Sunday, October 25, 2009

Noodle Bar Lake Bluff

Noodle Bar Lake Bluff


I’m in noodle heaven. Did this magnificent food come from a restaurant in my neighborhood? Am I actually, finally getting a neighborhood?

I stopped off at the Noodle Bar Lake Bluff tonight on my way home from the train to grab a quick bite. Located at 20 E. Scranton Avenue, this restaurant is one block from the Metra train station downtown Lake Bluff. The Noodle Bar Lake Bluff features nouveau Pan-Asian cuisine. A lot of restaurants have done Pan-Asian but the food at this comfy place is incredible. There are 60 things on the menu and an inviting food bar in the dining room where you can watch while the food is prepared in an open kitchen.

I was lucky enough to chat with Alexis, one of the owners, while I waited at the bar for my take out. She told me that all of her chefs all come from Chinatown and they pick them up and drive them home every day. Love the fact that employers take tender loving care of their chefs. They all deserve to be spoiled.

The restaurant is a sister to the Noodle Bar NYC and Alexis and her husband spent a lot of time there learning the ropes in order to operate their first restaurant. My early conclusion is that their first attempt at running a restaurant is working. All of my neighbors told me they love the food.

I had the Pad Thai. Now, this is how I test out a Pan-Asian restaurant. I normally do not LOVE Pad Thai but if I do…well I think it is a great restaurant. One taste and I could not shovel the food in fast enough. Alexis mentioned that they use no sugar in the Pad Thai and you can tell. It is possibly the best Pad Thai that I have ever eaten and remember, I don’t even like Pad Thai.

Noodle Bar has 56 seats and a semi-private party booth which seats twelve. Will unquestionably have to check out the party booth some night with my neighbors. Noodle Bar offers dining, takeout and delivery. Since I am just a block away, I will probably not take advantage of the delivery service but I can see that a lot of my friends in Lake Bluff will. In addition to the dining area, Noodle Bar also offers a full-service lounge with 26 seats and is featuring all sorts of special drinks and specials on the weekends.


During the week, the restaurant offers a fixed price lunch menu with a salad, spring rolls and a choice of entrĂ©e for $7.95. Noodle Bar also has a Kids’ Menu, with entrees such as Coca Cola Chicken and Hotdog Fried Rice appealing not only to the under-ten set but I may have to try the Hotdog Fried Rice myself. Can’t imagine it but some of those things that don’t sound quite right are really fantastic.

Noodle Bar is located at 20 E. Scranton in Lake Bluff; the restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to Midnight; and Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Noodle Bar offers private and corporate catering.

Call (847) 735-8170.They are working on their website at http://www.noodlebarlakebluff.com/ so just head in and enjoy a remarkable meal which will send you home loving the fact that this is the “new” Lake Bluff.