Noodlebox

Great good for a cold Vancouver day! And the one thing that I always appreciate about this place is the amazingly friendly and super helpful staff — it keeps me coming back!

Go here if you want the runs. I used to love the Spicy Peanut Noodle Box from the W. 4^th Ave location but this store is all wrong.

Very disappointing waste of money, especially if you’re Asian yourself. Ordered a Green Curry noodles — when it came I immediately regretted it. (who puts noodles in green curry??) I’m not one to waste food, but I had to leave half the bowl uneaten — a sorry waste of ingredients. The green curry itself is spicy enough (I ordered Medium spicy, they seemed to have just thrown a couple of chilies into the broth and not known any better) and not much else — bland, an odd mix of sauces and doesn’t seem to have any of the spices that make it green curry. If it’s going to be a fusion dish, at least make it taste good.
Friend had pad thai, also nothing remarkable — sauce was not handled well — and definitely not worth the price.

A+ on the location. Right in front of the bus stop which is very convenient for those days that im too tired to cook dinner after work. Service was exceptional. I was greeted right when i came in, and they catered to my picky tastebuds. The first time i tried this place, i ordered the green thai curry with chicken for to-​go. It was hot and spicy but the addicting kind. Not the type that it hurts your tongue and lips. My only complain was there was too much vegetables on it. almost ¾ of the box. And i personally, dont like veggies so i was a bit disappointed about that. I ended up picking through my food and just eating the noodles and chicken which is not much for what you pay.
So i decided to give it an another shot. I ordered the same thing but this time, I asked them not to put any vegetables in it. Just the sauce, chicken and noodles. Presentation wise, it looked boring. But taste, boy. was that awesome. Just pure spicy noodle goodness perfect for cold weather.
Would i order here again? Of course. Just maybe not an every other night considering the price. But i would definitely recommend.

I love the décor and menu options of this place, but despite the tasty looking ingredients, our spicy peanut bowl was a bit on the bland side. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing?
Reasonably priced and very friendly service.

Consider Noodle Box for your lunch catering!
Brendan Bailey is a saint among Noodle Box managers. I was looking for lunch catering for two days and I am so happy that I reached out to Noodle Box Gastown. Brendan always replied very promptly, which is surprising considering the fact that every time I went in he seemed to be hands on in the kitchen (must be some sort of multi-​tasking wizardry). He was extremely friendly and helpful with suggestions, and endured my never-​ending stream of questions with a «:)». We had a few special requests, dietary restrictions, and last minute changes and there was never any problem whatsoever.
I arrived early to pick up my order and the staff had it completely ready and set aside with the names clearly written on each box. All the staff were wonderful! I double checked that the boxes were all there, as you do, but everything was perfect each day. Brendan helped me pack the boxes/​forks/​chopsticks/​napkins, and even carried it all out to the waiting taxi! Afterwards he followed up to make sure that everything went smoothly over lunch. Which it did, of course. I mean who doesn’t love Noodle Box?
I am now planning on organizing more lunch meetings just so that I can order from Brendan and the team at Noodle Box Gastown!

Once again style caught my eye. I remember being completely intrigued when I noticed giant red Marquee style letters being put on the exposed brick wall INSIDE the restaurant while I was waiting for a bus across the street. When I finally made it in after they opened, I was impressed with how the space looked. The staff are very nice & attentive. After I placed my order the counter person asked which protein. I said none. I didn’t feel like having any protein added (including tofu). I guess this answer made him think because he asked if I were vegan and I said no, just not a heavy protein day for me. I believe all or most of their dishes have either a fish sauce or meat stock in their preparation. I was impressed he caught that & nipped a potential complaint in the bud at the ordering stage. It wasn’t a very long wait after I’d placed my order that the noodles were ready. If they had been any fresher they may have jumped out of the bowl & slapped me in the face!
An added bonus is there’s a choice of unlimited still or sparkling water ON TAP.
I’ve gone back a couple of times since that first visit and received consistent good service and a great bowl of noodles. I’m making my way through the sizeable list of noodles in the order they appear on the menu.

