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Find proper bowls of noodles and Asian fusion at Next to 14, a top-notch ramen restaurant in the heart of Warwick.
“Warwick doesn’t have any statement restaurants,” says Damien Georges, a software executive turned restaurateur who opened the popular fine dining establishment, Fourteen Railroad, in Warwick during the pandemic. To amend this, Georges opened a second space next door that focuses on an uber-popular dish: ramen. It’s called Next to 14 and at his new spot, diners can grab a seat at the sleek bar and choose from four different types of ramen: pork, chicken, duck, or miso, along with a slew of house made add-ins such as cabbage kimchi, Szechuan chili crisps, and marinated soft-boiled eggs.
The inspiration to open a ramen bar came from the years Georges spent living in Japan, where he taught English in Sakai (in Osaka Prefecture) for two years and met his wife. “We just love Japanese food and those little ramen spots,” says Georges, who hails from Melbourne, Australia, where his father owned a well-regarded French restaurant, La Chaumiere, for decades. “I could eat Japanese food every night.”
At Next to 14, the focus is on the noodles and the various broths that they simmer in. Their effort is evident in the depth of flavor found in each bowl. The former “should be springy with an al dente texture. It should have an elasticity to it that has a good texture in your mouth,” says Georges. Each broth is made the French way: Simmered on the stove for at least 16 hours. “It’s really pure and clean,” says Georges. The ramen is a far cry from the instant packs that are the holy grail for college kids everywhere.
The 25-seat restaurant is also home to a fantastic bar that serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with an Asian twist. (Try the Chuhai with fresh cucumber and shōchū, which tastes as good as it looks, or their Slim Thick, a Thai iced tea that could double as dessert.) The décor has a modern vibe with a nod to anime—there’s a wall-length mural featuring popular characters, painted by a local elementary school teacher. It serves as the focal point of the space—and makes for a popular backdrop for Instagram pics.
If ramen isn’t your thing, there are plenty of non-noodle starters on the menu such as wagyu gyoza, pork belly bao buns, and karaage (fried chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and ginger served with gochugang mayo). Customers love the bánh mì, a short baguette filled with a choice of pork, tofu, and chicken, plus greens and pickled veg. “It’s becoming popular,” says Georges of Next to 14. “People are willing to try new things.”
Related: Where to Get Ridiculously Good Ramen in the Hudson Valley
