 

Blink and you may miss it: The facade of Republic located on the west
side of Union Square. (Photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

Short on time...where to eat....I only had a couple of hours to head back to midtown to catch a Broadway matinee and find something to eat. Being already after noon, I knew everywhere in Times Square would be packed. Plus I wanted a chance to return to my hotel for a short rest. While riding the R train after sight seeing in downtown, I remembered a place I dined at once before. So I made a stop at Union Square and headed towards Republic.

A cooler of pineapple juice, orange juice, lime,
coconut cream. (photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

It's an unfussy place filled with simple decor where you can dine at the counter or a table. Wanting to be quick about lunch, I requested to sit at the counter and ordered a Pineapple Coconut Cooler ($4, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime, coconut cream) and Wonton Noodles in Broth ($13, wontons filled with shrimp, pork and vegetables; glass noodles, mushrooms, cabbage, chinese greens, fried shallots, garlic cilantro, celery and soy sauce). Click HERE for Republic's menu.

Prepared quickly the combo provided what I needed. Something cool and refreshing to drink and something to satisfy my starch fix. The cooler was definitely yummy without being too sweet or sour. Perhaps too good, I sipped it up quickly and I needed some water to accompany my noodles dish. If the wonton was what was expected, the mix of garlic and cilantro added another level of flavor. The satisfying end to a bowl of soup noodles was sipping the broth.

In less than an hour I was out of Republic, on the subway and on the way to my hotel and show. I'm surprised they haven't opened more locations in the city since I discovered the place back in 2007.

Visit thinknoodles.com for more information. Republic is located 37 Union Square West (212-627-7172). Hours: Sun-Wed 11:30am-10:30pm; Thur-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm. Take-out and delivery available. Click HERE for the delivery menu.

Inside Republic. (photo: TheHopefulTraveler)