Noodle Xtreme
2605 — 66 St.
780-469-8081
Rating: *** 1/2
Dinner & drinks for two: $40
Signature Dish: Lemongrass BBQ Pork Chop ($12.95)
Every time I’ve been to Noodle Xtreme, it’s been hoppin’.
The little Vietnamese noodle house in the Mill Woods Towne Centre parking lot thrives on pick-up orders, however, so I’ve never waited for a table. We placed our order and set up camp in the bright, open (if stark) eating area.
Our four shrimp rolls ($8.95) arrived almost immediately, next to a bowl of what seemed like mildly-flavoured barbecue sauce. I tore into one and savoured the fresh, crisp blend of lettuce, vermicelli and shrimp in the tacky rice paper roll.
We polished off the rolls and didn’t wait long for our entrees. For the first time, I chose their “signature” lemongrass barbecued pork ($12.95) and was not disappointed. Two slim chops rested atop a bed of white rice, almost daring me to finish them both.
The flavour was terrific. Not oversweet or stupidly hot like most North American barbecue, the chops let their flavour speak for itself while enhancing it with a bit of lemongrassy tang.
Those stupendous vermicelli bowls lost a bit of their lustre this evening. My tried-and-true Noodle Xtreme favourite might just have to move over: there’s a new dish in town
Dining out
WINE WEDNESDAYS Every Sunday, 4th & Vine offers dinner and a movie on a large projection screen. They throw in this delicious, freshly-made gourmet popcorn … Let’s just say it will blow your mind. See Invictus on May 23, The Road on May 30, and visit 4thandvine.ca for details.
In brief
OPENING Co Co Di will soon be opening their Jasper Avenue location (11454 Jasper Ave., 780-425-1717) after the Rice Howard Way fire shut them down last March. I love their Mediterranean fare, but I hope they continue to offer shisha pipes: there is nothing like sharing a shisha with friends for a few hours.
