Three Fold Noodles + Dumpling Co. | Main Street — Restaurant in Little Rock

Customer service and food were both awful, but the customer service was the worst part. I've never had an employee at any restaurant attempt to lie to my face. I've been going to Three Fold for years, and that was the last time. My friend and I went today, August 14, at around 3:00. For context, I've worked in multiple restaurants and customer facing jobs. I know what the standards are for customer service. We arrived, and we were the only people there. There were around 6 employees, all talking very loudly in the kitchen. They would loudly chat for the entirety of our visit. It took them a while to notice us-they were completely inattentive. I noticed bowls of noodles on the kitchen counter evidently waiting to be prepped, which is super gross, and not food safe to just have them sitting out. If it were a rush, that would be one thing, but there was literally no one else in the store. They are probably still on that counter even as I write. I placed my order first, (dumpling soup) but my friend wanted to wait for 3:00 happy hour, so he ordered separately, a full 6 minutes after me. This is important to note for later. We sat down, and I automatically noticed that there were multiple dirty tables-even though there were at least 6 employees, with no other customers. My friend ordered, a few minutes later, but he came back with a number. I realized that I had not been given one, so I went to check. The employee said "Didn't we give you your soup?" I said no. The employee then claimed they had "Put it on his, (my friend's), number". This completely contradicts what she said at first, and makes zero sense. My friend ordered separately, 6 minutes after me, on a separate card-it was obvious that she was just trying to cover her lack of care. She could have just apologized, and admitted that she forgot to put in my order, but she didn't. Our food, when it did arrive almost ten minutes later, was terrible. My "soup" was watery and flavorless. The dumplings were a pale imitation of Three Fold's original recipe. My friend had the same experience with his food. What an utter disappointment. It was not until we left at 3:30ish that an employee began bussing the tables that had sat dirty for over half an hour. This is the first negative review I have ever written. I am just so, so disappointed. I associate Three Fold with many happy memories-my 19th birthday, for example. It is painful to see such a pillar of the community turn...

4.5 Stars – A Memorable Experience with a Few Quirks

Three Fold Noodles in Little Rock is one of those spots that surprises you, in mostly great ways. We came between lunch and dinner on a quiet Monday, which might have influenced the ambiance a bit, but overall, the minimalist design was striking. It felt like it was aiming for upscale dining, with beautiful lighting and well-thought-out aesthetic choices, though it did leave the space feeling just a touch too sparse, like it needed one more warm, grounding element.

Service was a mixed bag, though still pleasant. The person who took our order was fantastic... welcoming, knowledgeable, and genuinely kind. Beyond that, the service model was a little ambiguous: part counter service, part self-service, part table service. For example, we grabbed our own drinks, but it wasn’t entirely clear whether we should bus our own tables or not. It didn’t ruin the experience, just created a slightly offbeat rhythm to the visit.

The food, however, was the real highlight. The menu is inventive, and the Half & Half option is genius for indecisive diners like me. Every dish we tried was solid, but the steamed/fried sweet buns were on another level, breathtakingly delicious with delicate maple notes and a bean curd filling that was subtly sweet and satisfying. I could eat a tray of them and not blink.

The noodles were executed perfectly, and the dumplings were deeply flavorful. The only hiccup was the shredded chicken with noodles... the textures were a bit too similar, making the dish feel slightly dry despite its great taste. Still, even that dish left me thinking, and I mean that in a good way.

Bottom line: I’d absolutely come back to Three Noodle anytime I’m in Little Rock. It’s a unique, flavorful experience with charm, creativity, and just enough intrigue to...

So maybe I went in with too high of expectations and it is definitely a cool hip place to eat, and I LOVE that it was an open kitchen, but from what I had heard of this place, I was expecting some truly transcendent Asian food. We got some very serviceable fair. I mean it wasn't BAD, The bamboo steamers baó came in was pretty cool, I just can't see my self paying $15 for two steam buns of this caliber ever again. If these had cost maybe half the price or even a little bit more, I would probably be feeling much differently about them. The pork belly baó was okay, The roasted peanuts were an interesting choice to pair with it, it definitely could have used some more sauce, they could have leaned into the peanut side and went some sort of fiery peanut sauce, which would have paired nicely with the steamed bun and the crisp green onion that they took the effort to cut Asian style on a angle. My personal preference would have been to lean more Korean with spicy garlic crisp, ginger and hoisin. Also larger pieces of pork belly instead of the small cubed bits. Which I understand is definitely easier to deal with, but a larger piece/ pieces cooked properly shows off the skill of the kitchen, as well as being much more dramatic. Shrugs The chicken was the better of the two for sure, but there were no standout flavors, Just some sweet chili aioli that wasn't quite potent enough to stand on its own. Although the larger piece of chicken WAS tender and not dried out. So points for that.

I don't know, the place is cool, I just can't see going back and playing the $$$ shrugs maybe I caught them...