The Noodle Box - Vancouver, BC

You gotta try this place!  You gotta try this place! - Hyena
Yeah, it's pretty good - Thumper
Slowly my new co-workers are finding out that I write a blog - they don't read it but they love to make suggestions and many of our break conversations revolve around food.  I'm not really familiar with the eating habits of Hyena and Thumper but they both seemed so genuinely positive about this place.

Now, to be clear, I normally don't like to, and refuse to, blog about chain restaurants (i.e. Cactus Club, White Spot, etc) not because they're bad but because there's not point - everyone already goes to these places, the menu is generally quite static save for a few seasonal items and I generally like the originality of the independent dining establishment.  So when Hyena and Thumper suggested The Noodle Box, I was hesitant - it's a chain joint with multiple locations BUT I rationed that since it was started by a BC native with a rags to riches story, I thought it might be alright to violate my rules just this once.  Oh, and the Platypus family and Kitty also wanted to go so I didn't really have any choice in the matter.  LOL.

The Noodle Box was started in June 2001 by Campbell River native Jodi Mann and Australian Nick Crooks as a small noodle cart (converted from a hot dog cart) in Chinatown Victoria.  The partners were influenced by their travels through Southeast Asia and brought the cuisine back to Vancouver Island but with a Canadian spin.  The humble hot dog cart has now blossomed into 7 locations all over Vancouver and Vancouver Island, which is a really great rags-to-riches story especially for a BC native.  In keeping with the Westcoast vibe, the Noodle Box is also very into recycling, composting and doing charity and donation work - LOVE!  Great community work but how's the food?

Kung Pao - $13

Hokkein noodles, wok fried with peppers, asian greens, sprouts, green onions and roasted cashews, tossed in our own sweet and spicy Szechuan chili sauce (medium heat)

Hm, that's a little pricey but the noodles are a moderate portion and it looks really good.  I really enjoy the sprouts and roasted cashews and the noodles are cooked al dente but that's where the admiration ends.  The noodles are swimming in sauce, which normally I don't mind but the sauce is just so salty that I can't taste really anything else.  I imagine there's supposed to be harmony of sweetness, salt and heat but all I can taste is the salt with a bit of spice that drowns out all of the ingredients and makes it really one-dimensional and boring to eat.  I manage just to eat most of the noodles and leave half a bowl of sauce and the sad vegetables I can't taste due to oversaucing and oversalting.  

Curry Noodle Special of the Day - $11

I thought Kitty's choice was much better just for the sheer fact that it wasn't swimming in sauce.  Since she had ordered the curry mild, you could really taste the coconut milk and kaffir lime (in a pleasant way - Kitty).  And unlike my noodles, you could taste the other components of the dish!  The noodles themselves were cooked al dente and although the sprouts gave a bit of texture, it would have been nice to have a few cashews or peanuts in here but that's just minor.  The fried shallots were a very nice touch.  I would have ordered it a bit spicier but Kitty really enjoyed her noodles as is - just order the spice level to your liking! 

Iced Chai Latte - $3

It's a hot day so what's more perfect than a blend of indian spices in ice??  Well, that's the idea but somehow it got lost in translation...  the chai spices are here but faint, too faint.  More watery than anything.  I suppose I should drink more water in this heat...  It just goes to show that if you want Indian flavors, you have to go to an Indian restaurant to get them.

Hyena thinks I chose the wrong dish but I think that's a cop out - they wouldn't have put it on the menu if they didn't think it was good.  Just the price point alone kills me - $16 for a bowl noodles and a drink is brutal enough in these times.  Although this place is beloved by many, this Piglet won't be returning but Mr. Piglet on the other hand thinks he'd be back for the Spicy Peanut noodles.  So I guess my advice to you Piggies is if you do end up at the Noodle Box, avoid the Kung Pao (and maybe the whole stir fry menu) and stick to the curries and spicy peanut sauces.  Bon appetite!

Pros:

• Many locations
• Friendly and efficient service - it's also a "pay and they call your name" kind of place so don't expect full service here
• Ample seating - wide enough for the world's biggest stroller, that's for sure
• Condiments up the ying yang and they compost!

Cons:

• Pricey for what you get
• Some sauces are much better than others - choose your sauce wisely!  (others recommended the curry-based noodles or the spicy peanut sauce)
• You have to pay extra for a lot of things that should be standard at that price point - $2-$6 extra for "premium" proteins (i.e. locally sourced), $1.50 for extra cashews, $1 extra for splitting a meal...  it just goes on and on....