Noodleholic
9658 107A Avenue
(587) 881-1105

My name is Paula, and I am a noodleholic.

Fortunately, I have found the perfect place to enable my culinary habit. Noodleholic is the latest restaurant to take over the space at 9658 107A Avenue, after several failed noodle soup and Middle Eastern eateries. The interior has changed very little since last I was in the space, when it was still a Vietnamese pho restaurant some years ago. It’s small but spacious, clean, and bright.

Noodleholic specializes in noodle soup (no surprise, given the name). The menu is actually a lot of fun. For $12.95, you pick the broth, type of noodle, and two toppings from a very extensive list of choices (more toppings can be added for an additional charge). There are a also a few “set” noodle soups on the menu, with the broth, noodles, and toppings already chosen, also $12.95. You can also get side dishes like spring rolls and green onion cakes, all of which are under $7. If you order a noodle soup, you can add a beverage for an additional dollar.

For my broth, I chose the non-spicy “Little Sheep.” I had to ask my very friendly and helpful server what that meant. She explained that it is a vegetable broth, with its name taken from the company that makes it. I picked a thick rice noodle, mulling over the choices that include egg noodle, ramen, instant noodle, and udon, to name just a few. For my toppings, I had the marinated chicken and sliced brisket.

Within a few minutes I was brought a steaming bowl of soup. The vegetable broth did not have a lot of depth of flavour, but went well with the noodles and toppings. The noodles were plentiful, and these thick rice noodles had the look and texture almost of spaghetti. There was also a good amount of my chosen toppings. The marinated chicken was chewy in texture but had a good flavour, while the slicked brisket was the star of the bowl. It had the perfect ratio of fat to meat, was tender, and tasted as though it had been cooked slowly with seasonings.

I also could not resist trying a green onion cake. It was crispy, slightly greasy (in a good way), and tasted great. For my drink, I stuck with the green tea I was served when I was seated.

For less than $20 (before the tip), I had a very satisfying and filling lunch. I definitely see myself coming here on a regular basis during the upcoming winter months.