Reviewed
06/04

Situated in the lively as well as convenient location of Gloucester Green, The Noodle Bar offers Oxford's diners a more economical as well as delicious option for Chinese cuisine. Upon arriving I was quickly seated at table (picnic style) with my party. The service was prompt and friendly and the staff wore modern black uniforms with bright animé cartoons printed on the back.
The noodle options vary between Ho Fun (thick, flat rice noodles), Mai Fun (vemicelli noodles), Udon (for soups), and Yo Min (Egg Noodles). We ordered drinks which were quite reasonably priced at Oxford standards (sodas were £1 and the Jasmine Tea is refillable). We ordered a side dish of seared vegetable dumplings for an appetiser- but it came out with our meals. The dumplings were composed of a unique pasta filled with fragrant vegetables. The Chicken in Chili and Garlic (£3.90), which comes with an option of boiled or egg fried rice, was quite spicy and came with a generous portion of peppers and onions. The Kung Po chicken (£3.90) is served fried tossed in a tangy sauce, but is one of the heavier dishes. The Chicken in Black Bean Sauce (£3.90) was very light as well as flavourful, and came with vegetables as well. The Roast Duck Udon noodles were steaming and aromatic.
The food came out individually, which was fine as each dish was hot and we didn't have to wait more than one minute for everyone else to be served. The portions were generous for the prices as well.
One drawback was the close seating arrangements, so it isn't the place for a romantic date, but the sparkling clean and modern atmoshere more than made up for this. The Noodle Bar is a great place for a group of friends or just for a quick and inexpensive feed in the centre of town.

Jeffrey Snyder, June 2004