Noodle-Ism:

I’ve got a crappy cold and a raging cough, and all I can think about is your Just Wonton soup. I miss it so. Full of veggies, meat, wontons, and tons of garlic, it was the perfect alternative to the obligatory chicken noodle soup.
Sigh.

The seared ahi tuna salad is incredible. Kobe beef burger will satisfy the guy in your party that doesn’t feel like eating Asian food. More laid back and affordable than the other Asian/​sushi places in the area.

If you’re looking for a good noodlerific lunch, Noodle-​ism is your spot. The Dan-​Dan noodles are nice and peanuty and the Chow-​Mein really flavorful.
Also, they use actual egg roll wrappers and not spring roll wrappers for the egg rolls (I’m looking at you every-​other-​Asian-​restaurant-​in-​Austin). The pot stickers and tofu-​lettuce wraps are great as well, but the stand out for me is the crispy tofu. I can’t go to Noodle-​ism without getting an order.

I sorta rediscovered this place during SXSW this year, when the girl, some friends and I were thinking, «If we don’t get something to eat pretty soon, we are all gonna be freakin’ wasted before the night’s over.» It was close, and we stopped in, and I found a Japanese noddle thing that I liked but didn’t realize they had on their menu. I have been back something like 10 times since. I think there’s something in their seared chili sauce that hooks, you, like crack, and makes you crave it. The service is largely indifferent, it’s counter style walk-​up most of the time, though like every establishment in Austin they have a tip jar next to their register, so in my opinion, contrary to others here, they should step it up a notch. The yummy factor cancels out other flaws.

when you go to austin with five omnivores, i guarantee you that, at least once, one of them will hear the siren song of barbecue and the other four will be unable to say no. as a vegetarian, you could go along and hope for a salad or a baked potato or, if nothing else, corn on the cob. but, if you’ve had nothing but pizza and mexican food for the last several days, there’s a good chance that you’ll crave real food, not covered in cheese, and not ordered from the side dishes section of the menu. if you happen to be extremely fortunate, as you’re walking back from a show at the belmont and the five meat-​eaters are gearing up to enter food comas at the hand of barbecue, the one other vegetarian in your party will remember that noodle-​ism is just a block away.
i happened to be extremely in this case and was able to enjoy some lovely vegetarian dan dan noodles, which had no cheese, as far as i could tell, and were ordered from the main part of the menu. the friend with whom i ate tried my meal and said he tasted too much five-​spice powder, but i have no idea what five-​spice tastes like so, as they say, ignorance is bliss.

I’ve been here 3 – 4 times. The first few times, I had high expectations and was pretty disappointed. Noodle-​ism is owned by the owners of Bistro 88, which is one of my favorite restaurants, so I was expecting it to be fantastic. I don’t remember what I ordered the first few times I was here, but none of the things I ordered rose to the level of fantastic. They were just mediocre… so much so that I didn’t go back for over a year, even though I work downtown.
So I was a little apprehensive when two of my friends — who are both also Asian — suggested that we meet here for lunch. I ordered the salmon, which was served with a pretty large pile of mixed greens tossed in a vinaigrette dressing that was quite good. Both of my friends also gave their meals a thumbs-​up — high praise coming from three foodies who are particularly picky about Asian food.
It’s definitely a Westernized version of Asian food, but if you can look past that, it’s still pretty tasty (at least, some of the items on the menu are). I did have an issue with the service (the woman at the register answered a couple of questions I had about one item on the menu; after I finally ordered it, it took her several minutes to figure out that the item I had ordered was no longer available — not just on that day, but ever, according to her), and the prices are a bit on the high side for what you’re getting — a quickish meal, counter service, and they don’t even have napkin dispensers on the tables!
Anyway, it’s basically a 3−½ star place in my book — I knocked it down to three stars since I was so totally unenthused on my first few trips there.

