Noodle Bowl — Restaurant in Gainesville

Noodle Bowl tries to bring more authentic thai food to Gainesville, and although the food has resemblance of thai food, the price point is far from it. $50 + tip was the cost of my meal for one person.

Mixing high class embellishment with thai food is an interesting idea, but it didn't give me the authentic thai feeling that I wanted. The waitresses and the atmosphere were amazing, but the food left me unsatisfied. The steamed dumplings tasted good, but they were covered with so much curry sauce that it looked as if they were all enjoying a nice swim. As my grandfather once said, if the food is good, then it doesn't need a lot of sauce. For my soup, I had to remove a whole layer of useless embellishment before I was able to enjoy the soup. I liked the mango sticky rice but only because of the mango. Was the rice improperly cooked? I understand that rice is hard to make perfect, so that's not really a criticism. The rice is only a minor concern. Overall, the food was okay.

Atmosphere. Grade A+ Service and Staff. Grade A+ Taste of Food. Grade B Price. Grade C-

I was intrigued by many of the menu's items, and I tried four items. A drink, an entree, a soup, and a desert. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Unfortunately, I won't visit again because of the price. Noodle Bowl isn't for people dining out on a budget, and I hope that they'll improve their menu in the future. I'm sure they'll have plenty of customers for now, but I'd be surprised if they were still open in 5 years.

There are two major improvements that would help this business in the future. Lower the price. Less emphasis on accoutrements and embellishments and more emphasis on the food's original...

Placed a to-go order online for some massaman curry, mango sticky rice and two Thai teas - one regular and one green Thai tea. My order was ready in 15 minutes. Staff were friendly when I ran in to pick it up and the restaurant was chill, with a contemporary vibe.

The food was GOOD. I was a baby about my spice level and asked for my massaman mild, but even with my tender palate, I could have gone to medium! Delicious, creamy, coconutty sauce with cashews and potato, avocado and shrimp. It was lovely served over the rice that was included with the curry.

For dessert, the mango sticky rice is such a unique treat. I had some years ago and this was every bit as good. I love the warm, sweetened, soft rice (almost a rice pudding)combined with the fruity, tangy coolness of the fresh mango - delicious!

The iced teas were also awesome. The traditional Thai tea was just what I was expecting - a super sweet and creamy black tea concoction. I had never tried a green Thai tea though. It was a VERY green color and the flavor was that of a strongly brewed sweet green tea with the sweetened condensed milk making it a creamy delight.

I would order it all again in a heartbeat. I meant to get one of the soups - coconut or tom-yum - but completely forgot! Had I ordered a soup, my meal with the curry and dessert would have been enough food for a complete meal for two people.

I brought it all home and did my best to save some for my husband, but I was really tempted to eat it all up myself it was...

Great tasting food and stunning environment with kind staff. I ordered the Cashew Nut Sauce plate for me and the Basil Fried Rice for my daughter. Both @ $13.50 with chicken and absolutely tasteful. The only reason I took a star is because of it being such a small place with limited seating and parking. Also my daughter ordered the rice specifically because the photo showed a fried egg on top and she didn't realize until she was getting full that it, unfortunately, didn't come with an egg. (She gets full fast). But it was our first time and we were surprised with a delicious mini salad and bonus sides of white rice, so I guess it had initially skipped her mind because of the new trial. Other than that, it was well worth the $35 (with tip) that I paid. I'd definitely...