A Melting Pot of Asian Cuisine: Issei Noodle

Donna Pham appreciates being able to look out the windows of the West Orange Street restaurant she co-owns with her husband, Andre, and see the back of the building where they launched Issei Noodle more than a decade ago. “We can see the spot where we started out,” she says of the walk-up window that opened along North Queen Street in 2012 and served bánh mì and bubble tea. The view from the window serves as a reminder of how far the Phams have come in 13 years.

If I had to describe Issei Noodle in one word, it would be “cool.” Or maybe “edgy.” Then again, “hip” might best describe it. Any of those words might be fitting, but the Phams like to point out that Issei Noodle pays homage to their ancestry and even history. All of the above is reflected in the restaurant they unveiled in 2024.

When you pass the Ramen Café and make your way through the decorated hallway that leads to the rear dining room, Andre wants you to imagine that you’re walking along a narrow street in Tokyo. Your next stop is Hi-Fi Izakaya, which is reminiscent of the casual Japanese bars where visitors could enjoy affordable snacks and drinks. (Yes, you can order sake at the bar, along with cocktails that are both beautiful and tasty.)

Music was also a part of the scene and the Phams incorporated that aspect of Japanese culture into the bar with a vintage hi-fidelity audio system with which the DJ spins vinyl records. “After the war, people could not afford to buy records, so they gathered in the bars to listen to music,” Andre explains.

In the dining room, tables are outfitted with “grills” that will allow for Asian BBQ to be prepared.

The sights, sounds and flavors of Issei Noodle essentially reflect the Pham family’s cultural heritage. Andre explains that the word “Issei” translates to “first generation Japanese-American.” That would apply to his parents, Naomi, who hails from Okinawa, Japan, and Robert, who made his way here from Laos as a Vietnamese refugee with his family. Along the way, the elder Phams have welcomed new family members into the fold whose ethnicity extends to Laos, Philippines and Korea. “We’re a true melting pot,” Andre says of the Phams’ family dynamics that now influence the menus at Issei Noodle in Carlisle, which Andre’s parents opened in 2008, as well as at the Lancaster location, which reopened on West Orange Street in 2024, after undergoing extensive renovations. “This was once a saddle factory,” Donna says of the 19th-century building that is now awash in bright colors and outfitted with Asian accessories and lighting fixtures. “Andre and I did all the interior design,” Donna proudly reports.

After studying artisan noodle-making in Japan in the summer of 2023, Andre was of the opinion that a new location was worthy of a new menu. “We scrapped the menu and started over,” he says of working with chef Hai Hoang to bring the authentic tastes of Japan to Lancaster. Ramen, created with homemade noodles, seasonal greens, aromatic herbs, and chicken and pork broth, define the menu in the Ramen Café. The culinary adventure continues in Izakaya, where small bites like Wagyu menchi meatballs, curry fries and more are on the menu.

38 West Orange Street, Lancaster
Details: Isseinoodle.com