So far I’ve only liked one thing here… but I like it a lot. The beef dan-​dan noodles are really really tasty. has a very interesting sauce. kinda peanutty. If I’m eating this take-​out or delivery. chances are I’m licking my bowl clean. Although I think it’s an acquired taste. more adventurous types seem to like the sauce. but my meat and potatoes friends don’t really care for it.
The pad thai was really kinda bad… I’ve had better TV dinner pad thai.
The décor is ok… ehh. nothing special if you ask me.
They do deliver downtown if they are well-​staffed. which is about a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance.

The reviews already written are pretty accurate, although I’m sad to hear that Noodle-​ism has declined a bit since I last went.
One thing that I still really liked about the place was the ambiance. The oriental umbrellas hung from the ceiling and the adorable b&w photographs of the owner’s son chowing down on a bowl of noodles are just part of the «feel» of this place.
Another one thing, the mochi ice cream balls are freaking awesome – but you’ll probably pay $ 1.50 or more for one, so why not head out to an Asian supermarket and pick up a 4-​pack for like $ 2.50?
Even though you’ll probably be paying too much, it’s fun to eat here and watch the traffic go by outside.

Can’t go with the crowd on this one, folks. As previously mentioned, the prices were already on the high side. Now they’ve quit serving miso soup with the entrees. With meat adds at $ 2, the amount is crap. Recall, too, this is without wait service — order at the counter and they give you a number. Coke is $ 1.50 for a 20 oz. bottle — if you’ve ever been out with me, you know that refills (free and frequent) on Diet Coke are critical to my attitude toward a place.
On top of all this, we had a way long wait for the food to come out. They sent out totally burned egg rolls, dropped off soup with no spoons (ok, maybe this part is authentic), offered napkins grudgingly only after asked twice, and just did not seem to care about food quality or dining experience. That’s enough to keep me out.

Went downtown to Noodle-​Ism after reading good reviews and hearing positive things from friends. The menu is not extensive and the service was less than extraordinary, but the food is hot, tasty and affordable. They also have a great jasmine green tea and their veg egg rolls are very good if you don’t mind a little grease. The atmosphere was pleasant — the seating is arranged for small groups, but it’s also possible to get a table with some privacy.
And the taste buds said… Definitely worth a taste.

I really like noodles. I would rate this place 3 stars for food, but I boost it up to 4 for great service.
So another sad day at work ended in this noodle shop. I ordered the nitro bowl thinking I could handle the three chili pepper menu indicator. But after this flaming hot lips experience, San Francisco has nothing on Texas spiciness. The magnitude of difference is totally off the charts.
After 2 bites of the nitro bowl, I could no longer feel my lips. My tongue was spastic. I tried to relieve the overwhelming spicy sensation by gulping wine and waiting for the waitress to swing by to ask if everything was ok. When she finally came, I asked for milk, to only be gut-​wrenchingly denied by, «Sorry, we don’t carry milk.»
Other restaurants would take joy to watch me chow down the meal or make me order something else at an additional cost. Once she realized how much excruciating pain I was in, she offered to switch out my order at no additional cost. She’s keeping me as a customer.

it’s not that bad guys. I recommend Singapore noodles, Dan-​Dan noodles or even better, get the sides. .. the price will be more reasonable. It is a bit steep for noodles though. What else are you gonna eat dwntwn? Pizza? hmmmmm.

Very mediocre food.
Say hi to the manager Julie and congrats on her new baby.

The prices here are definitely quite inflated for what amounts to a bowl of noodle soup. For an experience I recommend the dynamite bowl. They will always warn you that it’s «really spicy» when you order it, and admittedly, you should be prepared to sweat a little. The other dishes are good, but just not worth $ 10.

Downtown noodle house on 5^th street. Prices here are kind of steep for a bowl of noodle soup — the wanton soup is almost 9 $. Food here is more singaporean/​malaysian influenced than cantonese but is heavily westernized for the downtown crowd — you will need to specify how spicey you want your soup or else you will get the bland broth.