CLEVELAND, Ohio - An unconventional route led Shuxin Liu to open Xinji Noodle Bar, which debuts today in Ohio City at 4211 Lorain Ave. Ramen, steamed buns, Korean-style fried chicken and rice dishes will all be served up - but that wasn't always Liu's path. The name "Xinji" itself - Liu's middle name passed down through his family - means "new opportunity."

After trading in his pursuit of a graphic design degree, Liu learned the ropes of making sushi at an area high-end grocer. It wasn't long before he found his way to Solon's Akira Sushi and Hibachi and later to Dante and the restaurant's sister sushi restaurant, Ginko. He traveled around the country, including Houston, Atlanta, Seattle and New York, where he staged at the renowned Momofuku.

His work took a turn two years ago when he began cooking at local Mod-Mex staple, Momocho, which is just miles away from Xinji.

"I learned a lot at Momocho that I'm bringing with me here," he says.

Xinji's modern, industrial chic space - filled with steely gray tables, blue tables and red walls - features a sleek bar and open kitchen.

The style isn't the only thing that could be plucked from Liu's many cosmopolitan travels. His time in Seattle, he says, inspired a farm-to-table focus. He'll be working toward more and more local sourcing as the restaurant grows.

"In Seattle, the farm-to-table movement is really natural for them," Liu says. "They're surrounded by foragers and farmers able to bring in fresh ingredients every day. I hope to bring in a couple more farms soon."

Noodles are the centerpiece of the menu, with Liu focusing on "deep flavor and clarity of broth," he says. That broth will come in a lighter chicken variety, a heavier pork and vegetarian to begin.

Steam buns come in styles such as braised pork with miso barbeque sauce, fried chicken with sweet chile and mushroom with Taiwanese cabbage.

Xinji will roll out with beer and sake offerings with hopes to add craft cocktails in the near future, which Liu intends to serve with house-made vinegar, syrup and bitters. For dessert, they'll have mochi ice cream and green tea cheesecake. The restaurant will also have an Asian-inspired Sunday brunch.

Liu has no lack of ambition for the future. An outdoor shed behind the restaurant may one day be converted into a sushi bar.

"I definitely want to open a sushi joint," Liu says." It's how I started."

As guests get comfortable with their current menu, he also looks to fold in other cuisines he's experienced throughout the country.

"First, I want people to get a sense of what ramen is and make sure our foundation is pretty solid," Liu says. "Then I can try these Asian dishes that are a little more out there. I think we can offer something fresh and traditional to the public."

Xinji is open 4:30 - 10 p.m., Tuesday - Thursday, 4:30 - midnight, Friday - Saturday and noon - 3 p.m. for brunch only on Sunday.