The owners of Noodle Street have a concept, and they’re not going to let you forget it. Every element of this Comm Ave Thai joint gets the same food-as-roadway spin. On the menu, the appetizers are listed on "Appetizers St," the soups on "Soups St," the salads on "Salads St," the fried rice on — get ready for a twist! — "Fried Rice Ave." A big spray-painted sign reading "Noodle St" adorns one wall. And the restaurant’s mascot — a little black figure posed on a bright-yellow background, just like on construction signs, only holding a steaming bowl of some unspecified foodstuff — is everywhere. This theme has its charms, but it wears a bit over the course of a meal. The food at Noodle Street holds up better, thankfully. The crispy chicken with plum sauce ($5.95) featured three decent-sized pieces of the bird, coated with a mild, satisfyingly greasy breading. They weren’t lean, but had plenty of taste, and worked well with an accompanying side of sticky rice. Oddly, the fried-chicken spring rolls ($4.95) seemed to have been baked, and had a dryness and toughness that undermined their basically pleasant flavor. Fortunately, "See You" ($6.96) — Noodle Street’s rendition of Pad See Yoo, prepared with tofu and vegetables and a boiled egg ($1 extra) in Noodle Street’s build-your-own-dish system — had no such weaknesses. The tofu was suitably firm; the vegetables (carrots, and both Chinese and regular broccoli) were pleasantly crisp; and the chewy noodles, which tasted quite fresh, nicely showcased the sauce’s earthy flavor. Noodle Street isn’t Boston’s most sophisticated Thai restaurant. But if you’re looking for a quick, solid meal in a convenient location, it merits a visit. Noodle Street, located at 627 Comm Ave, in Boston, is open Monday through Thursday, from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm, on Friday and Saturday, until 11 pm, and on Sunday, from noon to 10:30 pm. Call 617.536.3100.
|