Best spot to celebrate National Noodle Month
March is the month to celebrate noodles.
At least according to the National Pasta Association (NPA).
Yes, it’s National Noodle Month and if you ask the NPA, now is the time to celebrate these chewy, starchy, soft, magical carbloaded recipe ingredients that are a staple for a myriad of dishes and preparations across the globe.
The average American consumes approximately 20 pounds of pasta annually. This makes it the sixth highest food per capita in the country. The reason is simple — it is one of the ultimate comfort foods.
A new restaurant that recently opened with a menu of fresh, handpulled noodles is just the place to get in a last-minute noodle celebration before the calendar turns to April.
Kung Fu Noodle had a soft open in mid-January and has been quickly growing a steady following of fans.
The restaurant recently had a “formal opening” on March 14, and although typically I don’t write about a restaurant so quickly after its opening, this is a spot that begs to be shared and talked about.
The very modest west Kettering restaurant that seats just 22, is housed in a location that doesn’t begin to indicate the delicious delights that lie inside.
It has the Happy Asian food market on one side and Capri Lanes on the other and is a place you would most certainly drive by without a passing glance if you weren’t aware of the glorious, springy noodles awaiting on the other side of the door. When you finally walk through its doors, the decor is simple and unimpressive. Just know that the noodles and dumplings are vibrant and juicy.
The restaurant specializes in handmade Lanzhou noodles, full of flavor and history with origins that date back to China’s Tang Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. Lanzhou, the capital of the Gansu province in northwest China, is the namesake for one of China’s most popular noodle dishes and one of the best on the menu at Kung Fu Noodle.
The classic aromatic Lanzhou beef noodle soup has a pile of handstretched noodles topped with braised beef, sliced white radish, green garlic and cilantro ($11.95 for a regular portion, $14.95 for the large). It’s warm, tangy, satisfyingly simple and sure to become a favorite.
The authentic goodness continues throughout the menu.
The braised beef noodle soup ($11.95, $14.95) is savory, rich and tender with chunks of braised beef, carrot and tomato in a full-flavored seasoned broth.
Sausage stir-fried noodles ($9.95 for lunch, $12.95 for dinner) are filling and satisfying thanks to a pile of noodles mixed with zucchini squash, carrots, onions, eggs and sausage. You can get chicken, pork or vegetable stir fried noodles if sausage isn’t for you.
The restaurant’s specialties include steamed cold noodles ($8 with ground pork added for an additional $1), Kung Fu mung bean noodle ($6.50), thin vermicelli noodle in chicken broth ($6.50), thick vermicelli noodles in chicken broth ($8) a fantastic chicken broth wonton soup ($10.95) and, the restaurant’s delightful Dan Dan noodles ($6.50), which is my favorite new obsession dish. These kicky noodles mixed with fine ground pork, pickled long string beans, sesame paste and spicy garlic sauce are totally wonderful and addictive.
I ate this dish so quickly I found myself slurping uncontrollably during moments of clarity before I was lured back in with reckless abandon.
Across the board everything I have tried so far featured a good portion that was priced right, and most importantly, tasted authentically delicious.
Order pot stickers to start ($5.50) that can give you a sense of the magic that is about to happen with the main course is served. Any that are leftover when your soup is served can be dunked into the broth.
Consider finishing with an order of the Chinese donuts ($2) if your sweet tooth is in the mood.
The menu isn’t massive, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s been edited to execute well on what it offers.
It’s a simple restaurant with simple dishes that should not be underestimated. This is a spot that satisfies.