Noodle Box

My life is a broken record player.
I reiterate the same story over and over, many many times and I get quite sick of writing it.
I think...I have a bad habit of not learning from mistakes. And that can be the most stupid and dangerous thing ever.

So damn it, yet again I am only at Noodle Box because another restaurant had already closed by the time I got there. And even Noodle Box was on the verge of closing, and they wouldn't even serve the poor customer who came in less than 5 minutes after I.
I feel for you, man. It's hurts to be deprived of dinner.

I'd planned to go to this Jap restaurant, for a late lunch at around 4pm. Not much of a surprise but alot of devastation, it hadn't opened yet at that hour.
Fine. I'll catch them again when they open for dinner.
A few short hours later, we stroll back to the same restaurant.
"Sorry, we're closed" WHAT?! First I'm too early, now I'm too late?! Not much devastation this time but alot of frustration. And what I'd call a hunger rageee.
It's like I emit this radar that automatically shuts restaurants down when I get into their vicinity. Spooky spooky stuff and soo not cool bro.

So anyway, by now, I didn't care what I was going to eat anymore. My stomach was doing somersaults everywhere. You know, like when you're so hungry you wanna throw up like your own intestines.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen, because I kept them in place with the following (not very attractive meals at all) - but then again, when does take out ever look attractive anyway? Eating too much of it would probably even make one look unattractive at that :(

Honey Soy Chicken Box

I think I was somewhat craving a sweet tasting thing to eat, but did not fancy a dessert for my dinner. I guess that's how I naturally chose the Honey Soy Chicken box, that consisted of thick egg noodles, chicken, baby corn, cashew nuts and Asian vegetables wok tossed in honey and soy sauce.

I'd rather eat something with a sweet tinge rather than something that's too salty. And for some, they might get sick of the sauce the more they eat of this cause the sweetness would start to build up after a while. I'm a sweet person naturally, :), so I can deal with that.

First few mouthfuls in and I was like, woah, they are REALLY generous with their chicken! It was everywhereee and initially I had thought they had piled most of the meat on top with nothing deeper into the box. For the first time ever, I was pleased to say that I was wrong. SO MUCH CHICKEN, but that's about it. The downfall of this was that I probably ate only 2 little, tiny, VERY BABY INDEED corn.

Combo Box

This was ordered as the small serve and I think by the time we switched boxes to eat, I was nearly halfway through my LARGE Honey Soy Chicken Box and this was still full. Oh, hel-lo :)

For variety, this choice is probably the way to go. A compilation of thin egg noodles, roast pork, lean beef, chicken, prawn, shrimp and vegetables wok tossed in oyster sauce gives you a little bit of a lot. You can sample an entire farm in here.

For me, this got a bit salty after a few mouthfuls, but that's just me. There was only one prawn, but decent amount of shrimp in there. And man, get towards the bottom of the box and your stir fry nearly turns into noodle soup! The amount of sauce is crazy, with about 2cm+ of liquid drenching your noodles.

Small and Regular sizes

Here's a rough idea of the difference in sizes that are available. It doesn't seem like a lot, but the large is bigger in height and also in width. Not sure if it's worth the extra $4/$5 though, you're probably just paying for more noodles. You can get out and buy 10 packets of 2 minute noodles and be very happy with that.

The small box IS quite adorable though. Mini versions of just about everything are though, right? Cause small things are always cuter :P Just not when it comes to food sizes. Upsize all the way! But good things do come in small packages ;)

With all the stuff these paper/cardboard boxes can hold, you can tell they're pretty sturdy and reliable and you need not worry about your noodles ending up on your lap rather than your stomach, unless you're a messy eater like me, and might end up with half the noodles on your face.

And in this case, looks really can be deceiving. I thought these wouldn't fill me up, and I didn't manage to finish it. And well, you know how much I eat. And if you don't, that's even better :$ I think I'm constantly expanding my stomach with all the stuff I stuff into it. Sigh. I can't even go for the small sizes anymore. (Food wise). Clothing wise, it's a miracle that I can only choose small.
I think that's something worth celebrating :)

...

Lucky Noodle Box is a fast grab-and-go take out. When you want food and you want it quick, Noodle Box is a good option to go for. Plus, the chef really packs those noodles into the box even though the box looks deceptively small. Believe me, it's not. Don't be a judger.

They've got quite a big choice on their menu to cater for tastes. They've got variations of Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Malaysian influenced noodles with choices like Satay, Teriyaki, Pad Thai and Nasi Boxes. Not sure how authentic/real they would taste though. Also a range of gourmet noodle boxes for a limited time, designed by Masterchef Adam Liaw. I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE NOT WATCHED A FULL EPISODE OF MASTERCHEF!!! So. Ashamed.

