Solo NOODLE - Seattle

My experience at this restaurant was very positive. I ordered the beef rice noodles and my wife got the potato beef noodles. We both absolutely loved our meals. Our 4-year-old son had no issue with the spice level, which is great. The food was good, and the service was also good. Overall, a very enjoyable meal.

I pass by this charming little shop every day, instantly recognizable by its Hermès-orange color. My experience was wonderful; the staff are warm, the food is delicious, and the prices are very reasonable. It's a great spot for a solo visit with a quiet atmosphere, making it easy to talk.

My experience at this small, hole-in-the-wall place involved ordering on a kiosk and picking up at the counter. I also had to bus my own table. It was honestly a bit loud. The food has a really interesting flavor profile, totally different from other noodle places I’ve tried. I’m guessing this is closer to what you would find in China. The broth doesn’t have a strong sweet or MSG taste at all; it’s like a grainy vegetable/beef taste, which is pretty interesting. It’s good, but wasn’t my favorite in the world, and also a bit expensive. However, I can respect it. The flavors are unique for sure and every so often can be quite enjoyable.

My experience at this restaurant was centered around their fantastic and delicious noodle bowls. The bowls are generously filled with noodles, meat, half an egg, and a small portion of napa cabbage. I particularly enjoyed the beef brisket, which was excellent. However, the tofu skin cold dish was only average. It's important to note that there is no dine-in service; you order via a tablet or QR code, pick up your order when your number is called, and bus your own table. Given this lack of service, I believe the owners should remove the tip option from the POS system, although the lowest suggested tip of 10% is not outrageous.

I really wanted to like this place, but it was disappointing on a few different levels. Upon walking in, we immediately noticed that all the tables were dirty before we even sat down. The kiosk and sign lacked descriptions for the soups, forcing us to rely solely on photos. While this might be acceptable if the soup style is familiar, there were slight variations in the dish photos without any explanation of the differences. You can remove cilantro and some garnishes, but it's impossible to know exactly what's in your food without deciphering the pictures, which is a significant issue for those with food sensitivities, allergies, or dietary restrictions. The staff was consistently in the kitchen, making it impossible to ask questions. When our food arrived, spoons were missing, and there were none in the utensil area. The noodles themselves tasted good, but they came with a default medium spice level, and there was no option to customize the spice when ordering. While chili oil could be added later for more heat, there was no way to order items less spicy, which was a bummer for someone with IBS, leading to major indigestion a few hours later. At the end of our meal, the bus station was overflowing with dishes, making it difficult to even place our bowls. Getting the attention of any staff for a to-go container was also a challenge. I believe many of these issues might have been overlooked if the noodles were cheap. There's nothing wrong with a no-frills, hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a small menu done well. However, the food was not affordable; paying $20 for a meal in a dirty dining area with no service was not a great experience.