• Noodle Kingdom

175 Russell Street
Melbourne 3000
03 9654 2828

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.

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