Hot Noods Noodle Bar — Restaurant in Las Vegas

We really wanted to like this place. As the main restaurant offered at El Cortez in downtown Las Vegas, they simply need to do better.

We arrived yesterday (a Monday around 4-5pm). There was only one other couple dining at the restaurant, which should have been the first red flag. We sat at a table and was greeted by our server (I cannot recall her name) and she gave us 2 glasses of water. My husband ordered the chicken chow mein and I also ordered the chicken chow mein. I indicated as I verbalized two by holding up the proverbial peace sign. Our server indicated she understood and walked away.

I will say the ambiance to the restaurant was cute with the neon signs. Our server came out and gave us 1 of the orders with 2 plates and 2 sets of silverware & napkins. My husband said “that should be 2 orders” to which the waitress said “it’s coming out”. Full disclosure: I have zero restaurant working experience, although I am very certain you never serve the table until the entire party’s meals are ready. Our waitress walked by to take another patrons order to which my husband inquired why she wasn’t honest with the issue on the order to begin with. She said there was “an issue with the kitchen”. Nope. Ma’am, the right thing to do here is to take accountability, be humble & apologize and perhaps offer a small discount for your paying customers dissatisfaction. We never did get that second chicken chow mein out of our immense dissatisfaction despite our server bringing another party their 2 plates, as most people each order food at restaurants.

The food was acceptable, but as you know once the service is unsavory, the entire experience was unsavory. I don’t foresee Hot Noods to survive and be successful into 2026.

Luckily, we were able to turn our unpleasant experience around on the...

From the people behind Chinglish (RIP), which was enough of a hook to lure me into El Cortez to try their newest concept, Hot Noods (Noodle Bar) for lunch.

Atmosphere: Very Vegas. Lots of neon tube art, bright color palette, with noodle-shaped ceiling lights and KPop song-and-dance contests showing on the TVs. Logo resembles the kind of silhouette one might see on a truck's mudflaps. Late-night diner-style plastic covered menus, along with the smallest, thinnest napkins I've encountered.

Food- Gung Gung's Chicken Wings ($12): Five pieces (has the standard half-dozen gone the way of the dodo? Only the bean-counters know). Meaty enough, great crispy skin, juicy meat. Thai chili sauce was quite sweet; that and the perceived absence of pepper or garlic seasoning on the wings made for an ultimately unexciting appetizer.

Tonkotsu Ramen ($18): Good-sized bowl. Noodles firm, broth almost creamy in consistency. Good tasting, but maybe I should have sprung for the $1.50(!) add-on for the spicy chili paste, as again the flavor was possibly deliberately inoffensive to the taste buds.

Also had a $5 can of Calpico.

Value: I'd say average for a casino restaurant.

Service: Quite friendly. Server also did almost-too-frequent check-ins. Wings took a while to arrive; noodles on the other hand arrived rapidly after...

Very happy to see places like this opening in the newly remodeled El Cortez. I had the edemame It was nice having a new take on this popular appetizer. They don't drown it in soy sauce and burnt garlic, rather a butter garlic sauce with other seasoning that I couldnt say what it is but I'd eat it every day and the day after. Tonkotsu Ramen was an exceptional main dish the broth stole the show. Dining by myself I ate at the bar and you won't have your nose stuck in your phone because the wok cooks and busyness will keep you entertained. The service was excellent two servers check in on me periodically while I was there. They both had great attitudes wore a smile had good recommendations. A nice touch before leaving was a brief chat with the owner. I noticed she did this with several guests and such a rarity to see that in vegas. She made sure my meal was good and offered some insight on that broth. Nine hours every day to make that is some dedication and it shows they want to make their dreams come true. If youre looking for good odds and good food check out Hot Noods in...