The Noodle Man
Pudding Milk Tea
Chong Qing Style Spicy and Sour Noodles – Ground Pork, Peanuts, Sweet Potato Vermicelli, Green Onion, Cilantro
Chicken and Mushroom Pancake – Chicken Breast, King Oyster Mushrooms, Black Mushrooms, Hon Shimeji Mushrooms
Vegetable Pancake – Egg, Leek, Dry Tofu, Sweet Potato Vermicelli
Sliced Pork and Mushroom Knife Sliced Noodles – Pork Belly, Eggs, Black Fungus, King Oyster Mushrooms, Black Mushrooms, Hon Shimeji Mushrooms
Hot & Spicy Noodle – Ground Pork, Peanuts, Bean Sprouts, Preserved Vegetable, Spinach, Chopped Green Onion
Fried Beef and Green Onion Dumplings
String Beans with Braised Pork Chow Mein – Braised Pork, String Beans, Potato, Onion and Bell Pepper
Chicken and Eggplant Knife Sliced Noodles – Shredded Chicken, Eggplant, Jalapeno, Tofu, Tomato
Not especially sold on “noodle soups,” even during a time where people form hour-long lines for Ramen and whole books are written about the history of Pho, it was with six adults plus two children that nearly half the seating at The Noodle Man was filled on Saturday, the results rousing hope for an entire genre of food as friendly service nicely compliments a kitchen offering both dinner and a show.
Known for its housemade noodles, a glass partition separating the modern dining room from cast-iron pans, woks and boiling water while those sitting at the counter are face-to-face with Chefs whipping Noodles around and slicing the dough by hand, the menu reads rather simply with three pages divided into “Appetizers,” “Knife sliced Noodles or Rice” and “Noodles / Chow Mein,” though the amount of variation on these concepts covers a wide range of tastes.
Not claiming any particular expertise as relates to Asian Noodles, only one in the group having previously visited the small restaurant just south of the 215 on Rainbow Blvd, it was with the opinion of several ages and ethnicities weighed that a total of eight items – some in double portions – were selected to covering each of the menu’s sections, the total bill just $112 when accounting for tax plus a sizable tip.
Acknowledging a limited tolerance for heat, the chunky Pudding Milk Tea with light Caramel notes a good choice for quelling Chili Oil and Szechuan Peppers used in bowls such as the tangy Chong Qing Style Sweet Potato Vermicelli with ground Pork and Peanuts that was amongst the meal’s most satisfying plates despite substantial difficulty in transferring the slippery glass noodles to share bowls, another great opening dish was the pan-seared Chicken and Mushroom Pancake with pounded Breast layered atop a blend of Fungus with a slight Iodine note from the Hon Shimeji Mushrooms.
Not particularly sold on the Vegetable Pancake or the Potstickers, both skipping the ‘easy’ method of deep frying in favor of a wok but still coming across as too oily for my tastes, it was back to the bowls that attention was turned for the wide ribbons in a complex Broth of cubed Pork Belly, Black Fungus, and the same Mushroom blend as the Pancake, each mouthful offering a slightly different experience and thus preventing a huge portion from becoming monotonous.
Finding the Spaghetti-like Hot & Spicy Noodles a touch redundant to the superior Chong Qing Style, though the pickling spices did make for an interesting contrast to the spicy ground Swine with crispy Bean Sprouts dialing up the texture, String Beans with Braised Pork Chow Mein came across almost sweet as fermented soy slicked more thick nuggets of Pork tossed with Potatoes, Onions and Peppers, the Chicken and Eggplant Knife Sliced Noodles another big winner as the each springy mouthful saw a good deal of heat foiled by roasted hunks of Eggplant, diced Tomatoes, Jalapenos and soft Tofu.
FOUR STARS: A bit more limited than some of Chinatown’s best, but nonetheless doing some really interesting things in a part of town where authentic Ethnic Cuisine is only beginning to be found, The Noodle Man is worth a visit for everyone from the Noodle obsessed to the novice or skeptic, though visiting with a large group is certainly recommended.
RECOMMENDED: Chicken and Mushroom Pancake, Chong Qing Style Spicy and Sour Noodles, Sliced Pork and Mushroom Knife Sliced Noodles.
AVOID: Vegetable Pancake, Fried Beef and Green Onion Dumplings.
TIP: Several off-menu Specials are offered while the Chicken Curry is no longer available due to poor sales and its labor intensive nature.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
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