Although noodles are a staple ingredient in Asian cuisine, the popularity of such dishes are not limited to this part of the world. Mỹ Duyên reports on a HCM City restaurant that specialises in Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese flavours. 

In the heart of downtown HCM City, the Noodle Noodle restaurant lives up to its name as it offers a wide variety of tempting Asian noodle dishes all in one place.

Adjacent to the Times Square Building, Noodle Noodle is a two-story venue overlooking the broad Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street.

The restaurant’s eye-pleasing décor helps to set the stage for a satisfying meal featuring classic noodle soups from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, China’s Sichuan province, and Việt Nam.

With such a variety, however, it can be hard to choose. Should we have the Tonkotsu ramen from Japan or the kim chi BBQ pork noodle soup from South Korea, or the tom yum soup with seafood from Thailand? And what about the Hiyachi Udon from Japan or traditional Vietnamese phở with beef, chicken and seafood? 

After perusing the menu, we decided that multiple visits were in order. But for now, we would settle on our favourites.

Kai Speth, vice president of operations and business performance of the WMC Group which manages Noodle Noodle, said: “There’s universal appeal to a simple bowl of noodles, with each part of Asia giving its own unique twist.”

To give diners more options, Noodle Noodle has designed a collection of 10 appetizers that are specialties of the region. We adults chose the hotter versions of dishes as my children balk at anything that is even remotely spicy.

I chose the chicken Zhong Qing-style (VNĐ138,000) and spicy wanton with pork and vegetables (VNĐ78,000), while my kids enjoyed the Chinese deep-fried prawns (VNĐ78,000) and Gillet pork chop (VNĐ68,000) for each dish.

But what a surprise! My dishes, although good, were even too spicy for me!

My kids, however, were crazy for the deep-fried prawns and pork chops, which had been recommended for those who like crispy foods. Coated with cassava powder, the prawns and pork were placed in a small wooden rectangular- shaped case that impressed my eight-year-old twins.

“They crackle when I eat them,” my son said, while my daughter thought they were tender and juicy.

To please my kids, I ordered Japanese pan-fried pork dumplings (VNĐ68,000), and I tried them, too. We both liked the not-too-spicy dish.

It was the first time my daughter had tried the dish. “It looks simple but its taste is irresistible,” she said.