PVD Noodle Bar — Restaurant in Providence

Casual Japanese restaurant that specializes in soba and curry.

On our way back from Newport, we were searching for a dog-friendly restaurant to dine at. While driving around the city, we spotted a lone empty table on the sidewalk in front of PVD Noodle Bar. It wasn't a proper patio, and there were smokers nearby, but we decided to take it anyway. Our server was incredibly accommodating and brought a bowl of water for our dog.

The lunch menu at PVD Noodle Bar wasn't extensive, but it offered great value compared to similar Japanese restaurants in Boston. Since they seemed to specialize in soba noodles, we decided to try the Zaru Soba and the PVD Curry, along with a couple of appetizers. Both the Ika Ponzu Salad and Agedashi Tofu came in generous portions and were outstanding. The salad, dressed in a tangy Tsuyu sauce with a hint of yuzu, was the perfect palate opener for the entrées.

For the soba, our server highly recommended adding shrimp tempura and an onsen egg, which we did. While the soba itself was a solid classic, it lacked a bi of pizzazz in terms of flavor and texture. Thankfully, the shrimp tempura added a nice crunch and made each bite more interesting. The PVD Curry was lighter and less buttery than traditional Japanese curry but still enjoyable, especially with the assortment of fried items that accompanied it. The Chicken Karaage was slightly dry on the inside, but the Potato Korokke was spot on.

I'm not too familiar with the Japanese dining scene in Providence, but PVD Noodle Bar seems like a top tier spot for enjoying Japanese classics along with some cocktails. Would consider coming back if I'm ever...

Last Providence food review for a while, but I had a blast going to Providence Noodle Bar located at 187 Mathewson St, Providence, RI 02903. 🏙️

For a cocktail, we tried their Strawberry Seoul ($8.00) 🍹. It includes Rooibos Tea, Vanilla Bean Syrup, Lemon Juice, Strawberry Purée, Ginger Ale, and Soju. You can choose your sweetness level: low, medium, or high. It’s also available as a mocktail. I loved how refreshing this was!

For food, we got the Ika Ponzu Salad ($7.00) 🥗. It features blanched calamari, edamame, marinated cherry tomato, pickled red onion, cilantro, spring mix salad, ponzu sauce, and yuzu kosho. Everyone loved this dish—an easy 10/10.

We tried their spicy scallion noodles 🍜—these were sooooo good! I need to know where to buy these types of noodles. Easily the star dish, 10/10.

We got to try their PVD Chicken Ramen ($16.00) 🍲. It includes confit chicken, ramen noodles, chicken karaage skewer, house-made shoyu chicken broth, onsen egg, scallion onion, wood ear mushroom, toasted seaweed, and spicy miso paste. Loved the ramen, and the chicken was delicious. 9/10.

We had their Chashu Don 🐷—pork belly chashu served over rice with spicy shichimi aioli, lemon, and pickled ginger as sides. The pork literally glistened and had amazing flavor. 9/10.

Finally, we got to try their soba noodles 🍜. Loved this, and the broth had great flavor. 8/10.

This is an awesome spot, and it’s also not very expensive. If you are in the mood and need to fulfill your noodle cravings, check it out!

Overall:

Food: 10/10 🍽️ Affordability: 8/10...

I was excited to try this place, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. My wife ordered the chashu don, which was excellent, though the order wasn't entirely correct. She decided to eat what was brought out anyway. I ordered the Sumo Katsudon, but it came out much later than my wife’s food. Sadly, it was dry and overcooked. A guy sitting next to me at the bar ordered the same dish and said he has been here and ordered multiple times, and when I asked if it was normally this dry, he was surprised and said it wasn’t. His dish arrived much quicker than mine, with a perfect golden-brown color, while mine was dark and obviously overcooked. Since I was really hungry, I’d already eaten most of it before realizing it wasn’t right. The curry sauce was another disappointment—dark and watery, barely a 1 out of 10.

What really concerned me, though, was something I witnessed at the bar. A woman nearby was served the wrong dish, and as she began digging into the noodles, the staff realized the mistake. The chef came out, signaling her to stop, and they switched the dish for her correct order. I then watched the waitstaff and chef discuss what to do with the wrong order, and to my surprise, they took it back to the prep area for a few seconds, then served it to the correct customer. I have no idea if she actually tasted the food, but seeing her utensils in it was unsettling.

While I’m sure this place is probably good most of the time, this experience left me disappointed, and I won’t...