1010 Hopper Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95403
(707) 523-2358
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Mon – Sat 9am to 9pm, Sun 10am to 8 pm
http://leesnoodlehouse.com/
Last Visited: March 4, 2006
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $
Lee’s Noodle House is located in a small shopping center amongst some other small restaurants and businesses. The room is a bright yellow with light streaming in from the front windows. It’s an open space where you see the little nook on the left with several tables, and everything else is right in front of you. Directly above the wood paneled counter area are some white wall insets displaying plants. One of the other nooks contains a fat buddha figure. Other wall hangings of various flowers are displayed around the room. Red lanterns hang from the ceiling in front of the counter.
The tables are topped with green tablecloths and covered by glass tops. Light maple wood chairs surround the tables. On top of each table is a napkin holder and a small lazy susan containing standard Vietnamese condiments including fish sauce, soy sauce, red chili paste, hot sauce, Maggi sauce, salt, and pepper. A stack of chopsticks are also placed upright in a container on the table. Underneath the glass is a color photo showing some of their specialties. It’s great for those who have never tried Vietnamese food, and even better, the photo and the real-life dish actually do look the same.
Thus far, I have visited only for lunch. Each visit has been good and quite consistent in terms of service.
- Combination Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Dac Biet) – The standard eye round steak, well-done flank seak, soft tendons, tripe, and fat brisket are served over rice noodles in a hot broth. A plate of bean sprouts, thai basil, jalapenos, and lemon or lime accompany the noodles. Overall, it’s a great bargain. The broth is light, and I imagine similar to home made versions of the dish. It’s not as heavy in flavor as others, but still very good. Regular $4.65, Large $5.50
- Grilled Pork & Egg Roll with Rice Noodle (Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio) Cold rice noodles are topped with thin slices of grilled pork and an egg roll cut into sections. Cilantro, chopped peanuts, sliced carrots, and sliced pickled turnip strips are served with the grilled pork. There is also a side of fish sauce vinaigrette. The pork has excellent flavor. Everything had a fresh flavor and the mixture of textures and flavors are balanced in combination. Good. $5.75
- Lee’s Special Noodle – A quarter of a roasted chicken (dark meat) is placed in a bowl of light broth and egg noodles. The plate of bean sprouts and basil served with the combination soup also accompanies this one. This broth is a little different than the beef broth, but it too has that great flavor that is further accented by the fresh herbs. The chicken has excellent flavor and the skin has a beautiful golden brown color. It’s a little hard to maneuver since it’s not cut into pieces, but it does taste great. It’s a great dish to try. Only one size available. $6.50
When the place gets busy, it will take forever to get a check, so you have to ask for it. If you need anything, it’s better to be outspoken, otherwise you might not receive what you need. They bring food quickly, but service as a whole is fair. Granted, there’s only one person servicing the entire room. However, you can still get in and out within an hour. Value is excellent. No single item on the menu exceeds seven dollars. It’s great for a quick lunch on the go.
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