Cheers for the Noodle Nook

You go into a customizable restaurant with a little bit of apprehension, you don’t know what goes well together, and you feel as though it’ll take many trips to get the right order. Most of the time that holds true, unless you try the Noodle Nook located in the Huddle at LaFortune.

The Noodle Nook brings an amazing customizable feel without worrying about whether you’re ordering the wrong thing. It’s the type of place where almost everything pairs well together and with the setup, there is an endless potential of amazing combinations. I ordered the lo mein noodles with pork broth, chasu pork belly, black mushroom, scallions, lime, red onion and garlic serrano flavoring. The meal was very good, the chasu pork belly a welcome addition to the flavorful broth, and the noodles of a high-quality texture (and this is coming from an Italian reviewer).

Another advantage to the Noodle Nook is the fact that the food is very filling for the price. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and paid more than $10 and still found yourself not full? Odds are, this won’t be your experience at the Noodle Nook because the ramen bowl without extras, is very filling. The ramen bowl is priced at $9 with the option of adding in extra meat and more. But fair warning, if you add extra meat it will cost more than $10.

One criticism of the Noodle Nook could perhaps be the price, as there are other places, such as Taco Bell, where you can get cheaper food. However, the Noodle Nook will probably save you money in the long run. When you eat at certain places you might feel full but then for some unknown reason, 20 minutes later you are hungry again. Then, you must go through the trouble of finding something else to eat, spending more money in the process. Unless you magically come across some form of free food.

The Noodle Nook’s average wait time is around 8 minutes and the food is always hot and fresh. A wait time of 8 minutes isn’t that long when you think of it, it’s simply two songs in your headphones. So, while you are waiting, put your AirPods in — but maybe not too loud so you can hear them call your name.

The feeling of being hungry and having to wait what seems like an eternity is not something we like; especially if you are within the 34.4% of college students that do not eat breakfast. Something important to note about the Noodle Nook is that its hours of operation, according to GrubHub, are 11 a.m. - 4:35 p.m. Monday through Friday. Although these hours make the Noodle Nook a primary lunch spot for students, it still is worthwhile to take the time to go because of all the reasons I have listed. I will be giving the Noodle Nook four shamrocks for one reason: They should have longer hours for dinner and consider being open on the weekends. After living in a year of limited hours, and some restaurants not surviving the pandemic, I would love to see restaurants make a true comeback with the right resources to keep all of their workers and customers safe and healthy.

Restaurant: The Noodle Nook Location: Huddle Mart in the LaFortune Student Center Favorite Food: Ramen Bowl Shamrocks: 4 out of 5