We got the Cambodian Jungle Curry, which was one of their special limited menu items. You have rice noodles served with a protein of your choice (we picked chicken) in yellow curry and coconut broth. There were also bean sprouts, mango, and some fresh herbs on top. Neither of us were very hungry at the time, so we actually just shared one. It was nice of them to split it into two bowls for us. This dish was already over $ 14! Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised with the dish. I thought it was very yummy and I don’t even like coconuts or bean sprouts. There was a great balance between the creaminess of the broth and the freshness from the lime, mango, and herbs. The noodles were good but maybe just a tad bit overcooked? I also wish it were spicier. They have different levels of spiciness: mild, mild/​medium, medium, medium/​hot, hot, and scorching hot. I ordered it mild/​medium, thinking it would be pretty spicy already but it wasn’t really… next time I’ll try the medium level. Everything else was great though!

First time coming here, not a fan. I ordered the pad thai, the noodles were undercooked and dry because the sauce was not mixed in with the noodles. felt like i was eating a salad with no dressing because of all the random healthy vegetables that in were added into the meal.
It took over 20 minutes to get my order, 2 out of 5 people got their meals 5 mins after ordering.
I did enjoy the coconut cream soda tho. unfortuately it doesn’t weigh into how bad and expensive the meal was.

Well to be honest I wouldn’t give it more than 3 stars but comparing the food quality to the price value. I’d give it 2 stars. We ordered the cashew curry and pad Thai and they both tasted below average. The look is good but once you’re inside there’s not alot of character. I also ordered their in– house ginger lemon drink and it was nothing special at all. I wouldn’t want to come back at all

I decided to give them another chance after I wasn’t amused with the Main location. Noodles are still over priced and I barely had meat or flavor in mine. Customer service was good, however, I think that I’ve given up on the chain all together.

4.5!
Noodlebox does southeast asian flavours right on the money. The condiments they offer let’s you customize your food a little bit. I think it’s great they don’t overseason or overspice their dishes as southeast asian flavours are bold or could be really overpowering for some people. Food is always great at this spot. The restaurant itself has a really nice vibe to it. It’s always kept clean. Service is always friendly which is as important as the food I think. I recommend the Pad Thai and the Singapore cashew. Those two are on top of my list but to be honest I love every single one of the items on their board.

I love noodle box but the chicken they use at this location tastes disgusting. I really hate it it taste old and def not fresh. The food gets ready really fast though

I love their boxes, they make me feel like I’m in a TV show, I carry the box around like I’m famous, I don’t know why. Staff was kind. Service was quick. Their meals are so large it could feed me for two meals, I’m eating my leftovers right now.
I like their décor and the vibe when you walk in with the loud music.
I got the Pad Thai.

This is a great Noodlebox.
I love the atmosphere and the staff is very helpful, and friendly and seem to be enjoying their jobs, and having fun at work; which is always good to see.
I like this location better than the one in Yaletown I believe is where I went. It’s newer, and the design is much better with more seating and a very Gastown (dare I say Hipster) vibe to it.
Cool art on the walls, big NOODLEBOX logo inside using the same type of block metal lettering as the famous W in the sky ;)
Always clean when I have been here, and seats available. Seems to be generally busy at any time but not overcrowded.
Good quality has always been good, nothing has ever been wrong with my orders and the staff comes around and asks how you’re enjoying the meal which I like, as this place isn’t totally a formal sit down restaurant, but it has some personal flare to it. Last time I was here they asked for my name with my order which I liked, (reminded me of Starbucks though), but it does add some personal feel to it.
If you want something simple, relatively cheap, but VERY filling and tasty. Come here.

Terrible food with style over substance.
Is a 1 star rating on your only visit being harsh? Perhaps, but when you buy food on the way back to work to remove the «Noodle Box» flavour from your mouth, how else do you rate the place?
Over cooked noodles, too much creamy sweetness (coconut milk) in the curry and I suspect a menu that’s attempting to represent too many cultures without respect to their unique individual flavours.
If I’m desperate I may try again but it will take some convincing.

