On the weekend I went out with Miss Pinky AND finally we got her a laptop. She hasn’t had one for years, and I have no idea how she coped without one for this long. I would just breakdown and collapse… That’s how much I love computing…

Anyway, back to this review. When we finally got the laptop we did a little food shopping, but we also needed to eat as both of us hardly ever eat breakfast as usual (plus Miss Pinky is usually a late riser)… She said to me she wants roast duck and noodle soup, the most greasiest one… Ewww… Really?! So as we were heading to China Town via Oxford Street, which I haven’t been to for a few months I think… Then I saw the a big sign 麵 (noodles) on top of a shop, and said to Miss Pinky let’s look at this place. I wanted to try somewhere different, and I’m sure Miss Pinky didn’t want to carry her laptop all the way to China Town. I had a brief look at their menu book outside, and Miss Pinky already saw what she wanted. Heheheh. 

People walking pass Noodle Oodle… Couldn’t get a clear shot… Fine, people, you can be in my blog!

Noodle Oodle has been around in Oxford Street since 2006. Really? I never even noticed it until that day… I must be a food snob! No not really. I just find eating around Oxford Street a bit stressful. So many people. So many shopping bags. So many tourists! I can’t even recommend any good place to eat along there except for Wasabi. Is that still there? Nope… It’s all the way near the centre of Oxford Street now!!

Roast duck hanging in the window, Noodle sign and the ceiling ¬,¬”

Menu Cover

Noodle Oodle is a Shanghainese-Halal restaurant, so there’s no pork, na-da (none of that stuff)! It takes me forever to choose if I’ve never been to a restaurant before, so in the end Miss Pinky had her duck and noodle soup and I had the meal special. Miss Pinky was watching the chefs making our food, she was even watching the guy making her noodles. I think they are made as soon as you order them! Fresh noodles!

These noodles are in fact called laai-min (Canto) 拉麵 or la-mian 拉面 (Mando), which means “pulled-noodles” as they pull the dough to make lengthy noodles.

The noodle chef in white

Service was a bit slow. It isn’t one of those super speedy Chinese restaurants that you would often see in China Town. So in the mean time we were talking and observing other customers. One family was complaining that their order was wrong. Sometimes I just can’t understand why people have to complicate things that’s on the menu, it’s food. Order what’s on the menu…

My meal special consisted of a plate of pak choi, a plate of rice covered with a thin slice of omelette and beef in black bean sauce, plus a lemon tea for £11.80. 

My Special

Iced Lemon Tea – it was ok

I could see some black bits in my pak choi. Did they wash it? Or is that just the wok bits? That can happen when cooking. But I never like those bits in my food. The pak choi was ok. There was nothing too special about it.

Pak Choi

My rice and beef was ok too. The rice and omelette was probably the only good thing as it was so filling, and I was given so much rice! The beef on the other hand was kind of what I eat at home. Salty and a bit sweet, but the beef was good. Unfortunately it went cold too quickly.

There was a lot of rice underneath that omelette!

Close up

Miss Pinky ate all of her roast duck and noodles! Wow. She really liked it. The noodles were thick. I had a taste of it, and it tasted plain, not too doughy and was easy to eat. I didn’t try the duck but it was good she said.

Roast duck and la mian soup

We were both so full we could hardly move! 

Overall cost came to £23.70! That included a 10% service charge… Service charge again! Doesn’t anyone tip these days…? Why must there always be a service charge in every restaurant I have been to recently?!

The bill

My geeky rating: 4/5

Good points: 

– Fresh noodles are made in front of you (if your back is facing the kitchen which mine was, then turn around and have a look)

– Halal – nice to see, not all Chinese or Shanghainese restaurants are Halal
– Would go again to try out one of the noodle dishes
– Food is absolutely filling

– Seating arrangements are a little bit tight (you might be elbowed by someone behind you – that happened to me!)

– Service is a little slow

– Some would say this is cheap, but I think the noodles were expensive even if it is freshly made
– Service charge (uh-hm!)

Address: 50 Oxford Street, London W1D 1BG

Telephone: 0207 436 9889

Website: http://noodleoodle.com/