A cult hit in Seaside has sprouted a branch in Marina. The Noodle Bar’s new location in the former Pizza Paradise (384-6225) is just two weeks into existence, but what I saw there on its one-week anniversary bodes well.The menu is intact—only significantly larger, and with more vegetarian items. (The popular-as-ever spring rolls still rock, as pictured above.) The prices are the same: $5.50 for regular bowls and $6.50 for a large one. The somewhat clinical ambiance is another animal, as the feel of the coffee-shop-style counter on Fremont is impossible to replicate, but, as happened during my visit, they can now serve a party of 12, which would’ve filled the other location. (For nostalgic types there is a counter along the window).
Most importantly, the soups and noodles are still superb. My won ton soup soared on a broth I could slurp indefinitely and my pal’s chicken pho evaporated almost as immediately as mine. The Thai teas ($2.50) were just right. And the service is just as sweet and familial.