I was looking for a noodle place near Christopher Street when I found Niu Noodle House on Greenwich. When we arrived, we realized that we passed many times in front of it. It is a nice place: big with a nice decor, the exposed bricks in some areas and wood all over the place giving a bit of warmth. What really interested me in this place is their menu: they offer a wide range of Asian dishes, from dim sum, noodles or soup (well they have much more).

We started off with char siu pork buns that were really prefiguring a wonderful meal: lots of mayo that did not overpower at all the dish, the pork was deliciously fatty, the cucumber gave a nice crunch, the hoisin sauce a delightful sweetness and the buns were soft and fluffy.

We then shared scallion pancakes that were served with a Thai curry sauce.

That was pretty good, the pancakes being crispy and nicely greasy as scallion pancakes should be.

Then was the vegetable soup dumplings.

I was not sure what we would get as I more often see pork or pork & crab soup dumplings, not vegetarian. First I liked the presentation, each dumpling sitting in a spoon, making it easier to eat. We added some of the vinegar that came with it and gave some acidity to the dish and I have to say that the first bite was fantastic: like an explosion of flavor in my mouth. This is definitely a dish I recommend.

Cha Siu Pork ramen at NIU Noodle House in the West Village

Last was the char siu pork ramen soup. Before talking about the dish, let me explain couple of things. First, they have a nice selection of soups, from their house specialty, the Niu beef trifecta, that has flank steak, ribs and beef shank, some seafood or vegetarian ones, that account for approximately eleven different styles. So, you pick the soup first. Then the noodles that are made in house. You have a choice between ramen, soba, udon and Ho fun. Last, you can add toppings: extra pork, extra chicken, seafood, egg, etc.

So, as I mentioned before, we went for the char siu pork ramen, with a boiled egg (there is half an egg already, but, as we shared with Jodi, I wanted to make sure each of us would have some). This was really good, the broth being very tasty and slightly milky, the pork well cooked, although slightly on the dry side, and the homemade ramen perfectly cooked. My only complaint was the egg that I prefer with a runny yolk.

So the food at Niu Noodle House was quite good and I found the presentation nice and very appetizing, presentation that I did not expect there. I should also mention the service that was courteous and efficient, as well as the prices that are very reasonable. Would I go back? Definitely!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Niu Noodle House

I Just Want To Eat!