Naughty Noodle Bar, Northcliffe — Restaurant in Northcliffe

The food is light, delicious and healthy. The lady owner is bubbly, welcoming and great to chat to. I didn't appreciate being made to almost beg to be served the food when it came out, especially in front of a room of other customers. I came in to the establishment, bringing another person with me purely to support local business; we had our own breakfast and simply could have just eaten that instead, we however opted to support local and didn't expect that from a service. After seeing what another person in the shop had for breakfast, we decided to get that. When it came out, there was no avocado, as was on the other customer's plate, being told later the other person got avocado because he stayed there overnight. There is no specific open hours, only open when the owner is there and no certainty on menu items, as it is dependant on food stock she has on hand. She seems to cater well for vegetarians and many people have had positive experiences, while mine was not overly negative, I personally won't go back there again but certainly do not discourage others from going there. There owner seems to offer unique and fresh menu items, although inconsistent, plus the hours may not suit all as they pass through...

I don’t think I ever met a cafe owner this rude and I’m surprised not more people have mentioned it here, especially as all the locals we spoke to knew about the ‘Naughty Noodle experience’.

We walked in through an open door and saw someone out the back watering some plants, so after we said hello we browsed the shop for a while. As we were keen for a coffee and we still hadn’t been served about 10 minutes later we asked her very politely whether she was open. Then followed a tirade about this wasn’t regimented like McDonalds and she asked us angrily how long we were gonna stand there etc etc. She was obviously fuming that we walked into her open cafe, and we just stood there with our mouths hanging open in shock. She shouted that if we could wait she would make us a coffee but we hightailed it out of there and to the very friendly people at the General Store...

Whether you love or hate this place really depends on your expectations — but anyone with a sense of curiosity should love it. If you’re looking for something genuinely unique and unexpected, this is it.

I arrived with a group of middle-aged cycling mates from Queensland. Options in town were limited, but we found ourselves having dinner with Pen — and what an experience it was. She cooked great food and created a night we’ll all remember.

Pen runs the whole show herself, and catering for ten hungry blokes in such a small space is no easy task, but she handled it well. She’s feisty and full of personality — ready for a lively debate if you touch on one of her favourite topics — so be prepared to bite your tongue and enjoy the ride.

For me, that’s all part of the charm. Thanks, Pen — it was a pleasure...