Best New Restaurants: Good Fortune Co.

We’re showcasing the places that represent the best of our city’s culinary future.

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Editor’s Note: For our Top 10 New Restaurants list, published in full in the February 2022 issue, our editorial team selected (you guessed it) ten of the places we think represent the best of our city’s culinary future. We'll be spotlighting each of the restaurants online over the next several days. Please note that this is not a ranked list; we love what each of the ten featured restaurants bring to the table. Bon appétit!

Good Fortune Co.

The intense flavors and careful crafting of Good Fortune Co.’s made-in-house noodles and dumplings have been wowing diners since the restaurant opened its doors on South Main last year. Downtown residents, young professionals, and families have flocked to the new Asian eatery for dinner, with a bright neon sign (“Send Noods,” it reads) and an enormous, Studio Ghibli-style mural by Ivy-Jade Edwards providing excellent photo ops.

“We do have a lot of international influence,” Todd told Memphis, “but I like to say that it’s influenced by flavor. Anything I’ve encountered in my career that tastes good, I try to work it in somewhere.” — Arturo Leighton

But the big draw is the meticulous culinary craftsmanship of owners Sara Cai and Arturo Leighton, who work closely with staff to produce their own handmade noodles and dumpling dishes. The two bet on themselves, leaving their jobs at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando to open a restaurant in Memphis, and that bold decision has paid off. Walk by on any given day, and the restaurant is likely to be packed with satisfied customers.

The menu isn’t huge, but there always seems to be some delicious new style to try. The traditional big city ramen is a great place to start, while the recently added coco curry ramen pops — spicy and smooth at once, thanks to Thai basil, galangal, and the owners’ own coconut broth — pair well with a carafe of sake. But the hidden gem may be the GFC Wings appetizer, heaping clumps of crunchy goodness drizzled with sweet Sichuan honey butter.

The attention and passion that go into each dish are palpable. “Noodles from scratch? That’s certainly a labor of love,” Leighton told Memphis when Good Fortune first opened. “We really care about the food we’re making and we’re going to put love into everything. We’re going to take the time to make sure everything is done right, and we’re so excited to be able to share that with people.”