This weekend, Foodbeast is hosting its second annual Asian food festival: NOODS NOODS NOODS presented by Original Cup Noodles. The event on Saturday, January 27th will have some of Southern California's dopest chefs, restaurants, and breweries lining the street with food and merriment, with a bustling Super Smash Bros. tournament unfolding inside the Esports Arena.
As tradition has it at Foodbeast festivals, chefs and restaurateurs have taken to create 20+ different and exclusive menu items across the all-you-can-consume VIP and buy-as-you-go Marketplace sections. Some restaurants, like festival regular Bruxie, often use the festival as a playground to trial items that may later appear on their permanent menu.
In between stuffing your face with iconic noodle dishes and craft brews from some of the area's most sought after brewers, attention will also be on one of the largest Super Smash Bros. tournament in the area. Inside the walls of the Esports Arena, hundreds of competitors will duke it out over a cash prize pool listed in the thousands. If you're interested in a last minute signup to strut your Smash Bros. skills, sign up on the Smash.gg website!
Those of you checking out the intense Super Smash Bros. tournament at the Esports Arena and perusing the NOODS marketplace will want to have a guide to take you through the gauntlet of noodle deliciousness in store.
The all-you-can-consume VIP section is filled with so many unique eats you'll want to pace yourself to really achieve full satisfaction. Luckily, we've got all the deets right here for y'all to peruse. This list right here showcases every exclusive eat that'll be available in the Marketplace and VIP sections of the festival.
Official event information and tickets are available on noodsfest.com. We also recommend following the Noods OC Facebook Event Page and our regularly updated @NoodsNoodsNoods Instagram.
MARKETPLACE
A lot of the following Marketplace vendors will be selling more than one item, we are just highlighting the exclusive menu items only available at this event.
Norigami Tacos
Norigami's menu will be featuring these cheesy seafood ramen eggrolls. Bacon, imitation crab, cream cheese, and ramen are all stuffed inside of these on-the-go bites. Norigami's exclusive item is a creative mashup of crab rangoons, ramen, and egg rolls.
The Mad Dumpling Truck
Mad Dumpling is serving up a hefty portion of pan-fried bulgogi beef dumplings in the NOODS marketplace. They're served in a bed of sesame gochujang noodles and garnished with scallions, kimchi, and sesame seeds.
Drizzle Inc.
Matcha Kit Kats and Pocky crown Drizzle's epic dessert, a sesame ice cream funnel cake cone. Coconut jelly, sprinkles, whipped cream, and condensed milk round out the toppings on this sweet tooth-busting treat.
The Milky Way
Catering company The Milky Way is selling a karaage chicken ramen cone that'll leave you starstruck. The actual cone is a ramen-infused waffle, and even more noodles come stuffed into the cone with the Japanese fried chicken. There's also kimchi on top to turn up the heat on this trendy fusion of fried chicken and ramen.
The Tri Tip Man
California barbecue meets Chinese noodles in the Tri Tip Man's sweet and spicy tri-tip lo mein. The meat and noodles are drenched in two different sauces: a sweet and spicy plum sauce and a zesty sesame drizzle.
Ninjas With Appetite
On top of a brand new teriyaki surf and turf ramen that'll be making its exclusive debut at NOODS, Ninjas with Appetite will also be selling their internet-famous teriyaki cheesesteak burrito, giving you a chance to try one if you've been missing out on the opportunities so far.
Haute Sandwich Hut
Haute Sandwich Hut will be serving up a special surf & turf burrito in the NOODS Marketplace. They're made with shrimp, steak, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, Top Ramen, sour cream, black beans, shredded cheese, and pico de gallo.
Megadon
A whole fresh soft-shelled crab is served up in Megadon's Marketplace offering. The deep-fried shellfish is served on top of a bed of curry udon noodles, made with carrots, onions, and garlic butter.
Red Envelope
A nest of fried noodles is the final resting place for an entire Cajun lobster before it makes its way into your mouth. Known as Red Envelope's Cajun Lobster Nest, it also comes with corn, cilantro, and a Cajun XO Sauce.