Hmm, what else. Oh, service is quick but not exactly friendly. I don't know if it was because staff get crankier with customers coming in near, or at closing time. I'd worked in hospitality for ages, and shamefully I have to admit to being one of those staff. But ironically I am also one of those customers. I'm so bad.

The back of our receipt - oh, speaking of receipts, I noticed a policy they had which states that if you do not receive a receipt following your order, you are entitled to a free meal. Odd, risky and even a little unnecessary in my opinion, but meh, their loss and our benefit if it does happen :P
So anyway, the back of our receipt entitled us to a $2 side of spring rolls or dimsim with any meal order. Asked for it but was told we could only redeem it the next time we come. Which, truthfully, will probably be a decade away, or the next time a restaurant closes on me, which will probably be tomorrow.
This is the first time I've tried Noodle Box after all. But still, why couldn't I redeem it right then and there?

If you're hot, healthy and fresh...everybody wants you!
So what's your take on that statement? And yeah, that came with a picture of a young girl and a group of breakdancers. And a box of noodles underneath. I am the slowest person you'll ever meet and thus I thought this was an advertisement for recruitment for Noodle Box. Lame, I thought. And superficial.

Upon closer inspection, I realise it's promotional marketing material for Noodle Box instead. And suddenly, I thought this was genius! LOL. I think that's a pretty witty claim to make. I mean, I know I'd definitely choose something hot, healthy and fresh...food and people alike ;)
The hotter the better..................................................... cause I quite like spicy food.
HAH! I'm not superficial. =p

Rasa Nyonya Penang

You know, one of the worst things in the world is rejection.
Rejection is ugly, it's unwanted and you never want it to happen to you. But of course, no doubt you'd face it at some point and it will pounce on you like a bitch.
But you know, if you're going to hit the ground, hit it harder and bounce back even higher.
You need that drive, that persistence, and the passion for whatever you want to keep you trying until you succeed.

Giving up is for the weak, and well...I'm pretty weak. ANTI CLIMAX?!

So yeah, that little dramatic inspirational story up there just sums up my experience with trying to eat at Rasa Nyonya Penang. LOL EVEN BIGGER ANTI CLIMAX?! No dramatic life changing story of my life or how I succumbed gruesomely to rejection or how I got burnt by the love of my life or anything like that. No no no, sorry no juicy gossip to share just yet ;)

So anyway back to my story, I developed a rather thick layer of skin on my face and after about 3 unsuccessful tries to eat here, I was determined to not back down and let them get away with turning me away every time. Gotta show that you're tough stuff, you know?

Though I must admit, it does get frustrating when you want something, go there 3+ times, on separate days, and still get shat on.
Says they close 2.30pm, get there at 2 give or take, and they don't accept anymore customers.
Says they close 9.30pm, get there at 9 ish (no give, just take) and they don't accept anymore customers. Really man, really. Stop playing with me.

So, another try, and we got here at 12.30pm ish, which is something we should have thought of earlier. But you know, its a struggle to get up anytime before noon and being a deep sleeper means I could probably sleep through a nuclear bomb also. Nevertheless, I woke extremely early at 10 that day, pretty grumpy, and would have chucked a hissy fit if this store was closed.

I was pretty excited when it came around to ordering. I can't help it, you know the feeling, when you finally get what you want? That feeling of achievement, cause you kept at it until you win? Yeahhh. I sound like a fool, cause this is nothing at all. But still.

So after some wasted time and a lot of indecisiveness, some eeney-meeney-miney-mo was involved in the following orders:

Malaysian Curry Laksa

I've noticed, laksa is always ordered, if we see it on the menu. I think it's good to try the same thing at different places to suss out the quality at each one, then you know where to get the best one. Plus, apparently laksa is the 7th most delicious food in the world (says a banner stuck to their wall).

And well, I can't complain about Rasa's version of this widely lusted after but also widely screwed up dish. Okay, maybe not to the extent of screwed up, but more like the changes to taste and appearance are so far fetched from each other at each different restaurant.

Yummy schtuff

But seeming like quite an authentic Malaysian restaurant, their laksa here is really scrumptious, creamy and smooth. Coconut milk curry soap laden with noodles, chicken, prawns, fish cakes, tofu skin and bean sprouts. When isn't that scrumptious?! Sometimes, but not often. And yeah, that's right, soap. Heh. Typos in menus always give me the chuckles. Like when you go to a seafood restaurant and order a plate of crap instead of crab.

