Noodlebox on Main Street Turns 1!

Article and Photographs Provided by Laura Shortt

Seeking a restaurant that offers delicious food and is community and eco-conscious?

Well look no further than NoodleBox, a Southeast Asian noodle bar located in the heart of Mount Pleasant at Main and Broadway that is fast approaching its first anniversary in the community.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the restaurant’s owner, Brad Silberg, to discuss what is in store to help celebrate the one year anniversary of this innovative establishment.

I visited NoodleBox for the first time at around 4:00 on a Friday. Anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant industry knows that this is usually the quiet time for an establishment, but when I enter the place is jumping. Silberg greets me warmly as he tells me with a smile that “Friday is our busiest day”.

We sit down at what Silberg explains is a 100% recycled table (the wood is reclaimed B.C. Pine Beetle Wood and the metal used was salvaged from demolished buildings around town). As it turns out, the restaurant is one of the most environmentally-friendly establishments in town. Everything within the restaurant (apart from the gloves worn by the chefs while preparing food) is entirely compostable or recyclable.

“We pride ourselves on being environmentally-friendly and community-conscious,” says Silberg. “That’s why we’ve decided to celebrate our one year anniversary by giving all of the profits earned on Friday, March 27^thto the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood House”. And as you know, Friday is their busiest day.

I ask Silberg why he chose to donate the profits earned on their one year anniversary to the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood House. “

They’re a great organization,” he says. “They’re incredibly community-driven. They offer afterschool programs, daycare programs and tons of other community programs for the Mount Pleasant area. We’re very excited to be able to donate to them.”

To sweeten the pot even more, on March 27^th all noodle boxes will be $5 for customers- less than half of what you’d normally pay for an item at NoodleBox. And for everyone in the room with food allergies who may be wary about eating at a Southeast Asian noodle bar, there are also peanut-free options on the menu.

The restaurant even has gluten-free noodles for the gluten-intolerant (which they refer to adorably as “Wheat cruelty-free noodles”) and will soon be offering gluten-free beer.

Furthermore, Silberg tells me that NoodleBox only uses fresh ingredients (and none of the pre-frozen vegetables you find at a lot of the big restaurant chains) and is, as Silberg describes, “extremely vegetarian and vegan friendly”. And for those who like meat in their dish, all of NoodleBox’s proteins are locally-sourced and non-GMO, not to mention the fact that their seafood options are entirely ocean-wise certified. And you won’t find MSG in any of the dishes either. NoodleBox also offers a variety of locally-made craft beers.

In a lot of ways NoodleBox seems to represent what matters to Mount Pleasant. Perhaps this stems from the fact that Silberg is himself a member of the community: he’s lived in the neighborhood for over three years.

“Mount Pleasant is a little bit funky and so are we,” says Silberg. “We specifically chose Main Street because we thought our restaurant and values would mesh really well within this community”. The results speak for themselves.

And so there are many ethical reasons to support this business. However, there’s one other very important reason to try this restaurant out that I have not yet mentioned: its food is absolutely delicious. I tried the popular Spicy Peanut Noodle Box while there and it was wonderful: a combination of noodles and vegetables cooked to perfection and bathed in a creamy peanut sauce with just the right amount of spice to give it a little kick. Yum…

So if you’re in the mood for Southeast Asian food head on down to NoodleBox on March 27^th between noon and 7 pm for $5 boxes and do something that’s good for the environment, good for the community and good for the taste buds.

Visit Noodlebox’s Website to find out more and read the menu!