Melbourne 3000
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Eating lunch with my Chinese friend today, noodles were compulsory as dictated by the superstitions of the Chinese calendar. I enjoy life, and if this can be extended by eating noodles, I am happy to oblige.
Recently renovated, Noodle Kingdom has gone from dirty and indifferent, to pleasant and polite. There are no more oily tables, neglectful staff or off-putting smells. Those quirks have been replaced with a stylish brown, gold and red wallpaper depicting fishes in a relaxing pattern; new, dark and clean tabletops; helpful staff and a new outlook. Noodle Kingdom has reinvented itself.
When Noodle Kingdom opened years ago, I became a regular. I was drawn by the novelty and deliciousness of their handmade noodles. It was also a nice stop off point during a late night drinking session (if you need a snack at 2am, this is the place to go), or after a concert on a Friday or Saturday night.
Luckily, the menu has remained the same. It includes several vegetarian options: split noodles with vegetables or egg and tomato, dried tofu, long egg noodles and vegetable noodle soup.
I have always liked the hot and sour noodle soup with tofu, ginger, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. This dish is usually served with pork and their willingness to make a vegetarian version depends on the staff that day. I suggest double checking that there is no meat in your serve before you dig in.
The dishes here are massive, especially if you eat in. A bowl of noodles can easily be two meals. If you cannot finish, they will give you a takeaway container for 20 cents.
I am actually quite excited about the new look Noodle Kingdom. Being one of my old haunts, I am eager to show it off to my hygiene anxious friends now that it is up to their standards.
