Noodle Palace - Vietnamese, Thai, Santa Rosa

1310 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa CA 95404

(707)  528-1548

Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon - Sat 10:30am - 9:30pm, Sun 10:30am - 8:30pm

Last Visited: July 2, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

My aunt and uncle recommended we try out Noodle Palace.  If ever the phrase 'looks can be deceiving' were appropriate to talk about a restaurant, Noodle Palace is certainly the place where if you were looking only at the outside, you might run in the opposite direction fast.  However, I've now been there twice, and both times, I was pleased with the food.  If you can look past the white building with red roof and homemade white sign with red letters, you might enjoy what Noodle Palace has to offer.

My guess is that location once housed a Mexican restaurant.  With a white brick wall and metal fencing above the wall surrounding their own parking lot and more metal bars covering up the windows of the restaurant, the outside decor doesn't seem to fit Southeast Asian or Vietnamese food.  When you see the arches inside the restaurant, you might also be surprised, but inside, you'll find a simple and clean environment with large wall murals depicting Thai or Laotian women dancing and of course, the giant flat screen television (very common for restaurants of this style in the Bay Area).   A white board at the front shows that Noodle Palace has added a number of specials to its Vietnamese menu and the specials are typically Thai curries and other Thai dishes.  The restaurant has morphed into offering Southeast Asian food.  I talked to the owner and found out that they're of Cambodian descent, so they pretty much feel comfortable cooking everything from that region.  In the cooler up front, you'll see the selection of beer available and get a look at the tri-colored drinks/desserts (rainbow drink) unique to Southeast Asian cuisine.

During our first visit for dinner, we had bowls of pho.

- Pho -  The hot soup came with with well done flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe.  As is typical with these bowls, the noodles are formed into a ball at the bottom with hot broth poured on top along with the selection of meat you have chosen.  Accompanying the soup is a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapenos, and a wedge of lime.  I liked how the broth was lighter than some of the other places in town, but still very flavorful and delicious.  Good. Four stars.  XLarge $7.95, Large $6.95, Small $5.95

- Pad Thai  - The pad thai came with a choice of meat.  When we asked the server about the chicken and whether it was breast or dark meat, she responded breast meat.  One of my fellow diners ordered this dish with chicken and the other with pork.  The chicken turned out to be dark meat.  The pork tasted like it had been boiled and then stir fried, so it wasn't very flavorful and a little dry.  The noodles were good - softer than some other preparations we had tried, but not falling apart yet.  The flavors also weren't as sweet which we appreciated.  Bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and lime wedges accompanied the noodles.  Presentation looks a little messier than some others that I've seen, but the taste was good.  The carrots were a bit on the dry side - however they're storing it, it should be covered with saran wrap to maintain moisture better.  Aside from that, I found it alright.  Three stars.  $8.95

- Rice Plate with BBQ Pork, prawns, and egg rolls - The BBQ Pork is marinated and sliced thin, then grilled.  After it comes off the grill, it's sliced into small squares.  The meat is served with a skewer containing three grilled shrimp, an egg roll, pickled vegetables, white rice, dipping sauce, and a bowl of clear broth.  There is a lot of food on this plate!  The BBQ pork tasted super fresh and with the dipping sauce, it's a great balance of sweet, salty, and grill flavoring.  The shrimp was cooked just right - tender and succulent.  The egg roll was crispy and very fresh.  The pickled cabbage and carrots added texture and balance to the dish.  I was delighted with the plate that came and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Four stars!  I would definitely get this again.  $7.95

Service is friendly and when it comes to pho, it's fast.  For stir-fried dishes, the wait time is longer. I was disappointed that our server didn't know that the chicken meat for the pad thai was actually dark meat.  Also, when you're waiting for your check, you might want to flag down the server because they don't normally bring it until you ask.  Payment is made at the front counter. 

Overall, the food is reasonably priced and the value is great.  From what I've tried so far, I would stick to the Vietnamese dishes for more authentic flavors, but I would be willing to try a Thai curry dish or two to see how it goes. 

If I were to give Noodle Palace some advice, I would suggest they work on their servers' knowledge of the food more and also consider upgrading the exterior.  A little paint in bright Southeast Asian colors (maybe chartreuse or orange) or at the least, a change of their signage, would guarantee attracting more customers, and once inside, the food will keep them coming back.