If you’ve lived in Brighton for a while, like me you will have walked past Noodles Soup a thousand times. Marching straight down from the station to the sea, you’ll pass the bright red shop front with all the pictures in the window. And like me, you may have never gone in.
I was brought up to think that restaurants with pictures of food on the menu meant that the food wouldn’t be very good. Well that certainly isn’t the case here. Having worked in kitchens, I’m of the belief that usually a big menu means nothing will have been done particularly well. Noodles Soup looks like it has a massive menu, but in reality, it only really has two dishes. Noodles, or noodles in soup. Of course, I’m massively oversimplifying it, but essentially you choose your noodles, you choose your soup, and you choose your topping. Boom. Done. In reality, the menu actually *is* pretty simple, which means everything *is* done really well.
The large photographic menu plasters the front window, which makes it difficult to see in, and is a little uninviting. The perfect setting for a hidden gem; hiding in plain sight. It’s also cash only, which, despite being opposite a cash point, may be slightly off-putting for some. However, once I was in, I was treated to some of the best service of my life! The sweetest man immediately seated me, explained the menu, offered me some tap water, and left me to decide on my order. This place is not the biggest, and gets busy for lunch, so they are here to get you in and out, but that doesn’t make for a bad experience by any means.
I ordered the Roast Duck Noodles Soup, which features a clear, yet flavourful broth, lots of veg, like pak choi and carrot, your choice of noodles; I went with udon, because who doesn’t love a thick worm-y noodle, and then the roast duck, which was moist and delicious. The whole experience of Noodles Soup is to customise! There’s soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli oil and pickled chillies on every table if you want to add them. The other main broth option is a Laksa, which is a little spicier, and comes with all the same noodle and topping options. Pretty much everything is £10.95, plus they have dumplings, spring rolls and won ton’s if you need a little extra something-something. I was completely satisfied with my Noodles Soup though, it was the perfect lunch! You pay before you even get the food, so there’s no waiting around once you’re done. There are tall bar seats if you’re a table for one, so you don’t feel bad for taking up a whole table on a busy lunch time. The atmosphere is super casual and laid-back, there is zero pretence here, just wonderful, warming, comforting food.
I can’t believe my first visit comes five years after first moving to Brighton, but I will definitely be back soon! I need to try a Laksa next time, which seemed to be the most common order when I looked around. Have you been to Noodles Soup? What’s your go-to order?
(p.s. please don’t bother going on a Wednesday, because that’s their day off! Any other time, you’re golden).
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