PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIt may be just slightly fast foodish, but this place has everything you want from a casual eatery. It’s clean, cheap and fast, and everything is made to order. The chain of noodle bars started ten years ago in Balmain, and is still expanding. The menu comprises a selection of noodles, soups, curries and entrees, with an emphasis on Thai cuisine (although you’ll also find Chinese, Malay and Singaporean dishes here). Ordering has been broken down into a three-step system: choose your noodle type, then your preferred cooking style, and lastly your theme ingredient (tofu, beef, pork, prawn etc.). The selection is broad and there is literally something for everyone, making it a great place for group dining. If you’re not feeling up to making any decisions, the house specialties take the guesswork out of ordering, with well-known and popular favourites like pad Thai, char keuh teow and Singapore noodles starring alongside recent additions like kung pao, orange peel, dan dan and pan-fried noodles.
Being licensed and BYO, this is a great place to dine out cheaply and quickly, while not sacrificing flavour, freshness or health-considerations. The portions are generous, but if you manage to get through it all you can always go for a sweet chilli ice-cream or banana cinnamon spring roll. Luckily for them, modern interior design has made plastic cool. The mod white chairs and clear plastic lowlights lift the funk factor, and two walls of folding doors opening out onto Oxford and Crown Streets make for well-ventilated, if a little noisy, dining.
Sarah Theeboom, January 2008