As passersby roam the food-filled Lincoln Park neighborhood, many stop and stare at the little bowls of fake plastic lo mein, pad thai and spiced spaghetti that complement the visually oriented menu in this restaurant's storefront window. Peering a bit further inside, the sidewalk cruiser sees a bright red interior, gold-laced tablecloths and a whole lot of family pride behind this restaurant.
Co-owner Monpaga Ludwig says with absolute conviction that "the most popular dish is the pad thai"—and this writer notices that it will only set ya back $7.49. Monpaga, who worked in food establishments for about five years, opened Oodles of Noodles in 2004 with her American husband, Louis Ludwig. Since then, the two have been churning out caboodles of noodles.
Other familiar Thai items like lad nar, slightly crispy wide rice noodles layered with broccoli and Thai gravy and pad see lew, which comes with the same delicious noodles—but with eggs, brocolli and sweet sauce instead of the gravy—cost the same as the pad thai and make up just a tiny part of the noodle-rific menu. Of course, this wouldn't be "pan-Asian" without random appetizers like fried or steamed Japanese gyoza dumplings ($5.49) or Vietnamese spring rolls filled with shrimp and veggies ($3.99) on the menu. Food purists may not love the multi-cultural feel, but the diverse clientele that frequents the place doesn't seem to mind a bit.
Centerstage Reviewer: Alicia Eler