I am quite familiar with the dishes offered at the Noodle Box, and was excited to see the new Gastown location open. This is my third time getting the Tom Yum soup there and I think it’s a fair time to give them a review. The first time I had the soup, I thought it was absolutely amazing. Cooked to perfection, seasoned wonderfully, there really isn’t anywhere else in this area where you can get the same level of Tom Yum. The wait time was very long, but I was given a voucher to get a free order next time.
Remembering how wonderful the soup was, I went back the second time. This time, the soup just wasn’t the same. Much less chicken, seasoning was off, and it had major ginger chunks that no one likes to bite into. At least food came in a reasonable time period.
I went back today for the third time, and I must say, I’m a bit disappointed with the quality of the dish AND the time it took for your staff to prep the food. The food took way too long, and the soup was bad. I was given a voucher again for free food next time, but I’m not sure if I’ll go back. I see potential in this place to be one of my fav lunch spots. Perhaps once all the kinks are worked out and all the cooking staff have been trained properly, I’ll give it another go.
Despite the inconsistency in quality of the food, all staff members I’ve encountered were friendly, and service-​oriented, which is a huge plus in my book.

To be clear — I freaking love Noodlebox, so I was excited to see this location open! It’s clean, fresh, and the décor is great — very nouvelle DTES with lots of exposed brick and statement art.
With a few people in front of me I had a moment to check out the menu (although the line moved fast) and I decided to go for something outside of my comfort zone (because what’s life without a little risk??) I was all set to go on the Burmese Naan with «wicked curry, lime, and cilantro dip» because who can resist something that has the word ‘wicked’ in it? Then I saw the special — pulled pork bao. Um, yes please! When I got to the counter I asked the woman behind the register if both would be too much for a snack/​light meal — she said there were only 3 bao so it was pretty light and it’d be fine. This was a lie — my stomach has nearly exploded from all of the delicious, and I still took some home. My other issue was the price; the bao had no price listed but seeing as my total bill was $ 17 and the naan was $ 6.50 that would make them $ 10 — expensive for 3 buns, especially as a snack… Oh well!
Pro-​tip — when you go to get water the tap on the left is sparkling! It’s not labelled (as far as I saw) and it definitely took me by surprise! A pleasant surprise, but still. My food was initially brought out in to-​go containers and when I said I was eating in (I wasn’t asked at the register) the guy holding the boxes looked a bit exasperated, although I’m not sure if that was directed at me or the teller who didn’t tell! The woman who’d made my food overheard my comment and whisked over brightly saying she’d pop it on a plate for me right away, which was awesome. She took great care over the plated presentation and I very much appreciated it!
The bao themselves were served taco style, which I’ve never seen before! I was a bit skeptical to start with, and I definitely spilled more of the delicious cucumber slaw than I was anticipating! But it was a fun way to present them, and the bun was still that beautiful, soft, slightly sweet doughy goodness I was expecting. The pork was beautifully cooked and tasted exactly like many delicious bao I’ve had at dim sum.
The Burmese Naan was very good — although I’m not sure how it differed from Indian naan… both seem to have a similar look, taste, and consistency. The dipping sauce was absolutely delicious and the happy lady had no problem giving me a little top up in my to go box (seriously, there were 8 pieces of naan, I am not superhuman!) I would happily drink that sauce forever. I’m not sure how it was ‘wicked’ though — I was expecting some spice, but it worked for me!
I’d say this was closer to a 3.5 star experience but I love Noodlebox, and I’d definitely go back to this location, so it’s 4 stars in my book! Check it out, see what you think!

I went to Noodle Box on a whim, it paid off. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I was able to order and receive my food. The options were overwhelming at first, mainly because everything sounds delicious. They have someone to help you decide while you wait, ha I call this «the hype guy». Interesting right? I have tried a couple different dishes with Tofu — not all dishes are vegetarian, be sure to ask. My favourite is Black Bean and Garlic. Taking things to go is usually my thing, be careful because the sauces are plentiful and have leaked in my bag. Also they have a help yourself water station and they offer carbonated water — epic bonus for me!
All the staff are trained well and are always friendly. When my order got mixed up and I got meat instead they dealt with it right away and were very apologetic. — kudos for the customer service.

Outstanding.
Maybe for the party they threw to celebrate their launch, the ambience, the food, the free drinks, the DJ, even the service was impressive despite the gong show lol, or for all of the above!
Located across from the TD Bank/​London Drugs.
the biggest NB so far.
The usual favourites, but the spicy peanut is my fav as always. And think there’s a new item for dessert, banana roll dipped in caramel sauce, which was totally yummyy — didn’t seem as oily or deep fried as others.
Nice communal table.