Rice & Noodles Restaurant — Restaurant in Manheim Township

The best thing at Rice & Noodles was the ice. The ice was so soft. It was like slushy ice in its texture. If you are an ice chewer, you will be so happy. The atmosphere was horrible. It was horribly crowded. They have packed tables in tightly to fit more people. It is incredibly loud in there. They asked me to sit at a table with strangers. They were nice people but they were a long time married couple having a night out and I was there by myself. I felt like I was interrupting somebody's date night, which no doubt I was. Even though we all made the best of it, it was really awkward. They probably wanted a night to themselves. I definitely wanted a night to sit by myself and have a quiet and delicious dinner. This was neither. Also, the wait was long. The tables being cramped together is a problem both because of the noise and because of the lack of space in the aisles. A 4 feet tall 4 feet wide customer hit our table with her hip as she walked by. Sauces and liquids sloshed from their containers all over our table. I imagine this is a common occurrence because there just isn't enough clearance space for the larger sized residents of our very fat state to maneuver in that place. Now for the food. Not good. I ordered a shrimp vermicelli salad bowl. The shrimp were deep fried instead of stir fried so they lost their juiciness. The noodles were a very cheap quality. The sauce tasted like it came out of a bottle and lacked in flavor. Totally unimpressed. I have had this same dish done much better in other Vietnamese restaurants. It was overall not a good experience. I would go back on a slow night for the ice. The entire experience said that they are cutting corners in every way to rake in money at the expense of quality. Shoving in as many tables as possible even though it is uncomfortable for customers (surprised it isn't a fire code violation), dropping shrimp in the deep fryer that should be cooked a different way, cheap noodles, cheap sauces, and so on. They are lucky to not have a whole lot of competition. They wouldn't be busy in a city like San Diego with a lot of great dining options. But I guess if the people will show up for sloppy food and crowded, noisy dining, why give...

This place is very catered towards westerners. Having the option to “pick your own noodles” should give that away. Hu Tieu Nam Vang is my usual go to, and when I requested the dry version, I was told they didn’t do that. Alright no big deal. However, when they brought the dish out, I thought they mixed up my order and served me pho by accident. The broth was a cloudy dark color with a strong cinnamon aroma (not something that should be in Hu Tieu). No umami-ness in the broth from the dried squid and shrimp. I felt so disappointed because they basically tried to pass off a bowl of pho with some fish cakes as Hu Tieu. There was no pork liver (staple topping) and only one single piece of shrimp. I did ask the waitress about this and she advised me it’s a different seafood broth. She was nice about it and offered to take it back, but I didn’t see the point because the other dishes I had was disappointing as well.

My friend ordered the Banh Canh which was just a whole lot of broth and very little tapioca noodles and toppings. I’m pretty sure it looked like the same exact broth that was used in mine (although I can’t confirm since I didn’t try it). The broth was watery and dark colored – not thick and clear/orange like you would find in the pork hock or crab Banh Canh. The steamed vermicelli patties that we ordered was also served with overcooked dry pork – it was basically like eating pork jerky.

Overall, food was very below average and catered towards westerners. Also overpriced for the small portions we were given. Needless to say, I was utterly disappointed and will stick with Saigon Café, which from my experience is the only authentic Vietnamese place you can find around Lancaster that’s even remotely close to the places in Philly. I will leave it at two stars because I don't normally give one star unless the service was horrendous (which it wasn't, the...

This is a great place to travel to with your family, and I would recommend it to anyone who craves fresh food, wants service by nice people, wants fast service, and is looking for something affordable. Their restaurant is clean, organized, homey, and quick. At Rice & Noodles Restaurant, they’re not lying when they say their food is fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Although Rice & Noodles is a small restaurant, they provide many Vietnamese foods such as a variety of noodle dishes, salads, fresh spring rolls, French bread sandwiches, soups, and rice. This restaurant provides a casual, relaxing, and calming setting to eat dinner at. Not only do they have fresh food, but their workers are also very kind. They have indoor seating, an outdoor parking lot, and very nice bathrooms based on where I’ve eaten before. When I walked in, I felt a gust of cool air and a burst of delicious smells. I grabbed a menu, found a place to sit, then once I decided on my food, I walked up to the front and told them what I wanted. When I was there, it wasn’t very crowded, but there were enough families there to know that my family and I made the right choice coming here. I ordered the Goi Coin Hit Nuong (AP9), which was $8, the Bo Kho (S2), which was $11, and a soda that was no more than $3. Their food was reasonably priced, and they gave hefty portions. Luckily for my family, they had letters and numbers next to the names in case you couldn’t pronounce them. The food was fresh, hot, and only about a 5-10-minute wait! After dinner, I got French macaroons that were being refrigerated, so they were a little cold. The texture gave away that it wasn’t fresh, but overall, the taste and looks...