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The Noodle Studio will satisfy all your Asian noodle cravings


It seems only natural to look for a Thai restaurant when you’re craving for pad thai. Or a Vietnamese joint when you’re jonesing for pho, and so on. But what if you're craving for pad thai and the missus wants japchae? 

Ladies and gents, please meet The Noodle Studio. It's a new restaurant concept where you can get practically all the Asian noodle specialties under one roof — except ramen, allow us to get that out of the way.

But you won’t likely miss it as there are all kinds of stir-fried noodles, soups, and even rice meals to curb your hunger in Pasig's mall-based eatery.

 

You can drown in delicious noodles at The Noodle Studio. All photos: Nikka Sarthou-Lianez
You can drown in delicious noodles at The Noodle Studio. All photos: Nikka Sarthou-Lianez

40 dishes and counting…

Currently in its soft opening, The Noodle Studio is still in the process of expanding its menu that already features 40 dishes as of writing, some of which are the original and creative concoctions of Co-Owner and Executive Chef Gregorio “Gigo” de Guzman.

“This is my first concept and first restaurant venture that I masterminded,” said the young chef. He started planning for this business venture five years ago, which led to him getting formal culinary training in Enderun Colleges and then interning at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris where he learned more about kitchen life.

But despite his exposure to European cuisine, he focused on elevating Asian noodle dishes. “The entire menu I created based from my favorites — all my favorites from around Asia that are inspired by my travels, inspired by people who introduced me to the dishes, also inspired by my research.”

Together with Head Chef Alister Sun, they whipped up dishes that taste close to authentic ones. Consider Noodle Studio's pad thai. After sampling about 20 variants during a trip to Bangkok, the restaurant's version looks far from the street side fare you’ll get in Thailand (it's beautifully plated) but tastes just like the traditional — a good balance of sour, salty, and spicy flavors. 

 

The Pad Thai doesn't look like anything from the streets of Bangkok, but it tastes just as delicious
The Pad Thai doesn't look like anything from the streets of Bangkok, but it tastes just as delicious

Other must-try stir-fries are Claire’s Pancit Canton (P298), named after one of the owners and mother of the chef, singer Claire dela Fuente. It’s a traditional take on canton noodles cooked in a special sauce with pork, fish tofu, and squid balls; Mie Goreng (P288), a very savory egg noodle dish with pork, carrots, snake beans, kecap manis, and goreng sauce; Char Kway Teow 2.0 (P298), the restaurant’s own version of the stir-fried rice cake strips made with beef, egg, hoisin sauce, and somewhat spicy char kway teow sauce.

Not to be missed are the restaurant's appetizers like the Crab Ragoon (P268) and Fried Salmon Pouches (P288). Though these feature different kinds of seafood, the dishes have similar yummy features like the crunchy wonton exteriors and cream cheese-based fillings. Also worth the calories are the Fried Sisig Rolls (P238), a leveled up lumpia stuffied with minced pork, onion, red chili, and rice, cooked upon ordering. 

 

Spell yummy: Fried Salmon Rolls.
Spell yummy: Fried Salmon Pouches.

There’s also the Salted Egg Poutine (P398), a Noodle Studio exclusive good for sharing/ Picture a mound of potato fries doused with made-from-scratch salted egg sauce and topped with fried basil leaves. It’s kind of a heavy starter but should you want a lighter one, there’s the Thai pomelo salad called Yam Som O (P398); a mixture of fresh pomelo, dried shrimp, chicken, kaffir leaf drizzled with tamarind dressing. 

If you want something different, go for one of the chef’s favorites, Cold Noodles with Hainanese Chicken (P348), which is also a Noodle Studio exclusive. Feeling the coldness of the fresh egg noodles might come as a surprise at first, but you’ll get used to it, especially with every bite of the aromatic chicken topped with peanut dressing and ginger sauce. It’s like having a cold noodle salad, which would be perfect on a hot day.

 

The Noodle Studio's beef brisket is a direct flight to Taiwan
The Noodle Studio's beef brisket is a direct flight to Taiwan

On the other hand, should you want something to warm you up, get a bowl of Beef Brisket Noodle Soup (P408), a classic Taiwanese dish that’s as authentic as it gets. It’s a hearty combination of fresh egg noodles, tender beef brisket, and bokchoy—all swimming in a fragrant broth infused with star anise.

If the wife is craving noodles, and you're not, don't worry: Rice dishes are present as well. Something that’s out of the ordinary is the Thai Green Curry Chicken (P388), which is uniquely presented in a bowl of large fried wonton wrapper placed gently on a bed of steamed rice. The curry itself has eggplant, kaffir leaf, and fresh coconut cream, which makes a lot of difference. You may select either the original or mild version, depending on your preference. 

Though many are removing carbs from their diets, it’s also worth having a cheat day with the Indonesian fried rice Nasi Goreng (P288) or the Bagoong Fried Rice (P348). The former has lip-smacking goreng sauce and latter has salty shrimp paste, and both are practically a meal in itself. Both are also a feast for the eyes since the plating made the dish even more enticing. It actually tasted as good as it looked!

I’m now looking forward to early 2018 when they’ll add more tasty treats at their grand opening. I’m there, especially if there’s going to be a pad thai 2.0! — LA, GMA News

2F, Ayala Malls the 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City; +632 6376500; +63928 3898583; +63995 2715465; email thenoodlestudio@gmail.com.

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