Noodle House

I’ve written here before about the Noodle House. The funny thing is that in almost 9 years of going there at least once a month, I’d never actually had noodles there until today. Today I ordered the Hot Szechuan Noodles with Tofu (from the special purple vegetarian menu page) and they were transcendent. If you haven’t had Noodle House noodles before, I highly recommend them.

Just to avoid recriminations, I will insert here that it was Kevin O’Brien who took me to the Noodle House for the first time. Indeed is was there that the idea that became ISN was hatched (it received full power at the now-defunct Kelly’s on Victoria Row).

Comments

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on December 19, 2001 - 02:04 Permalink

I think the only standing between me being a totally hip Islander is my fear of the Noodle House. I’ve often heard good things, my friends and co-workers often go there, but I can’t get past my irrational fear (and I know it’s irrational, so don’t try and convince me) of the Noodle House. I think it may have to do with the purple-pink shingles.

Matt's picture
Matt on December 19, 2001 - 14:05 Permalink

When I first moved to Prince Edward Island I boarded at a house on Summer Street, just up the road from the Noodle House. I shared Steven’s fear based on the outside look of the place and preferred my evening meals at more feng shui locations… like DQ.

Then I went to the Noodle House and was blown away. Fantastic hot noodles, great egg rolls… in fact, my wife and I just ate there last night. Fantastic!

And the woman who runs the place is so sweet and friendly, I always feel good as I sign my VISA bill.

Eat there!

Alan's picture
Alan on December 20, 2001 - 01:15 Permalink

I lived for a year and a half within a minutes walk of the Noodle House and ate there not once. It is the fear. It is not indifference but fear that is spoken of in whispers in the streets of C’town. I have eaten questionable food in many lands without the fear. How can lilac shingles have that effect?. I once had NH take-away at an office event and was very impressed. It has not, however, shaken the fear. Peter, you are an odd dietary duck — no H+T curry but fearless in the face of lilac. I throw down the gauntlet. The H+T hot Madras curry v. the hot Szechwan NH. My boys v. your boys. I have dibs on James — his gut is metal. [Is there ale there?]

Kevin O's picture
Kevin O on December 20, 2001 - 15:13 Permalink

No taps at the Noodle House, but you can have whatever domestic you like in a bottle. Try the Hot Szechuan Noodles with pork and beef and extra hot (if you’re a carnivor). It’s the place I eat out where I feel the most at home. (Recriminations? Geesh, I only did that once… didn’t I? Anyway, they’re good to avoid… :-) )

Alan's picture
Alan on December 20, 2001 - 15:39 Permalink

No Tsing Tao? Jeese, that even comes in the holy bottle.

dave moses's picture
dave moses on December 20, 2001 - 16:42 Permalink

at the risk of becoming the uncool straw that breaks the cool camel’s back… i recommend the following meal for two people:

two orders of spring rolls (w/ hot sauce)
one order of crispy fried wontons (w/ red sauce)
one order of hot szechuan noodle (medium is fine for me)
one order of beef and broccoli (w/ white rice on the side)

another person? add
one singapore rice noodle and
one hot and sour soup.

bon appetit.

Alan's picture
Alan on December 20, 2001 - 16:44 Permalink

Very encouraging. Now I want to go.

Alan's picture
Alan on December 20, 2001 - 18:19 Permalink

…and I did. Very nice pleasant service. I had spring rolls (small but fresh and tasty); hot and sour soup with pork (never seen it thickened by corn starch but very good and a good sized bowl); and Szechwan noodle with tofu (a massive mound — more tofu and thin cut veggies — enough for two to share after the soup). They must have been sizing me up as the “medium” chili level was fairly tame. The nicest thing was the no smoking sign. No second hand Player light certainly made the experience.

Peter Rukavina's picture
Peter Rukavina on December 20, 2001 - 19:44 Permalink

Alan, you will find — as I’m sure others will confirm — that the true joys of The Noodle House do not manifest until the third or fourth visit. You will find that, after ordering roughly the same thing several times in a row, they will anticipate your needs. For example, every time Catherine and Oliver and I visit, they give Catherine chopsticks and special extra hot sauce, but give me a knife and fork; we don’t have to ask, they just do this. The best thing they’ve every done for us, customer service-wise, is to save Oliver’s favourite “sip cup” behind the counter for a month between our visits; we’d forgotten where we left it — they remembered who we were and presented us with said cup this week. That is service.