On the first night in Rotorua, we found Spa City Noodle Bar tucked into a mall, glowing with that unmistakable neon. Starving, we got some wontons in chilli oil and dandan noodles, gobbled them up and vowed we’d be back. And we were: the following day.
We don’t do that very often. Typically we are racing around, checking off the list of restaurant we researched and location we may never return to. But occasionally you hit the right place.
Frankly, after already knowing we would enjoy this location, we weren’t interested in rolling the dice on someplace else.
Why We Went Back to This Noodle Bar
Spa City Noodle Bar
It’s very casual and comfortabley. There’s no need for reservations. You scan a QR code, pick a table (up at the bar overlooking the open kitchen or any of the timber table), and then place your order from your phone.
It was all very relaxed but not overly polished, which I liked as I could see what was going on in the kitchen. The first time we visited we sat under the pendant lights while the second time we choose a different spot, just to mix it up.
While waiting for the noodles we began with some edamame. It was nothing fancy, just a little dish of sauce on the side to take the edge off our hunger and keep our hands busy.
It seemed like the sensible thing to do. What brought us back though was the wontons in chilli oil. The wontons was well-made and plump in a broth that had the right amount of heat.
The noodles were nothing more then decent, but they were not what I expected.
On that first visit we also ordered the dandan noodles with minced pork which I ate in its entirety without stopping. It was the sort of food that makes you look up and realize you haven’t spoken a word because you were so absorbed in eating. We strayed a little on the second day.
After having walked around all morning, I had a mild noodle dish with mushrooms and chicken; it was satisfying but not overwhelming. We shared a wonton soup with pak choi that prove to be just what I craved. While there’s not a ton of choice on offer, everything we sampled hit the mark and was consistantly good.
The phone ordering system is a little different, it takes a bit to adjust, but after that it’s fairly convenient. Just scroll through the menu, click on what you want, and hit send. No need to call anyone over.
They have an app now which has things like beef noodle soup, dandan, spicy wontons in Szechuan sauce, and a lot more that we didn’t get to try. Maybe next time.
On our second trip, we got their pan-fried dumplings too. They was crispy on the bottom, had chicken and pork inside, and came with a slightly tangy dipping sauce. They went quickly.
There was also some sort of kimchi and braised eggs on the smalls and shareables list that we thought about ordering but skipped because there was more noodles for us to eat instead.
90) and stir-fried chicken bites though which look like a decent option if you’re looking to have something to snack on between bowl. For drinks, it was all pretty basic. 30), apple blackcurrant and apple feijoa sparkling drinks, as well as a selection of juices and other sparkling options.
They also have still and sparkling water if you want to keep things simple. 50. 50) another. 00.
There were wines on offer, too, although we didn’t try them. This seemed very much the sort of venue where you might pop in for a drink if you wanted one, but it wouldn’t be the focus of your visit.
I liked that they had the ability to add extras too. If you wanted something customised and were extra hungry, you could add some rice noodles, wide noodles, more noodles, more chicken etc. We didn’t bother but it’s nice to know that the option is there. It may sound lazy to eat at the same noodle bar two nights running in a town with plenty of others to choose from.
However, we was happy there both times, so that was reason enough for us. You find a place that just works and you don’t need to overthink it sometimes. Ever been somewhere on a trip that you liked enough to go back immediately?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments.