Yang Kee Noodle


A Restaurant review of Yang Kee Noodle, a new establishment at Oxmoor Center.

A couple of weeks ago, I happened upon a restaurant review on a local website for a new place at Oxmoor Mall. I don't really remember what it said about the place, just remember the name caught my attention. Now, normally this can be a dangerous way to pick a restaurant, considering my sad experience at the Alien Inn or whatever it was called in Salida, Colorado a couple years back. (If you haven't heard the story, ask me to tell it sometime).

Well, we hopped in the RAV and roared up to Oxmoor and after a stop at The Sharper Image store we preceded up to the food court, but couldn't find anything resembling a noodle shop, so we had to reconnoiter a bit to find it. We weren't having too much luck, so I had to bite the bullet and check the mall directory (insert your own comment about guys and the trouble we have asking directions (hey, it's an X-chromosome thing, we can't help it)) and finally located it down by Galyans.

It seems that noodle shops have become quite the thing in Asia the last few years and have started popping up in trendier places in this country, and Yang Kee Noodle appears to be the first such place in Louisville as far as I know. If this isn't right, someone correct me.

Yang Kee Noodle is tucked in tight by the Galyans entrance and across from Willis Music, so it has a mall entrance and an entrance from the parking lot. The outside entrance sports a few tables on the sidewalk for al fresco dining in warmer weather. The interior was more spacious than I thought it would be. The order/pickup counter is by the mall entrance and you can look through the window by that door to watch the cooks preparing the food. The tables are made out some light-colored plywood laminate which makes for a bright decor, but this didn't really impress me. Likewise, the trend for open ceilings with exposed ductwork is one I wish would go away, but, at least Yang Kee softens the look with wooden slats over the dining area. Lighting were those ultra-contemporary little lights hanging down from two cross running power supply wires. While such lighting works in a place like Harpers, here it look out of place and maybe just a tad pretentious considering the rest of the decor. On the day we were there, it was quite warm outside and the outside doors were open and a large fan was running loudly up in the ceiling someplace, and though it may have been keeping the air comfortable in the restaurant, it made conversation almost impossible. So, the atmosphere, though several cuts above mall food court standard, still needs work in my opinion -- 6 out 10 score.

Food is ordered at the counter and you are given a felt flag on a stick and you go find someplace to sit. The wait staff brings it out in 8 to 10 minutes (not the 15 minutes they tell you at the counter). Meals are served in square black plastic bowls that resemble Japanese lacquerware. I should warn you, they are large bowls with very generous portions and they are not skimpy with the meat in their meals. Their dishes utilize a variety of noodles: egg, wheat and rice noodles. They also offer dishes served with Jasmine rice. Meats include beef, pork, chicken and shrimp, and several of the dishes can be prepared vegetarian style. Cuisines that Yang Kee borrows from are Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Korean.

I decided on the Bonsai Beef ($7.45), which was strips of sirloin with broccoli and water chestnuts in a soy-ginger sauce over jasmine rice. The meat was very tender and the veggies and sauce quite flavorful. The Jasmine rice was a pleasant surprise, quite aromatic and tasty. The portion was almost too big for me, but my one real complaint was even though it started out tasty and almost mild, it had a delayed spiciness that kept building till it was almost Thai hot at the end. Fortunately, unlike most places that go for the hot with no other redeeming quality other than pure heat, this was hot that didn't overwhelm the flavor. All in all, quite good.

As a side-note. the Bonsai Beef is NOT listed as a spicy dish. The Firecracker Chicken ($7.45), Long-Life Noodles $6.45), Classic Pad Thai ($6.95) and Island Green Curry ($7.95) ARE listed as Spicy (with a little flame symbol), so be forewarned.

Lynda decided on the Wild Pepper Pork ($7.95) which was sautéed pork, crispy tofu and mushrooms seasoned with Szechuan peppercorns tossed with udon (a wheat noodle). She said it was very good and while spicy, not nearly as hot as my dish. The downside was the mushrooms were a little strange to her taste (think she meant texture-wise, but not sure). Her meal was washed down with Thai Iced Tea ($1.99) which is brewed red tea with sweetened milk. They also had Vietnamese Iced Coffee ($2.25), soft drink and bottled water ($1.39), juice drinks ($1.79), coffee ($1.25) and hot tea ($1.75).

Before you leave, try the Sayonara Sweet Roll ($.99), an egg roll filled with cream cheese and lightly fried and served with chocolate and/or tangerine sauce. Very tasty light dessert.

Yang Kee Noodle also has wraps, spring and steam rolls and satays. The childrens menu includes Canton Chicken Fingers ($3.25); Peking PBJ ($2.65) which is sweet dough stuffed with peanut butter and grape jelly, then lightly fried; Yang Kee Noodles and Cheese ($2.95) their variation on mac and cheese.

The menu says they offer curb service, just call ahead, park out front and they'll wok it out to your car.

Bottom line:
Value - nine out of ten.
Food - nine out of ten.

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 11 am - 10 pm
Friday-Saturday 11 am - 11 pm
Sunday 11:30 am - 9 pm

phone 502.426.0800.
fax 502.426.9080

Posted: Thu - October 30, 2003 at 11:50 AM      

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