Ooodles Noodle House Taiwanese Eats — Restaurant in New York

Ok let me start from the beginning. 1) Parking - depending on the time of day/may be available or difficult to find. There is a small parking lot in front of the stores. Came on a Saturday around 6:15pm and got a parking spot.

Ooodles of Noodle House Taiwanese Eats nestled on the middle left. Girl at the register said it is a family business. Very cheerful and service with a warm smile. Small venue with a handful of tables. 2) Ordering - Ordering kiosk on the left as you enter. We sat down at the table on the right and were handed two menus. A tidy mom and pop restaurant. Grab some hot jasmine tea or cold water to the left of the cash register. Gave our orders verbally, but don't mind using the kiosk.

3. Atmosphere - The tables are clean, no music played in the back ground so conversations won't be difficult.

4. Food - Served two complementary dishes, roasted peanuts and pickled cabbage. The cabbage, a nice side dish with good flavor and crunch. Disappeared quickly as we sat talking awaiting our orders.

My wife ordered Braised Beef Noodle Soup 紅燒牛肉麵 and I ordered Braised Pork over rice (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉蓋飯, which are two staple dishes in Taiwanese and other Asian restaurants. Ordered a Passion Fruit Green Tea 百香果綠茶 and Dr. Pepper, and grabbed cups of cold water, but later got some hot Jasmine tea.

My Lu Rou Fan was served in front of my wife. Immediately grabs two bites and then slides it over to me. What you get is an eye full of home cooking where the aroma hits you first and the visuals make you drool. The pork and fat were cooked to perfection like mom would make. It was savory and it melted in your mouth. One point I'd make is that when the meat is done right you will notice it is tender and even though there maybe a tendon seam across the meat - the tendon will delicately melt in your mouth as you bite into it. I've eaten too many Lu Rou Fan where the beef is not tender and the tendon is either hard or chewy. That's the first warning sign that they don't have this dish done right. This dish is served with Pickled Mustard Greens, also known as Suan Cai (酸菜), I think it also had Huángjīn Pàocài (黃金泡菜), or "Golden Pickled Vegetables", there was something not pictured a third which I think was red cabbage chopped is small chunky slivers and it had a hint of sugar, sesame oil, and vinegar I believe, along with a full tea egg which is becoming less seen at many places where most will only serve you half a tea egg. I think some of the pictures of this dish I see string beans but tonight it was served with American broccoli that were blanched just right and a garnish of cilantro. Suffice to say the dish made me miss my mom who has passed a few years back.

Well next came the Braised Beef Noodle Soup. Its aroma definitely made its presence known as the dish was served. On a bed of noodles and broth the beef was laid out with Pickled Mustard Greens, cilantro, and scallions. You noticed a light hint of chili oil in the broth. My wife complemented that the broth was savory like it was brewed for a long time as it was deep and rich in flavor.

As we ate my wife suggested we get something else like the Oyster Pancake 蚵仔煎. Just a PSA warning - I have to say that depending on your taste it may or may not be something you will like. What we discovered was that this dish was lightly sweet and a hint of spiciness which I think was due to tabasco/hot sauce being added in the mix. It was just right not too sweet, not too spicy, and the small oysters used had the right flavor, there was cabbage in the mix with sweet potato starch, and egg.

As we left my wife mentioned that I thought the food was tasty, and I mentioned to the mom in my rarely used Taiwanese, "Chin hó-chia̍h".

Will be back with my kids to try some of their...

I recently visited Ooodles Noodle House and found the experience to be quite mediocre. The menu for the day included Steamed pork buns, Salt and pepper chicken, Tomato braised beef noodle soup, Everything malatang with rice, Lemon aiyu jelly, and Taiwanese milk tea.

The Steamed pork buns were a disappointment with the buns not being fresh and turning out to be quite dry. The only redeeming quality was the braised pork belly which was perfectly cooked. The mix of sweet sugar and peanut along with the cilantro and pickled mustard leaves tried to salvage the dish, but the dryness of the buns was hard to overlook.

Next was the Salt and pepper chicken, which turned out to be the star of the meal. The chicken was tender, well-marinated, and had a crispy texture. The accompanying sour cabbage worked wonderfully with the chicken and the spicy Taiwanese msg seasoning added an extra layer of flavor. This was by far the best thing we ordered.

The Tomato braised beef noodle soup was average at best. While the broth was deliciously peppery and the noodles were chewy, the beef was slightly dry which took away from the overall taste. The tangy tomato flavor did add to the broth, but the dish lacked a wow factor.

The Everything malatang with rice was an assortment of random things thrown together in a malatang broth. The flavors felt disjointed, and having it with rice felt a bit weird. It was still a decent dish, but certainly not something I would recommend.

On a lighter note, the Lemon aiyu jelly was refreshing, lightly sweet with lemon jelly chunks, and a strong citrus flavor. It was a nice palate cleanser. The Taiwanese milk tea was unique but hard to describe, tasting something like a cross between chai and Hong Kong milk tea.

The ambiance was not great, with the constant bass-heavy gym music from next door being quite annoying. The interior was plain and did not add much to the dining experience. There were also free sour cabbage and salted peanuts, which were wonderfully savory and had a good roasted salty flavor.

In conclusion, the food at Ooodles Noodle House was mediocre at best. Considering it as Taiwanese fast food, for the price, there are definitely better places out there for Taiwanese cuisine. If you plan on visiting, I would suggest taking the food to-go and enjoy it in a more...

This place is truly a hidden gem for anyone looking for a low-key, authentic Taiwanese dining experience. We tried the lunch specials, which came with a choice of drink — a great value. We ordered the Taiwanese pork chop rice and the popcorn chicken rice lunch specials, along with stinky tofu and cold cucumber as side dishes.

The rice in both dishes was perfectly cooked, with a nice texture that held up well to the rest of the meal. The vegetables were colorful and fresh, making the plate visually appealing. The broccoli was cooked just right — not too soft, not too crunchy — and the sliced purple cabbage added a satisfying crunch and subtle flavor. The stewed cabbage, a staple in any Taiwanese rice dish, was exactly how it should be — familiar and comforting.

The pork chop was a standout: crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The best surprise was the generous portion of pickled brown radish hidden beneath the pork chop — the true soul of a Taiwanese rice dish. Most places in NY only give you a sprinkle, but here, they don’t hold back.

The popcorn chicken was also excellent — crispy, juicy, and surprisingly not greasy. That’s something I really appreciated about all their fried items.

As for the sides, the stinky tofu was delicious and well-executed, and the cold cucumber was refreshing. I definitely want to try more of their side dishes on my next visit.

The atmosphere reminded me of the little food stalls you'd find tucked away in Taiwan. I even overheard the chef — possibly the owner — chatting with a friend in Taiwanese, which made the experience feel...