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Sizzling House & Noodle knows just what to say
An other than expected lunch of noodles and more noodles, served by a robot
A wagyu beef and udon noodle dish that cooks at your table
When it arrived at our table, the cast iron dish bearing our food was so hot, there was a cardboard sleeve wrapped around the thing to keep curious fingers from getting burned. Printed on one side of the sleeve was a warning: "Caution Hot!!" On the other, simple instructions: "Stir & mix to enjoy."
When I set out for lunch, I had intended to visit China Max, finally returned after a fire shut it down in 2020. But the restaurant next door caught my attention instead, thanks to its cunning and irresistible marketing scheme: the words Sizzling & Noodles written in big bright red letters across its storefront.
Two words that say enough
It should have been too generic a descriptor to win me over, but it turned out to be alarmingly precise: those exact two words triggered a visceral craving. The restaurant's full name turned out to be Sizzling House & Noodle, but by the time I learned this, I wasn't interested in nitpicking or parsing grammar. I was interested in eating something that sizzled, and that involved noodles in some fashion.
Sizzling House was ready for me. Inside that protective ring of cardboard, a pile of udon noodles sat at the center of a small cast iron platter, still hot enough to cook what was inside: in this case, a pink ring of wagyu beef slices that were browning before our eyes. I used the provided gravy boat to pour a mushroom and pepper sauce over the entire contents of the pan: meat, noodles, soy beans, corn kernels, mushrooms, and thin slices of cheese. Finally, I did as the cardboard instructed: stir and mix.
Earlier in the cooking process...
The result was like yaki udon made in the style of hot stone bibimbap. For $17-18, you can get it with chicken, vegan chicken, shrimp, or salmon. For $40, you can upgrade to a premium cut: A5 wagyu steak. Whichever you settle on, you may opt to replace noodles with rice and the sauce with a curry. Once you order, it comes out pretty fast; you just have to be patient enough to watch it cook.
Helping to speed things along is the robot server that Sizzling House & Noodle sends out from the kitchen to carry those oh-so-hot dishes. The robot's head is shaped like a cat, and its smiling video-screen face greets diners with kewpie eyes and whiskers.
A cat robot server to carry hot platters and large bowls of soup
Robo-kitty rolls on a study base, and its multi-tiered body is ideal for carrying hot pans — and more. Flip the menu, and you'll find that this restaurant's got a second specialty: large bowls of hot rice noodle soup. Rather than udon (wheat), the soups are made with thick, slippery rice noodles. These likewise go for $17-18 — including options with chicken, beef, or shrimp — and again there's a premium offering: seafood soup featuring lobster tail, mussels, and fish for $23. Quail eggs, wood ear mushrooms, and aromatic greens contribute across the board.
A chicken noodle soup with plenty of noodles
It's maybe not a big red-letter, come-hither kind of soup, but it gave nourishing and comforting vibes that probably aligned better with what I needed. It's a tough call which entree was better. I guess I'd keep the soup in mind for chilly days, then sizzle the rest of the year.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Sizzling House & Noodle knows just what to say
An other than expected lunch of noodles and more noodles, served by a robot
Sizzling House & Noodle knows just what to say
An other than expected lunch of noodles and more noodles, served by a robot
A wagyu beef and udon noodle dish that cooks at your table
When it arrived at our table, the cast iron dish bearing our food was so hot, there was a cardboard sleeve wrapped around the thing to keep curious fingers from getting burned. Printed on one side of the sleeve was a warning: "Caution Hot!!" On the other, simple instructions: "Stir & mix to enjoy."
When I set out for lunch, I had intended to visit China Max, finally returned after a fire shut it down in 2020. But the restaurant next door caught my attention instead, thanks to its cunning and irresistible marketing scheme: the words Sizzling & Noodles written in big bright red letters across its storefront.
Two words that say enough
It should have been too generic a descriptor to win me over, but it turned out to be alarmingly precise: those exact two words triggered a visceral craving. The restaurant's full name turned out to be Sizzling House & Noodle, but by the time I learned this, I wasn't interested in nitpicking or parsing grammar. I was interested in eating something that sizzled, and that involved noodles in some fashion.
Sizzling House was ready for me. Inside that protective ring of cardboard, a pile of udon noodles sat at the center of a small cast iron platter, still hot enough to cook what was inside: in this case, a pink ring of wagyu beef slices that were browning before our eyes. I used the provided gravy boat to pour a mushroom and pepper sauce over the entire contents of the pan: meat, noodles, soy beans, corn kernels, mushrooms, and thin slices of cheese. Finally, I did as the cardboard instructed: stir and mix.
Earlier in the cooking process...
The result was like yaki udon made in the style of hot stone bibimbap. For $17-18, you can get it with chicken, vegan chicken, shrimp, or salmon. For $40, you can upgrade to a premium cut: A5 wagyu steak. Whichever you settle on, you may opt to replace noodles with rice and the sauce with a curry. Once you order, it comes out pretty fast; you just have to be patient enough to watch it cook.
Helping to speed things along is the robot server that Sizzling House & Noodle sends out from the kitchen to carry those oh-so-hot dishes. The robot's head is shaped like a cat, and its smiling video-screen face greets diners with kewpie eyes and whiskers.
A cat robot server to carry hot platters and large bowls of soup
Robo-kitty rolls on a study base, and its multi-tiered body is ideal for carrying hot pans — and more. Flip the menu, and you'll find that this restaurant's got a second specialty: large bowls of hot rice noodle soup. Rather than udon (wheat), the soups are made with thick, slippery rice noodles. These likewise go for $17-18 — including options with chicken, beef, or shrimp — and again there's a premium offering: seafood soup featuring lobster tail, mussels, and fish for $23. Quail eggs, wood ear mushrooms, and aromatic greens contribute across the board.
A chicken noodle soup with plenty of noodles
It's maybe not a big red-letter, come-hither kind of soup, but it gave nourishing and comforting vibes that probably aligned better with what I needed. It's a tough call which entree was better. I guess I'd keep the soup in mind for chilly days, then sizzle the rest of the year.
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