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| - After seeing endless commercials for this "Asian Fare" restaurant on the TV in our Bellagio suite, my husband and I treated ourselves to an early dinner at Noodles, located on the Casino floor of the prestigious Vegas hotel. Having lived in China and traveled around Asia myself, I am always up for some "authentic" Asian cuisine, and as Noodles boasted renowned chefs and dishes, I figured this was our best bet.
The only thing authentic about Noodles was its customers and staff, most of whom were Asian. My husband ordered the BBQ steamed bun appetizer, which was decent though nothing to write to Asia about. He also though ahead and ordered a $2.50 cup of white rice (no brown rice on the menu), while I ordered the Chinese broccoli "entrée." The dish was nothing more than a few large pieces of Chinese broccoli doused in a garlic sauce. Since of course there were no knives available, I had to gnaw at the broccoli bite by bite in order to finish the plate. The broccoli had been Americanized with its heavy, sugary sauce and was so fiber-esk that it was nearly inedible. By the end of the meal I had eaten more rice with soy sauce (the latter being the most delicious part of our "meals") and went back to my suite $30 bucks poorer.
Go to Noodles if: You are with a family or group and intend to eat entrees in the authentically Asian "family style" (as they were most likely meant to be eaten); are willing to put out a good $20 per person minimum; if you want some Japanese sake or Tsing Tao beer for $7 a bottle (it's a quarter in China!); if you are an interior design buff who gets off on elaborate and somewhat exaggerated Chinese décor (which gets a bit overwhelming fast).
Don't go to Noodles if: You want a quality meal for two under $50, you prefer to cut your food before stuffing it in your mouth and gnawing off the leftovers.
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