When you get a review invite for a place that’s called Noodle Bar, the first thing you think is Chinese and that’s exactly what I thought when I got this invite. However as I read through the invite, I saw that the new menu at the Noodle Bar featured dishes from Hong Kong, Burma, Thailand and Malaysia apart from China.
With piqued curiosity we headed off to the Phoenix Mills branch of Noodle bar which we found packed to the aisles on a Tuesday afternoon. The place was buzzing with people talking as they made their way through lunch. The décor, old school Chinese, looked a bit worn out, even the corner of the section where we were seated was chipped. The menu handed over to us was quite extensive and, true to the invite, covered dishes from China, Hong Kong, Burma, Thailand and Malaysia.
Passing a few service glitches, we made way to our first order of Seafood Tom Kha Soup (Rs.255). Now this soup happens to be my litmus test at many oriental restaurants and most of them fail royally. Here, I am glad to say, the soup was not only exactly the way it should be, but was huge, hearty and loaded with seafood unlike in others. Despite the abundance of seafood, the soup didn’t smell fishy and was refreshingly layered with aromas of Kaffir lime and galangal with the sweetness of coconut milk.
The next course of Dim Sums were the next feathers on the restaurant’s cap; lovely thin translucent wrap with flavoursome hearty fillings, each dimsum served in a small bowl with its own individual sauce. The stand out among these were the Pok Choi and Char Siu in Veg and the Cheung Fan Chicken and Laksa Prawns in the Non Veg.
The low point of the meal came with the Som Tam (Rs.175) which perhaps could not live upto the expectations built up by its predecessors. I found the salad to be quite average as the raw papaya was quite lumpy and the basil flavours too potent in the dish. Definitely not like the authentic Som Tam one finds at Thai restaurants everywhere.
My favourite main of the day was the Hainanese Roast Lamb (Rs.495) where the tender juicy morsels of roast lamb paired beautifully with the luscious dark soy based sauce. The Pad Thai (Rs.275) would have been quite average had it not been for the slivers of fresh lime which when added to the dish, brought it notches above what it was earlier. The Malaysian rice (Rs.275) was packed with flavour and easily one of the better rice preparations I have had of late. The Devil Chilli Eggplant with Tofu (Rs. 325) along with the Julienne Chicken (Rs.425) left much to desire as both were quite average. The eggplants in the veg dish were quite raw and the chicken dish felt like one that can be ordered from the neighbourhood takeaway.
The Light and Silky Lime and Lemon Panna Cotta was the perfect end to a heavy meal with its beautiful subtle aromas and lemony flavour; an apt end to a nice meal.
As we drove back home, we reflected upon our meal and we realized that even though we were full as we dined out there, we just couldn’t stop eating. It was one of those experiences when the taste grows on you as you work your way through the meal and you just can’t put your spoon (or fork, as in this occasion) down, despite being overly stuffed. The service, which was also quite prompt and old school courteous, was another icing on the cake which made this visit all the more memorable.
Despite a few misses, there were tastes that stayed with us through the day and the price for the dishes with respect to the portions that are served also justify the place completely. Considering the location and elaborate menu, I think it is a great value for money place and that perhaps was the reason why the place was so packed on a Tuesday afternoon.
The place will certainly see me visiting it again soon, surely for the dim sums, the Tom Kha and for the Roast Lamb for sure.
Ratings (out of 5)
Food: 3.5 | Ambience: 3 | Service: 3.5 | Overall: 3.5
Meal for Two: Rs. 2000 | Credit Cards: Yes | Alcohol: Yes |Timings: 12 Noon to 4 PM, 7 PM to 12 | Wheel Chair Friendly: No
Address: Grand Galleria, #6, Shop No. 462, High Street Phoenix Mall, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013 | Telephone: 022 2496 3999
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.
