Noodle 21 — Restaurant in San Pablo

I'm a sucker for noodles, especially egg noodles so once I found out about this place I had to see if Noodle 21 can make egg noodles as tastier than they were.

The first time I came here I ordered their curry rolls, beef steak scallion lo-mein, and a hazelnut milk tea with grass jelly. The curry rolls were bland, the curry flavor didn't stand out as much as I was expecting. The hazelnut milk tea with the grass jelly stole the show!! The combination was addicting and a lot of self-control was involved in not drinking everything in under two minutes. The milk tea was slightly sweetened with a hint of hazelnut. The grass jelly complimented the tea very well. It was refreshing and balanced out the lo-mein very well.

The beef steak scallion lo-mein was pretty tasty as well. It came with this garlic infused oil-vinegar sauce which you pour on top of your noodles and toss. The ratio of beef to noodle was pretty reasonable and for the total it came out to be $20. . . worth it!!

Then I went back and had the same thing however I had the spicy chicken wings (still to the same total). I can tell you, it wasn't the same as the time before. The chicken tasted as though it was coated in salt, the beef in the lo-mein was bland (all of it was bland), and the milk tea was the only consistent item. This was a HUGE disappointment because it wasn't worth $20, not for the quality.

Quality of the food two thumbs down , the milk tea thumb up, the atmosphere two thumbs up, the customer service thumb sideways, and OVERALL two thumbs sideways. Noodle 21 is new to the town; it's not the best nor the worst, and in due time hopefully they'll step up their game. For now 3...

First, we ordered the Nam Khao, ginger scallion kidney, papaya salad, and chicken wings for appetizers. The papaya salad was a little on the sweet side for me. The Nam Khao was pretty good, ESPECIALLY when I ate it with the pickled chili peppers. The kidneys were good too. I ate that with a side of steamed rice. My son ate the chicken wings (about 6 wings per order), so I didn't get to try it. He liked them and wanted to order another set.

Then we moved on to soup. I ordered the Chow Jou with thin egg noodles. I didn't know there was an option to have the broth on the side, but I wanted it all together. The broth was bland. I needed to add salt, soy sauce, and pepper. I'm not one to usually add anything to my soup broth. The stuff inside the soup was good: chicken breast, ground pork, pork kidney, fish cake, fish ball, and shrimp. The slices of fish cake were small and it only came with one fish ball cut in half. Overall, I thought the Chow Jou was a 3.5/5.

My husband ordered the pineapple fried rice. I'm allergic to pineapple, so I couldn't try it. The presentation of it was...

We’ve been coming to Noodle 21 for over 5 years now, and it continues to be one of our favorite spots! My husband introduced me to this place, and over time I found my perfect pho order — #21 with thin egg noodles, no bean sprouts, and soup on the side.

Back in August 2024, the original owner told us he was leaving and passing the business on to his partner. He was always so kind, always made time to chat with us, and greeted us warmly every visit. I was pregnant at the time, so sadly, he never got to meet our baby — but we’re happy to say we’ve kept coming back and still love it just as much as day one.

The staff now is just as welcoming. They remember us, they remember our baby, and it truly feels like a place that values its regulars. The food is consistently delicious, and the atmosphere is comforting and familiar. We’re so glad this spot continues to thrive, and we look forward to many more meals here...