Penang Char Koay Teow

We also gave their Penang Char Koay Teow a go, this dish being a well known, well loved favourite hawker dish of Malaysia, of the world. This was pretty tasty. Fragrant and aromatic steam going up in the air. I always like to waft all the steam into the direction of my face and take a biggg sniff of the really good smells. Got that strong wok hei flavour lah.
This was described to be the "Penang famous wok fried rice noodles with seafood (prawns, squid, fish cake) and bean sprouts. Lots and lots of bean sprouts. Like nearly on par with noodles level of bean sprouts. Hahaha, not quite yet, but just about. I'm not complaining because I like bean sprouts, but just a warning.

Special Telur Tofu

It's always good to have something that stands out from the crowd, something new, something unusual and something a bit different from the ordinary boring suspects. Because once you order it, you love it or you hate it, but at least you've tried it and it is now no longer a novelty.

I think eating is an adventure on its own and it's great if you find pleasure in making new discoveries and tastes. That being said, I was reluctant to order this at first and really wanted to opt for their style of Malaysian curry chicken dish instead. But when it came down to it, the waitress standing in front of me, waiting for an answer, my curiosity blurted out TELUR TOFUUU. And then I sat around, half regretting my decision, half hoping for the best.

Interesting garnish choice!

And boy, I wasn't let down. Pleasant surprises are so pleasant. The presentation of this was very nice, a cylindrical structure composed of all sorts of deliciousness, surrounded by artwork of a food artist's scribbles. This tower of gold was constructed out of deep fried eggs and bean curd with kerabu sauce, garnished with carrot threads. The garnish was a little unmatched to the dish but who cares, when the rest of the dish is so awesome? But eat fast, before it gets bored and gets all soft and stuff.

Wowwwww

 Everything just looked so gorgeous, its contrasting colours and textures, its glistening, glimmering beauty just had me in awe.

Gahhhhh

I didn't let anyone touch it until I was satisfied. I couldn't stop taking pictures of it! I started feeling like some sick, perverted photographer, and that's when I finally put my camera down and raped it with my spoon.

The insides, after I wrecked it

Everything was stuck together, interweving each other with an intricate lattice of something I'm guessing was the egg, as there were no actual egg pieces to be seen or eaten. Cubes of tofu were also fried til crispy skinned and fragrant. I had no knowledge of what kerabu sauce was whatsoever, but it bore resemblance to the dark, caramelly soy sauce used in Asian dishes. It was, however, salty, sweet and slightly sour at the same time and also spicy from the inclusion of some sweet chilli sauce. Gosh, I think my S key just died on my keyboard :S

...

This was worth me to keep coming back just to try and step foot into this restaurant. I got a bit grr because as Rasa is further along the eating strip of Albany Highway, it is further to drive to. And efforts are wasted cause it's flippin CLOSED all the time. Then when I head back to find another restaurant everything else is closed as a result. Grr.

However, everything tasted fresh and authentic. A steady lunch crowd kept trickling in, lots of Malaysians - a good sign. I guess it's the good food and the reasonable prices charged, this meal came to the $30 mark. Reasonable right?! I would say so.

One thing that did irritate me a little was that everything had seem to run out, even though it was only the beginning-ish of lunch hour. I'd ordered their Roti Canai, to which I was told they had ran out. I thought those were house made anyway. Then I'd ordered their Pisang Goreng with Cheese (deep fried banana with condensed milk and cheese), and those were ALSO out. I gave up trying to ask for anything else. Though I guess with the prices of bananas having been sky high, bananas have sorta disappeared and fell off the face of the earth.

I was looking forward to trying their Dinosaur Milo, with such an enticing name it reminds me of childhood and I've always had a strong affection for Milo. However I was way too full, and I didn't want to risk it. Always a next time to try "Malaysia's favourite choco malt drink"! They offer a wide variety of interesting drinks and judging by orders on others' tables, they are worth a try.

They seemed to be having a fit out of their lights the time that we ate there, so the electrician kept having to flick the lights on and off and on and off. Lololol. On top of that, the waitress was efficient and all, but she gave the vibe that she was really busy, and I felt like I was wasting her time by trying to order. Kept wanting to take the menu away from me! She did, and put it on the next table, so I got up to the next table, and stole it back :)

I wanted to study it closely after my order, cause I think menus are such good reading material and good time passer to wait til your food gets served. Time goes so quick when I'm studying food and drool all over the menu.
Time flies when you're doing something you love, right?