Restaurant Review: The Noodle House, Shaftesbury Avenue
23rd July 2014
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3.5/5
Described as “South East Asia’s finest... in London’s West End”, The Noodle House on Shaftesbury Avenue sits beneath a red awning that shields it from the confluence of Covent Garden, Soho and Seven Dials outside, and promises “the vibrancy of buzzing street food stalls” as well as “some of the best taste experiences from South East Asia.”
The decor is tasteful and minimal, as its website suggests, and the open kitchen (allowing customers to see the food that is being cooked/prepared/theatrically set on fire) is a welcome addition. There is also a cocktail bar downstairs, where you can sample the ten signature cocktails, or, if you prefer, any of the 17 different types of tea.
Whether it lives up to its bold and “buzzing” admissions is what we were there to find out, this Saturday evening, and we started our investigation with a list that included some fairly spectacular sounding cocktails: Hot Boba Punch, Dragonsmoke or a Spice Island Iced Tea sound tempting?
The Noodle House states that its cocktails might not be to everyone’s taste, and I’d have to agree – the Sour Plum Sour, with its syrup and egg white, felt like a meal in itself and, whilst not necessarily bad, was definitely an acquired taste. The Singapore Slipper, though, and the Lucky Sling (both pictured below), were fruity, much more palatable and more akin to what would be expected on a more traditional cocktail menu. Excluding the Hot Boba Punch (£10), built for sharing, all the cocktails are either £7 or £7.90 – so fairly economical price-wise.
The decor is tasteful and minimal, as its website suggests, and the open kitchen (allowing customers to see the food that is being cooked/prepared/theatrically set on fire) is a welcome addition. There is also a cocktail bar downstairs, where you can sample the ten signature cocktails, or, if you prefer, any of the 17 different types of tea.
Whether it lives up to its bold and “buzzing” admissions is what we were there to find out, this Saturday evening, and we started our investigation with a list that included some fairly spectacular sounding cocktails: Hot Boba Punch, Dragonsmoke or a Spice Island Iced Tea sound tempting?
The Noodle House states that its cocktails might not be to everyone’s taste, and I’d have to agree – the Sour Plum Sour, with its syrup and egg white, felt like a meal in itself and, whilst not necessarily bad, was definitely an acquired taste. The Singapore Slipper, though, and the Lucky Sling (both pictured below), were fruity, much more palatable and more akin to what would be expected on a more traditional cocktail menu. Excluding the Hot Boba Punch (£10), built for sharing, all the cocktails are either £7 or £7.90 – so fairly economical price-wise.
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The starters and sides were fairly delicious – more so than the main courses – and the Steamed Green, Roti Canai and Butter Prawns particularly stood out. My Duck Wonton was passable but slightly tasteless, although the Butter Prawns (pictured) were spicy and, with their chilli curry butter, had a real kick and come recommended – as long as you’re not averse to getting your fingers suitably dirty.
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