Out With the Old, In With the New

Ms. Mong’s, an Asian fusion restaurant, was a fan favorite among UNC students until March 2020. Like many other small businesses on Franklin Street, Ms. Mong’s closed its doors in March when students didn’t return to campus, not knowing that it would be their last time due to the impacts of Covid-19.

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Students in Chapel Hill were upset, to say the least, when they came back to the area for the start of the 2021-2022 school year only to see a “Permanently Closed” sign on their favorite place. UNC Students went as far as to start a petition to bring Ms. Mong’s back, but soon there was word that a new restaurant would be replacing them. Only this time, it was a ramen & seafood restaurant.

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Just before the end of 2021, Pirate Captain opened for business serving authentic ramen, cajun seafood, poke, smoothies, and slushy. With this news, my friends and I decided to add this place to our bucket list of places to try on Franklin Street before we graduate in May. This past Sunday, the time had come for us to do just that, try Pirate Captain. My friends and I walked over, reminisced on what used to be Ms. Mong’s, and then went inside. Altogether, we ordered three ramens, two custom poke bowls, miso soups, and some pork gyoza, because no meal is complete without a dumpling of some sort.

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Overall, we were very pleased with the meals, pricing, and portion sizes. Surprisingly, when we arrived, the place was packed and we were lucky enough to score the last open table. The popularity Pirate Captain has gained in such a limited amount of time shows the niche they cater to and the lack of options available. Additionally, the quality of the meal has enticed others to return to the restaurant and has attracted new customers. This has only increased the popularity of Pirate Captain, especially within the last month.

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While Ms. Mong’s will live forever in our hearts for those that had the pleasure of knowing her, the quality and noteworthy popularity of Pirate Captain shows the start of something new, and new is good.

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Advice of the day: you might see this one coming…get out there and try something new! You never know what you might find when you take the chance, whether it’s something small or something you’ve thought about for a while but have never been bold enough to do. Now’s your time!

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Thanks for reading 🙂

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See some of Pirate Captain’s tasty food below!

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