For the first time in my 4-year UCLA career, I set foot into Noodle Planet’s arch-nemesis, Mr. Noodle. I would have stayed to sit in among the lime neon lighting, yellow and green walls, and a lonely flat screen TV that no one really pays attention to, but the small restaurant was completely packed with a waiting line.
I ordered to go at the counter area that doubled as a prep sta
tion and added to the overall chaotic, authentic noodle-house feel of the restaurant. A waiter even delivered a plate of noodles to a table while taking an order on the phone. That's pretty legit.
However, Mr. Noodle's beef pad see ew leaves something to be desired. First and foremost, their rice noodles are about half as wide as normally used noodles. That's a big no-no in my pad see ew universe. Furthermore, although the noodles wholly maintained their shape, they were fairly wet and stuck together in layers doing that annoying thing where the outside noodles will be sauced, but the inside noodles are untouched and white.
Overall, the noodles, which really just turned into goop once chewed a couple times, held only hints of the sweet, see ew flavor, but not enough to really explode in your mouth. In order to really taste what Mr. Noodle is cooking up, you have to really shovel a lot of noodles into your mouth which isn't always the best way to enjoy pad see ew.
The only redeeming features to Mr. Noodle's pad see ew are the use of Chinese broccoli cooked delicately and some of the best pad see ew beef I've ever had. Tender, moist and marinated perfectly, the beef adds much of the flavor and sauce the noodles lack.
Despite the beef's nearly redemptive qualities, the best thing about Mr. Noodle's pad see ew is that it's next door to Westwood's famed cookie shop Diddy Riese.
(Courtesy of diddyriese.com)
936 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, Ca 90024
(310) 208-7808
Price: $7.50 + tax
Rating: 2 see ew bottles
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