Noodle Wave

Noodle Wave, located in a Richardson strip mall, advertises itself as serving "Fresh Thai Cooking and Asian Fusion Cuisine."  Thai cuisine ranks right up near the top of my favorites and I had heard good things about Noodle Wave, so I ventured out to try it tonight.

Noodle Wave is located at 1490 W Spring Valley Rd, at the corner of Coit and Spring Valley in a somewhat run-down strip mall that has certainly seen better days.  Groups were just sitting around in the parking lot and on the sidewalk drinking beer and I gave it a second thought before deciding to exit my car.  I was dressed nicely coming from work and felt a little out of place in the area, but parked where I could see my car out of the lit window and headed inside.

I opened Noodle Wave's large wooden doors to find a very modern, upscale interior featuring bright colors and Eastern-style decorations.  It contrasted greatly with the drab exterior of the shopping center and I was instantly relieved.  I was greeted promptly by a friendly host who showed no hesitation when I said table for one (unlike some restaurants where you feel like an outcast for dining alone.)

I was greeted quickly by my waiter and ordered a Thai Iced Tea ($2) to drink while I looked over the menu.  It consisted of the standard array of thai appetizers like Vegetable Spring Rolls ($4.95) and Chicken Satay ($6.95), but also included specialties such as Tempura Asian Water Spinach ($5.95) and Shrimp Blanket ($5.95). Since I was alone and the appetizers appeared to be substantial, I passed on them and went straight for the entrees.  The situation was similar here with classics such as Chicken Pad Thai ($8.95) sharing space with more exotic dishes like Jungle Basil Beef ($8.95).  I settled on Spicy Tung Tac ($8.95), a noodle dish with "asian vegetables, bean sprouts, egg, peanuts, and Thai seasonings stir fried with big flat noodles" ordered with chicken, extra spicy.

Then I found my first problem.  While served in a very fashionable, slender glass, my Thai Iced Tea was too sweet. Normally the ratio is somewhere between 50/50 and 60/40 in favor of the tea. This tea was closer to 75/25 or 80/20 and was drinkable, but could have been much better. I hope mine was just made too quickly and normally more milk is used.

I waited only eight minutes for my food, but it seemed like thirty because of the couple seated next to me.  While it was no fault of Noodle Wave's, my experience was greatly diminished by the rudeness of that table, who apparently felt no shame in speaking three times louder than necessary and freely throwing around F-bombs while comparing their sex lives.  Noodle Wave is a relatively upscale restaurant, but I felt like I was in a high school cafeteria!  I managed to distract myself with the television at the bar and thankfully my food was ready before all of my brain cells had died off.

A pleasant presentation and exciting aroma had me ready to dig in.  The first bite was very good, with well-cooked white meat chicken in a savory, if fairly standard, Thai-style sauce.  The dish tasted heavily of peanuts (which I like) and the above-average sauce.  The noodles were perfect and well-mixed.  Sometimes the noodles in the center or bottom will not be mixed in properly, but instead have the sauce dumped on top, leading to bland bites later on in the meal.  Not here. 

While the dish was well-made with fresh ingredients, I did have a few qualms.  First, I had asked for the dish to be extra spicy.  I eat Thai food fairly often and have developed a good tolerance for heat.  Unfortunately, the dish arrived with medium spice at best.  While I could feel the tingle, I did not even come close to breaking a sweat.  It's possible that the waiter was trying to do me a favor by toning down the heat, but I really would have preferred the spice I ordered.  My other complaint was the lack of asian vegetables listed in the ingredients.  Unless Noodle Waves believes carrots and onions count as asian vegetables, I think the kitchen forgot a few items.  Maybe they were counting the cucumbers?

Still, I ate every bite and felt the portion size was just right.  Regrettably, it left me in the unenviable position of being satisfied without being stuffed.  Why is that unenviable?  Because I was now tempted by the much-larger-and-more-exciting-than-usual dessert menu.  Banana Pastry Delight with my choice of cinnamon, coconut, or green tea ice cream ($6.50) and Black Sticky Rice with Mango ($3.95) were both tempting me.  I usually indulge when interested, but without someone to share with tonight, I decided to return another time and avoid gastrointestinal discomfort.

Verdict: Noodle Wave is a solid Thai restaurant and definitely worth a visit.  While it wasn't perfect, Richardson is lucky to have it and I would love to go back and try one of the curry dishes.

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Cost: $10.95 + tax and tip

Closed Monday.  Accepts Visa and Mastercard.  Does not accept American Express and Discover.

Note: The drivers in this area are terrible!  Both on the way there and back, I found myself avoiding cars that weren't even attempting to follow traffic laws.  This sounds silly, but I would recommend having uninsured motorist coverage before coming here.  Cars turned in front of me, pulled out into traffic without looking, cut across multiple lanes without signaling, and assumed they had the right of way in the parking lot.