Zao Noodle Bar

The Asian fusion restaurant has a rather interesting decor, to say the least. Box lanterns hang above tables and dark wood shelves on the walls hold various food items from the East. One of the shelves holds a bag of crispy rice snacks that my good friend Steven claims has been there since the noodle bar opened its doors. I took the picture on the left because of the huge bag of rice stuffed precariously into the rightmost shelf, hoping that it doesn't actually contain 20 lbs of rice because it hangs directly over one of the tables. Common sense would suggest that the bag was emptied and filled with foam, but the bag looks completely unopened. Here's to hoping an earthquake doesn't happen during dinnertime!

Now, on to the food. I deliberated between the "seared cilantro beef salad" and the "chicken in lemongrass coconut broth" for a long while, but ultimately ordered the latter due to it being a "Zao specialty", as proclaimed on the menu. The presentation of the dish was rather interesting, as there was a foot long stalk of lemongrass jutting out of the bowl. As for the ramen noodles, I was right to not expect much; it seemed almost undercooked. The chicken was mildly spiced and tender enough. Vegetables included cut carrots, sprigs of cilantro, and 2 slices of tomatoes, all very fresh. My favorite part, however, was the broth - thinner than coconut milk, thicker than water, perfectly infused with the flavor and aroma of lemongrass, and just spicy enough to overcome the oiliness of coconut milk. Slurp-a-licious!

Steven ordered the "Dan Dan noodles", which is a traditional Chinese Szechuan dish, normally made with ground pork and served a bowl of soup. Zao's version not only comes on a plate without broth, but has strips of chicken and beansprouts instead. I can't comment on the taste since I didn't try any, but just knowing the ingredients is probably going to steer me away from ordering this dish at Zao unless someone claims that it's practically heaven on earth. I'm quite sure I can stir fry chicken strips and noodles just fine in my own kitchen.

Wish You Were Here

Zao Noodle Bar is located at 5614 Bay Street, Emeryville.