The Food: Asian Noodle House (ANH)
ANH is a small Thai restaurant housed at 204 Dryden Road.
The Food:
1) Gyoza $4.25
a) Taste: 5/5
b) Value: 4/5
My friend Delia ordered this cute little dish. Fun fact: they’re actually the Japanese version of dumplings! She said they were amazing. They look about the right amount for a one-person appetizer.
2) Spicy Basil Fried Rice $10.50
a) Taste: 3.5/5
b) Value: 4.5/5
Kaitlyn ordered a classic fried rice. I was impressed that they made an attempt at presenting the dish nicely. However, Kaitlyn reported that the taste was rather lackluster, saying very simply, “it just tastes like fried rice.” Still, it’s a nice portion for the price!
3) Spicy Basil Noodle with Chicken $10.95
a) Taste: 3.5/5
b) Value: 4/5
Kopal allegedly orders the same thing every time she visits ANH, so I was surprised to hear that she actually rates the Spicy Basil Noodle rather low in terms of taste. However, it seems to be a popular choice at ANH!
4) Pad Thai with Chicken $10.95
a) Taste: 4/5
b) Value: 5/5
Melissa confessed that she had not had Pad Thai in a minute, but trusting what her taste buds were saying, she gave this dish a 5/5. It comes with egg, ground peanuts, and bean sprouts, which caught my eye.
5) Lo Mein with Chicken $10.95
a) Taste: 5/5
b) Value: 4.5/5
Marina described this dish as “the bomb.” Served in a beautiful bowl, in an astounding portion, hot and ready to go. There was nothing really to complain about.
6) Red Thai Curry Fish $12.50
a) Taste: 4/5
b) Value: 4/5
My dish was the Red Thai Curry Fish, which was a crispy sauteed flounder with mixed vegetables. It came with a side of rice, and although my entree was the smallest at the table the rice definitely made up for it. My plate was overflowing with curry (just as I prefer), and the fish was delicious and well-proportioned. This was a pretty solid choice for me.
The Thoughts:
In conclusion, although I have eaten here a few times, ANH is not my go-to for any particular dish. If anything, the portion sizes and variety of noodles available are its main attractions in terms of food. The place itself is simple but efficiently run, and is small but normally very quiet. The service was great: all our dishes arrived in a window of 5 minutes, and I never noticed my water glass sitting less than half full.
Summary: Not my favorite noodle house, but definitely a noodle house to consider. Good portions, great service.
Will I be back? I live down the road. I will be back.