Review: Noodle Harmony brings glee with quality dishes
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Noodle Harmony, a restaurant that serves Szechuan and Hunan-style noodles, is categorized as one of the top 10 best noodle restaurants in Monterey Park on Yelp.
When I stepped foot inside of Noodle Harmony, I thought the atmosphere was cozy and the place was well-decorated as each piece of decor complemented one another. With a total of 12 tables aligned closely to each other and half of the tables occupied with customers, it seemed like a popular place in the Monterey Park area to grab a bite. The first thing that caught my attention was not the beautiful dangling lights, but the hand-painted, black-and-white mural on the wall stretching from one end to the other.
My friend and I were seated immediately. The utensils and dishes matched the ambiance of the restaurant due to its elegant floral design on the dishes. The table itself had a scenic image of mountains and trees, created with only blue and white paint.
Glancing at the menu, I saw that there were four categories of food: cold dishes, hot dishes, appetizers, and noodles. The price ranged from $3.99 to $12.99, which I perceived as very reasonable for noodles. Although the house special beef noodle soup was highly recommended by the waitress, my friend ordered the dan dan noodles ($6.99), whereas I opted for the house deluxe noodle soup ($9.99). This way, we were able to experience one dish with soup and one without.
Before arriving at Noodle Harmony, I had read reviews on Yelp—most of which were highly in favor of the restaurant. Due to the positive reviews, I had high expectations of the food and service. The food arrived quicker than I anticipated. I was informed that the house deluxe consisted of rice noodles, broth, homemade egg slices, small pieces of pork, homemade fish balls, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and chopped green onions. The rice noodles themselves were delicious and met my expectations regarding taste and texture. The texture was almost perfect, as it was both chewy and soft while sustaining a subtle flavor. Next, I tried the broth and found it refreshing but flavorful and satisfying all at once. So far, I was impressed. However, a few of the toppings, such as the egg slices, pork, and bamboo shoots, were disappointing to me as they lacked flavor and had no taste. On the contrary, the homemade fish balls were superb. They melted in my mouth and had a delectable taste—a taste of fresh fish that was not overpowering. The fish was very well-seasoned.
The dan dan noodles, however, were truly an eye-opener as to why Noodle Harmony is listed as one of the top 10. Not only was it one of the inexpensive dishes, its taste was exploding with flavor. I had tasted mild spiciness, a wholesome meaty taste, and the dish’s irresistible, rich sauce. We chose a mild spice level since customers can select the level of spice they desire. I admired how a dish that consisted of just rice noodles, minced meat, sauce, and chopped green onions on top could have such an impact on my taste buds.
In the end, I would recommend Noodle Harmony for noodle enthusiasts or for those who are interested in Szechuan and Hunan-style noodles. With its good service, reasonable prices, and quality dishes, it sure is worth a try.
