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Number Nine - Noodles & Beer
Long Beach, California
On a recent spring afternoon in this narrow, light infused space, the kitchen was coming alive, preparing for the lunchtime rush. Oils simmered, flavors fused, and grills warmed, creating a fragrance that caused your stomach to rumble and your mouth to salivate. A beautiful blonde, of retro vintage starlet beauty, strides past and into the bar area, purposefully checking supplies, calling to chefs from the pass through.* Click* - a photo op. For an instant, as you see the woman, back dropped by the mid-century style mosaic on the colorful wall behind her, it's evident that what you're about to experience is not only epicurean, but of a visual-design aesthetic that is both modern and exotic at once. An experience in dining that doesn't just stop at the palate.Number 9 Noodle House, is the collaborative creation of restaurateurs, designers and in-house tastemakers, Marta and Davin Gumm. Marta's story began in her home of Barcelona, Spain.  With an eagerness to explore the world as a young adult, Marta hopped off to London to work and learn the English language. It wasn't long before a fellow bartender urged her to go to California (knowing that she would revel in the energy that draws so many of us to this state). After landing in San Francisco, and taking a Greyhound Bus tour of the South and the Music industry indigenous to these parts, Marta met her future husband, Davin. Both had a similar vision of creating a space that would enable them to employ their love for design, music, and hospitality. Back in California, the couple headed south and opened the Downbeat Café in the Los Angeles' neighborhood of Echo Park; a small coffee house built by hand, with minimal funds, in a once rundown space. Build it and they will come. With the experience of success and confidence that followed, the two sold their coffee shop and raised the bar.If you're lucky enough to hit Number 9 at a time when Marta is working, your experience will be complete. Her effervescent essence brings the environment to a different level. Have her choose for you off of the menu that consists of clean, organic Vietnamese fare, and you'll not be disappointed. I had the fortune of snagging Marta for a moment and when asked, she suggested that I order the Vietnamese crepe.The dish was a still life treatment of grilled pork, beautiful greens, and herbs blanketed in a crisp rice and coconut based crepe wrap. My friend ordered the bahn mi, a Vietnamese Sandwich that was loaded with 5-spice chicken and nestled by baby greens and a small dish of pickled daikon and carrots. Our digestif/desert consisted of Vietnamese coffee. A tiny, personal drip coffee contraption is brought to the table, set over a coffee mug slightly filled with a thick sweet evaporated milk. The waiter pours in the boiling water and in a few minutes you're enjoying a lovely jolt of sweet warm goodness to round off the meal.The menu at Number 9 is of Vietnamese influence done with the highest integrity that accompanies Organic cooking. Large Vermicelli Rice Noodle (bun) bowls tempting to finish but impossible for the generous portions, warm, satisfying soups (pho), hearty flavorful sandwiches (bahn mi), and a wonderful list of interesting appetizers are part of the well rounded menu. While the Lychee infused jasmine tea is not to be missed, Number Nine 2118 East 4th StreetLong Beach, CA 562-434-2009 hours: everyday from 12:00 p.m., until the food runs out or the party's over.
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