King Noodle | Cedar Park

By Kelsey Wilkinson Friday, 19 February 2010

CEDAR PARK — Asian cuisines are diverse and the signature dishes of some of its countries offer exotic blends of flavors and textures. So, it’s not often that a modest community restaurant can successfully offer menu items from multiple cultures, but King Noodle brings Cedar Park residents excellently prepared dishes from Vietnam, China and Japan.

The restaurant is located in an Italian-style strip center on busy Cypress Creek Road, but with granite table tops, soft music and dim lighting, King Noodle is able to provide visitors with an elegant dining experience that is close to home. The interior blends elements of traditional American culture with touches of Asian inspiration, including an 8-foot tall water feature and bamboo-shaped drinking glasses.

The menu is enormous and features more than half-a-dozen pages for its patrons to peruse. It includes classic appetizers like egg rolls and spring rolls as well as traditional Chinese rice dishes, Vietnamese pho (pronounced “fuh”), sushi rolls and Japanese delicacies.

My guest and I began with the crab rangoon ($4.95). The fried crab and cream cheese dumplings came with six pieces and a generous bowl of sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. The dumplings were flaky, but not messy, and the fried shell corresponded well with the soft and creamy filling. We also tried an original sushi roll offered by the restaurant, the Cedar Park Roll ($12.95). The roll included avocado, crawfish and cucumber and was topped with tuna, salmon and a spicy sauce. The fish tasted fresh, and the sauce gave the roll a kick of spice without being overpowering.

The entrées we enjoyed included selections from the Vietnamese and Chinese menus. The pho dish, beef noodle soup with eye round steak and meatballs ($6.85), was served with a side of green onion and cilantro. The broth was especially flavorful, with a rich and savory taste, and the combination of textures—smooth liquid, chewy beef and slick noodles—created a unique sensation for the palate. The portions were generous, and there was enough leftover to take home.

We also enjoyed a traditional Chinese dish of sesame chicken ($8.50). The chicken was breaded, stir-fried, combined with pineapple and served in a sweet sauce with sides of steamed broccoli and steamed white rice. The breading was crunchy, without being over cooked, and the pineapple added a delicious sweet and tangy element, that in my experience, other restaurants seem to pass up.

Overall, the ambience was pleasant, the staff friendly and the food was well above average. King Noodle is an excellent choice for diners who can’t decide between sushi or stir-fry; spicy or sweet. It offers a delicious mix of food from different cultures, and—with a wide-ranging menu—it will likely offer something to please even the pickiest of eaters.