A heaven for noodle lovers and slurping experts, the Noods Noods Noods Oakland - Asian Food Festival held on April 7th, 2018 was the perfect place to get your noodle fix. Presented by Nissin Cup Noodles and hosted by Foodbeast for the grand opening of the new Esports Arena Oakland, this festival served exclusive and limited noodle dishes and Asian inspired food fusions from local Bay Area restaurants. From drinks to desserts, there was a lot to feast on in the AYCE (all you can eat) section of the festival.
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine: Volcano Dream Cup Noodles
The Volcano Dream Cup Noodles at Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine’s booth were an eye-popper, both visually and flavor wise. The pan fried Cup Noodles, smothered in a spicy Thai devil sauce, balanced precariously on a bone—a literal representation of eating straight off the bone. Despite the intense spiciness and smokiness from the eclectic aromatics that included bird's eye chili, tamarind, cumin, garlic, onion and cilantro, the bites of melt-in-your-mouth short ribs were a reason to keep going for more.
K-Tea: Chili Cheese Jianbing
Jainbing is a traditional Chinese street food, but K-Tea’s version was certainly not just any ordinary Chinese crepe. The highlight of the Chili Cheese Jianbing, filled with a layer of chili cheese and ramen noodles, had to be the Hot Cheetos. Topped with even more cheese sauce and Cheetos, the spicy hot and crunch of the addicting and popular snack took the jianbing to a different level, winning over taste buds of Hot Cheetos lovers and alike.
Hil's Catering: Ramen Wrapped Fried Shrimp
One bite of the Ramen Wrapped Fried Shrimp from Hil’s Catering was a journey through layers of a well composed appetizer: heat from the spicy habanero chimichurri sauce, crunch of the fried soy marinated ramen, and the incredibly plump and juicy jumbo shrimp.
Curry Up Now: Veggie Biryani Dream Cup Noodles
Another dish featuring Cup Noodles, Curry Up Now’s take on the instant ramen featured Indian flavors of biryani masala front and center with ginger and garlic paste. The Veggie Biryani Dream Cup Noodles came tossed with sliced bell peppers and sautéed onions, and was topped with crispy fried onions. Mint, cilantro and julienned ginger added a fresh and bright dimension to this comfort dish.
Z & Y Restaurant: Hand Pulled Noodles
Not only were the Hand Pulled Noodles of the Z & Y Restaurant a reason to stop in your tracks, it's theatrical Kung Fu Tea performance was the star of the show. The depth in flavor of the sauce coating the noodles came in waves of tastes that filled the mouth: a smooth and slightly sweet tang, followed by a smack of spicy hot satisfying burn.
Bamboo Asia: Tandoori Chicken Futomaki
Pleasing for both the stomach and the eyes, the Tandoori Chicken Futomaki was stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink: chicken tandoori, Delhi slaw, tomato chutney, sriracha, eggplant chips, avocado, cilantro, and pickled cucumber. Rolled in Bamboo's secret “Street Crack” spice and showered in edible flower petals, this sushi roll was almost too pretty to eat, but the delicious rollercoaster of flavors and textures was irresistible.
808 Poke Shack: Pop Rocks Marinated Poke
This dish certainly made a fire-cracking entrance: the popping and crackling sounds could be heard when handed the Pop Rocks Marinated Poke. The Pop Rocks, marinated with poke tuna, added a surprise crunch and a hint of sweetness. Lathered in a spicy gochujang mayo and served on a bed of mixed greens, 808 Poke Shack's inventive creation blew up the mouth with a mini explosion of textures.
Michi: Korean Short Rib Kimchi Tacos and Korean Fried Chicken
The Korean Short Rib Kimchi Tacos and Korean Fried Chicken both featured a great fusion of flavors. The short ribs in the taco were soft and tender, and the wasabi guacamole and gochujang sauce on top were addicting. Michi’s soy sauce chili and orange reduction coating the bite size crispy fried chicken was the perfect balance of spicy and sweet, showcasing yet another well thought out component of the dishes.
Chick’n Rice: Khao Mun Gai and Mango Sticky Rice
Chick’n Rice, which has a storefront located right in Downtown Berkeley, served its famous Khao Mun Gai and Mango Sticky Rice. The tender poached chicken and rice was light but flavorful, and the slices of cucumbers added a crunch of freshness. Dessert was the icing on the cake, with a cold scoop of Thai tea ice cream melding perfectly with the warm sticky rice, creating a mouthful of delightful flavors and textures.
Matcha Cafe Maiko: Matcha Vanilla Swirl Shaved Ice
With everyone’s stomachs full of spice and salt, Matcha Cafe Maiko’s Matcha Vanilla Swirl Shaved Ice was a nice interlude to satisfy the sweet tooths. The swirl of matcha and vanilla soft serve was creamy and soft, and soothed tongues that were still burning from the other spicy food offerings at the festival. A scoop of aduki beans and chestnuts took the sweetness up a notch to complement the slight bitterness of the matcha.
Boba Guys: Strawberry Horchata Milk Tea
The Strawberry Horchata Milk Tea from Boba Guys packed a punch of balanced sweetness in its small and mighty mini cup form. This flavor debuted exclusively for the Noods Noods Noods festival. The plump and chewy tapioca pearls were still soft and tender, and the combo of strawberry and horchata was clearly a hit when the straw struck the empty cup bottom too soon.
Powder Shaved Snow: Lychee Martini Shaved Snow
Powder Shaved Snow’s dessert felt like soft snowflakes landing gently on your tongue. The fluffiness and smoothness of the Lychee Martini Shaved Snow, made from a vodka infused lychee puree, paired beautifully with a burst of sweetness from the housemade peach glaze drizzled on top.
With such a variety of noodle and Asian-inspired dishes featured at the Noods Noods Noods Oakland festival, noodle lovers and alike were able to leave with full and satisfied stomachs. It was also the perfect opportunity to try some of the exclusive dishes and premiere of food items of some of the Bay Area’s best and up and coming restaurants. Despite a conclusion to the festival, this is an excuse to venture out to eat at these restaurants in person, as well as attempt to create your very own over-the-top noodle dishes with instant ramen.