Noodle 501 — Restaurant in Durham

Response:

Check your response to Autumn Eng a year ago. “(I was your server)” if that’s what gets on your nerves but if that’s what the owner is replying, then everyone can see what kind of a attitude the restaurant is run with. I also ordered a snack which I was trying to finish by the time he passed by to ask me if you’d like to check the camera. Also, Check your response to Autumn Eng a year ago: “It has become increasingly apparent to me that people continue to say "everything is fine" when in fact, it is not fine. We would prefer the chance to fix an issue for you at the time rather than read about it later in a review.” This is a proper response. And please note that I was not trying to ask for a refund or didn’t give any tip. Additionally, you should notice that I didn’t drink the broth, didn’t finish the noodles and only had two half eggs and the two slices of pork. The large chunk of noodles were not eaten. It’s ramen noodles and they are not finished. Don’t you think that means something? Also, why can’t I eat at least something which I paid for when I’m hungry? I have to be the one who didn’t eat a thing or I cannot report the true situation? Ok so all your broth served comes from one single pot. I got it. I think it’s salty and others don’t think so or they don’t speak up. No comments to that logic flaw. You are basically telling me I’m using the quotation mark wrong. Ok so you said it’s tonkotso and it should be salty and that’s basically the same as I said. I don’t like liars and disrespectful people. Please check your wordings when you respond. Your employee has a good smile but if that’s what’s behind the smile and so, no comments. Have a good day then.

——————————————————————— Ordered tonkotsu ramen but it was way too salty, I couldn’t even finish it. I drank half of my bottled water but I still couldn’t have one more bite. I told the server that the noodle was too salty he said “this is what’s on the menu, the tonkotsu ramen and the broth”. That’s by no means a polite response and I would have bought into this explanation had I not living in Japan for 2 years. Also I have never had such salty tonkotsu ramen elsewhere in Durham or RTP area. Would suggest going somewhere else for the ramen and...

Edit: That’s exactly how the call happened. Your employee went to you directly, asked for clarification, and then handed you the phone. At no point did I claim to know how traditional mango sticky rice is supposed to be—I’m not Thai, nor would I ever presume to tell a Thai restaurant how to run its business. Perhaps you misunderstood because I mentioned that your restaurant used to include the white sauce (whoever prepped my order in the past). All I said was that the mango was bruised, and your immediate response was, “I cut the mangoes; they were not bruised," while sassing me throughout the call. I felt like I was being attacked just for reporting the quality of the order, which was both disappointing and unnecessary. A simple “Hey, sorry about that” would have been fine. I even stayed on the phone a little longer because I was in disbelief at how the conversation escalated.

Hey Thomas, your food is genuinely great—I love Noodle 501, and I literally recommend it to everyone I know. I finished it even without the cream—but I hope you have a blessed night. All I wanted was to give you feedback.

On 1/22, I ordered mango sticky rice from this restaurant via UberEats, and the mango was bruised. When I called to address it, Thomas, the general manager, answered and was immediately defensive, saying he had prepared and cut the mango himself. I mentioned that in previous orders, the dish came with a white sauce or cream on top, but he sassed back, insisting it didn’t and said I might be referring to whipped cream, which they stopped including because it melts. His tone was rude, lacked empathy, and was unnecessarily dismissive.

At one point, he said, "Uhm, we’re trying to close for the night, and you’re trying to tell us how to run the business and how my recipe is," which was completely uncalled for. I clarified that I wasn’t criticizing his business or recipe—I was simply sharing my past experience. It’s incredibly disappointing because I’ve been a loyal customer and love their food, but his defensive attitude, lack of professionalism, and rude remarks made the situation...

My wife and I went here on a Friday night. The place was full and there was only one person working the tables and the front counter. We ordered an appetizer and ramen dishes, waited 30 minutes, and they came and told us they were out of ramen. They offered to fix us some of their other options, but I think it is reasonable to expect noodles from a place called Noodle 501. We decided to leave since we did not receive our appetizer yet, but when we did the server told us the order was already in for the appetizer. I was not going to pay for an appetizer that I hadn't even received yet AND when we were going to go across the street to Tasu Noodle Bar to start dinner somewhere else. The waiter was insistent that I pay for the appetizer, but I repeatedly said I would not... to the point it was uncomfortable. I offered to pay for the coke that I had, but even then, he mentioned it was a $5.00 minimum and I would need to buy something else. I ended up buying two more coke cans for $6.00. I did not receive a single apology for the inconvenience and it felt like I was the one trying to make things right. I would have given this place another shot if they would have offered something to make things right (a free coke, half-priced appetizer, etc.), but that will not happen now. The service is terrible and two more people ended up leaving with similar issues while...