A ton of new housing has appeared along Front Street in recent years, with the 204 unit Urby building at 1700 N Front St. representing one of the largest projects. If you were concerned that all these new residents were going to starve, we’re here to tell you not to worry, as zoning documents posted today show that Mecha Noodle Bar will be moving into one of the commercial spaces at the Urby. Serving their take on Southeast Asian street food, the menu is heavy on comfort foods like pho, ramen, and steamed bao buns. Though if we’re being honest, the spiked bubble tea might be intriguing us the most.

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There are worse ways to spend a Saturday night

Mecha Noodle Bar is a small chain, with ten locations listed on their website. Half of those locations are in Connecticut, with a couple in Boston, one in DC, one in Columbus, and another in Denver. It’s extremely exciting that this restaurant will be joining the Philadelphia scene, and it seems fitting that they’ll be opening on the South Kensington / Fishtown border, objectively one of the best restaurant neighborhoods in the country. A spicy ramen bowl and a fun cocktail are always a great way to start an evening, so we’ll be sure to swing by in a few months when the restaurant opens its doors.

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The new building, with the eight story 1701 Front St building in the background behind the railroad tracks
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The back of the building along Hope St
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The new building nearing completion

We snapped some photos of the Urby a few weeks ago, and while the inside of the building still needs some work, it looks like the exterior is largely complete. The dark brick particularly matches the old firehouse down the block that was recently converted into Jaffa Bar (further burnishing the culinary credentials of the area). We were also pleasantly surprised to see an interesting mural on the building’s main facade, which wasn’t included in the initial renderings.

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1700 N. Front St., just a few years back

Even if Southeast Asian street food and/or an Israeli-style oyster bar aren’t up your alley, we can all surely agree that the addition of the Urby is most welcomed, and a terrific upgrade over what was here previously. The addition of a couple hundred units here, along with hundreds more up and down Front Street, will only ensure that these restaurants have the best possible chance at success. And perhaps it will inspire other restaurateurs to consider this area as well.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we suddenly find ourselves craving some bubble tea. We’ll have to add our own booze, but not for long!