Noodle Theory
Looking for a quick bite for dinner in Rockridge, CA on Sunday night (February 26, 2012), a group of us decided to go to Noodle Theory. Everybody in the group had been there before so we knew we would be having some yummy noodles on a brisk night. Much like many other restaurants in the area, seating is limited due to the small size of the restaurant. Thus, rather than wait for a large enough table spot to open up, the five of us opted to take the bar/ledge spots.
While we considered the menu options, we got to munch on edamame topped with sesame seeds and sauce. After some discussion, my wife (Connie) and I selected the Grilled Niman Ranch Spicy Loin of Pork Ramen and the Grilled Niman Ranch Beef Udon respectively. Connie had recently undergone a tonsillectomy so her diet was still very limited to softer foods that were not very spicy. Connie’s spicy pork loin selection, served in a peanut lime cilantro broth, wasn’t exactly aligned with her prescribed diet but she was attempting to diversify her diet from the apple sauce, juice boxes, and bland soft foods that I had made over the last few days. In case her dish was too spicy, I chose the beef udon dish as a backup although I had a feeling that it may also be a little too spicy too since the beef udon was served in a coconut lime curry broth. There were other choices on the menu that probably would have been better aligned for Connie’s diet as a backup for her but the coconut curry was calling out to me.
Noodle Theory's edamame appetizer
Our dishes came out after a short wait and were as delicious as we expected. The broths all packed a lot of flavor. The meats were tender and the noodles in both dishes were nicely made and soft enough so Connie could eat them. However, our suspicions on the spiciness were confirmed as both dishes were just a touch too spicy for Connie’s recovering palate. On any other day, Connie would not have had any issues with the spices in the dishes and would have easily polished off her portion but instead I got to be the lucky recipient of the spicy pork, peanuts, and eventually her leftovers :).
Noodle Theory's grilled Niman Ranch beef udon in coconut lime curry broth (with some additional pieces of grilled Niman Ranch spicy pork loin and peanuts)
On a previous trip to Noodle Theory, I had tried the Slow Roasted Niman Ranch Pork Belly Ramen served in a savory pork miso broth. Comparisons between dishes are always a little like comparing apples and oranges since the ingredients are different. Hence rather than compare, I’ll provide my preference list for the 3 dishes that I’ve tried at Noodle Theory, which would be:
- Slow Roasted Niman Ranch Pork Belly Ramen
- Grilled Niman Ranch Spicy Loin of Pork Ramen
- Grilled Niman Ranch Beef Udon
Looking at my list and attempting to rationalize my choices, I think the reasons for my ranking preference are due to the meats and noodles in the dishes. The pork belly is just so soft and melts in your mouth, whereas the loin and beef require more chewing effort. Similarly, ramen is softer and easier to work with than the larger udon noodles. For me, I guess I would typically consider the protein the more differentiating factor so formulaically, protein > noodles. I don’t necessarily have a preference for the actual meat type (pork vs beef) but I think the cut can make quite a difference (eg belly vs loin). Also, the weighting gets fuzzy if I’m not feeling a big preference for one type of meat vs one type of noodles vs one type of broth.
Next time you’re in Rockridge and feeling like some noodles, check out Noodle Theory. All of the dishes pack a lot of flavor so you really cannot go wrong – it just really depends on what you’re feeling!
Noodle Theory
6099 Claremont Ave
Oakland, CA 94620
(510) 595-6988
Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant
My wife Connie was doing well in her recovery from tonsillectomy surgery a few days prior. However, she was getting a little tired of the apple sauce, juice boxes, and bland soft foods that I had made over the last few days. So, we decided that we were going to eat out for lunch on Sunday February 26, 2012. Initially, we were considering doing Chinese food close by but the restaurant flyer for the Chinese place we were thinking about showed that it actually wasn’t open for lunch on Sundays. So, scratch that idea. We ended up deciding to go with Vietnamese instead since the options would be good for Connie (i.e., palatable soft noodles, flavorful broth that shouldn’t be too spicy) and it should be relatively inexpensive. The closest place, Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant, happened to be just around the corner – bonus!
We got to Mint Leaf around noon. The restaurant was about half full so we were able to get seated right away. After perusing the menu options, we decided to go with:
- Special PHO “PHO Dac Biet” (menu item #21) – rice noodles with rare sliced beef flank and beef brisket
- Hot and Sour Noodle Soup “Canh Chua Bun” (menu item #29) – rice noodles with catfish, prawns, tomatoes, pineapples, jalapeno peppers and sprouts in a savory broth.
Hot and Sour Noodle Soup "Canh Chua Bun" (menu item #29)
To be honest, initially I had actually selected Spicy and Sour Soup “Canh Chua” (menu item #20) but our server pointed out that the #20 was just the broth and didn’t actually have any noodles. So, I opted for #29 which was the same as #20 but with rice noodles. Not surprisingly, the food came out soon after we ordered and was as delicious as it looked. Everything tasted fresh and the broths were flavorful. Nothing tasted too bland, or too salty, and additional sauces were provided on the side in case one wanted to add some more kick to one’s dish. Connie was able to put down the soft rice noodles easily and I could tell she was glad to finally get some real food, not to mention have a real meal with me instead of watching me eat all the good stuff.
Overall, lunch at Mint Leaf was a great choice. If I’m ever in Alameda again and feeling like some pho, I will be sure to hit up Mint Leaf again. I may even hit up their newly opened Berkeley store in the future.
Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant
831 Marina Village Pkwy
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 522-2758
Ramen Dojo
My wife and I met up with a friend and we decided to go to dinner at Ramen Dojo on 1/16/2012. We got to Ramen Dojo around 7:30pm which was prime dinner time. We put our names on the list knowing we had to wait a while (there were probably 20 odd people waiting outside). After a wait of about 30 minutes or so we were finally seated. We were actually lucky that we were able to be served – we ended up being the second to last group as they were running out of broth for the night.
Alas, the much coveted garlic pork broth was already sold out so we were given the choice of the soy sauce or miso based broths. My selection was the soy sauce based broth, spicy, with extra pork and I must say the food was tasty. The pork was nicely made and melted in the mouth, complementing the noodles. Perhaps it was due to it being the dregs of the broth, or just that it was soy sauce based, but I found the flavor of the broth a tad salty. Our group had an order of the miso based broth which was also quite tasty but a little different in texture vs the soy based broth in that the miso based broth was a little thicker.
A typical bowl at Ramen Dojo
All in all, delicious ramen especially on a chilly night like the one we were there on. Next time, I’ll be getting there earlier so I can try the coveted garlic pork broth . . .
Ramen Dojo
805 S B St
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 401-6568
Foodie Forays 