Noodle One is an absolute gem for Asian Food in Bangor, North Wales!
Noodle One in Bangor has an entire section of wall dedicated to various awards and certificates. Eating their food, it’s clear to see why.
This cosy ( and frankly, underrated) noodle bar is a an absolute gem in an area where authentic international eats are not the norm ( although not non-existent). It offers a variety of Asian cuisines including Japanese, Thai And Indonesian.
Their menu ( available Here) offers Ramen, Noodle, Rice and Curry dishes. What I love is that for every dish you can choose your protein source ( Vegetables, Tofu, Chicken, Beef, Duck or King Prawns). For vegetarians & Vegans this opens up almost the entire menu. There are also always at-least a couple of ‘specials’ up on a chalkboard, usually able to be made Vegan.
These are served along-side a selection of soft drinks, wines, beers as well as select liqueurs( including Passoa!) , cocktails, mocktails and Bubble Juice’s.
Noodle One’s Decor/Ambiance :
This restaurant is deceptively small, with seating for up to 40 along 3 communal benches plus one 4-person table by the front window ( My favourite spot!)
Hidden just ‘around-the-corner’ on the Bangor high street, the decor is simple but welcoming. Adorned with small, pretty lantern coverings the overall vibe is super friendly with a tv in the corner playing well known Japanese anime movies ( the cat returns, anyone?!) to distract the kiddies during the day. This is then turned off at night and the candles come out for a change in ambiance.
What we ordered:
Rather than my usual duo of R & I , I visited with my Sister and Niece ( because Rhys was at home nursing a hangover…Sigh!) so I knew the order would be different because Rhys ALWAYS orders the Katsu Curry. I’ve tried to coax him to try something else but, in his words ‘ but why would I when I know there’s perfection in another dish’ #overdramaticmuch! 😛 Even reading this to him, he cut me off mid-sentence ‘because its the BEST goddamn katsu curry ever’…. And I have to admit, I can’t argue that fact because it’s delicious!
For all families, there is a children’s menu from which my niece ordered a simple chicken and rice dish. My sister ordered Prawn Toast and Chicken & Sweetcorn soup ( a starter, because she didn’t have a huge appetite). I then ordered a spicy crispy tofu starter and Tofu Pad Thai.
Usually I also grab a cheeky Bubble Juice – because yumm!- but today I went for water ( trying to trick my brain into forgetting I’m at my second meal out this week… ;P )
Food for thought:
Firstly, Noodle One mains portion sizes are huge. The Noodles come piled up high and the Ramen bowls are as big as your head, making the prices incredible value for money! Because of the that Rhys and I often forego starters , just about manage to stuff 3/4 of our mains in before leaving the restaurant with take-away tubs of our leftovers. For the sake of this review though we picked up some starters today.
The spicy crispy Tofu is delicious. Lets be honest tofu doesn’t really taste of much, but this dish transforms it into large bites of deliciousness. The actual coating today didn’t seem as ‘spiced’ as when I’ve previously had it. However the complimentary sweet chilli sauce works perfectly against the subtlety of the tofu, to create more spice.
My niece wasn’t a huge fan of the prawn toast, not used to having fresh-made, restaurant quality. I think it overwhelmed her delicate child palate. My sister definitely didn’t have the same issue. I even managed to take a couple home for Rhys, who also loved them – score!
The Pad Thai is a firm favourite of mine and one I come back to again and again. Pad Thai can be tricky to review because they vary SO much, with no base standard . However, Noodle One have this recipe down! One of the best I’ve tasted, including one’s I’ve had IN Thailand! The ratio of noodle to veg is perfect. The sauce is tangy, and the lime and peanuts compliment the rest of the dish perfectly.
We decided to forego dessert to save me from getting a parking ticket. However there is a dessert board with a few options , a couple of which can be made Vegan. ( I’d love to see more dessert options/specials though – mango and sticky rice please?!!!! )
Honorable mention – I have to give special props to their Kare Lomen dish here too ; a noodle soup with a fragrant, creamy coconut & lime broth, a delicious selection of veggies and plenty of noodles. In fact the only reason I didn’t get this is because I always end up wearing half the soup, slurping up the noodles. Whoops!
Picture of Kare Lomen and Katsu curry from a previous visit – Sorry for awful Instagram quality.
Pics from previous visits to give more reference to portion size etc
Final Thoughts:
- Noodle One will continue to be a firm favourite of mine, in North Wales. With delicious huge portions of rice, noodle and ramen dishes plus lots of interesting specials ( please bring mango and coconut sticky rice!!), this restaurant keeps me coming back for more every time i’m in the area.
- The staff are amazingly friendy and always make you feel like prized customers, which is a bonus!
- Their ability to make almost every dish vegetarian, with plenty of Vegan options, means that this is the perfect choice for large groups with varying dietary requirements.
Rhys’s Final thoughts ( because although he wasn’t there, he felt left out): I can’t believe you didn’t bring me a Katsu Curry Take-away!! ( oh yeah, they do takeaway too!)
Cost: £31.80 for 2 drinks, a childs meal, 3 starters and 1 main ( main courses depend on the protein choice ranging from £9.95 for Vegetables to £11.95 for the majority of meaty proteins.)
To visit Noodle One restaurant in Bangor:
http://www.noodleone.com/restaurant-menu.html || Instagram
166 High St, Bangor LL57 1NU
Till next time,