And for the thirsty, there will also be three special beers on tap for sale in the Marketplace:
The Bruery will be serving up their 'Mischief', a tropical and fruity Belgian-style Ale. The Good Beer Company will have 'I Got This', an American-style Pale Ale, on tap. Finally, Smog City Brewing will offer up 'Little Bo Pils', one of their brewed Pilsners.
VIP SECTION
Bruxie: Kickin' Kimchi Ramen Waffle
With a noodle twist on their classic fried chicken and waffle sandwich, Bruxie's VIP item consists of a ramen waffle bun, kimchi cheese sauce, pork belly, and their kickin' chicken.
Ninjas With Appetite: Teriyaki Cheesesteak Ramen
Ninjas With Appetite created an epic Teriyaki Cheesesteak burrito that went viral in 2017. In that same vein, their teriyaki cheesesteak ramen will consist of teriyaki steak, and cheesy ramen noodles.
Belly Bombz Kitchen: Firecreacker Chicken Ramen Quesadilla
Belly Bombz is going crazy with a quesadilla made with ramen crepe batter. Stuffing it with their firecracker chicken, corn, cheddar, onion, and green onion makes their noodle mission complete.
Haute Sandwich Hut: Neapolitan Ramen Waffle
The exclusive dish from Haute consists of fried ramen noodles that are waffle-ized and topped with bits of Chinese chicken sausage, green onion, forbidden rice, and a sweet & sour drizzle.
Cali Tacos: Carne Asada Cup Noodles
Cali Taco's owner, Josh Torres, has developed a special Carne Asada ramen that heralds his signature restaurant. The noodles come with carne asada, shredded cheddar, cabbage, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese, all topped with Cali Sauce.
Ten Asian Bistro: Spam, Eggs and Parmesan Cup Noodles
Ten Asian Bistro's Andrew Molleda has given a breakfast-like twist to Cup Noodles. Spam, scrambled eggs, veggies, and ramen noodles are tossed together in a house Yakisoba sauce and Sriracha. That all gets topped off with quail eggs, more spam, and nori.
Starry Kitchen: Chili Crab Noodles
Starry Kitchen starts off with a live crab to make these noodles happen. The crab is fried then cooked in a spicy Chinese chicken stock. That sauce gets an egg scrambled in before getting ladeled over a pile of garlic noodles.
Clever Leaf: Stuffed Crab Claw Garlic Noodles
A traditional Chinese dim sum item gets elevated in this exclusive Clever Leaf item. Garlic noodles are stuffed into a shrimp patty, which is deep-fried with a soft shell crab claw sticking out of it.
Miyabi Uni: Miyabi Uni Ramen Bowl
Miyabi's special Seafood Ramen Bowl is topped with uni, aka sea urchin. It's made with a seafood ramen base and served with a spicy sauce that'll make your tastebuds tingle.
Supernatural Sandwiches: Scallop and Bacon Mini Roll
An explosion of seafood flavor, this mini scallop roll comes with a plethora of toppings. Romaine lettuce, bacon, aguachile ponzu, and black garlic squid ink aioli all turn this sandwich into a mouthwatering, unique bite.
Mama Kristy's: Mama Kristy's Chicken Soto Ramen
A take on Indonesian Chicken Soto, a herbal broth made with onions and other aromatics is served alongside chicken and egg to make this Chicken Soto Ramen a prime option.
The Pie Hole: Yakisoba Pot Pie
The Pie Hole is putting a unique Japanese twist on their classic pies. Their Yakisoba Pot Pie consists of yakisoba noodles, steak, cabbage, and yakisoba sauce packed into a mini pie crust.
Megadon: Mini Poke Bowl
If you're looking for a quick refreshment from all of the starchy noodles, Megadon will have some fresh poke bowls available in the VIP section as a neat palate cleanser.
__________
Red Envelope: Summer Spring Rolls
Sure it's not summer anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't sink your teeth into Red Envelope's vibrant Summer Spring Rolls. The rolls are wrapped with ingredients like steak strips, peppers, onions, cilantro, vermicelli, strawberries, and avocado inside.
Sgt. Pepperoni's x Oak & Coal collab: Pizza Dough Dumplings
Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza store teamed up with Oak & Coal in Costa Mesa to make a pizza dough dumpling filled with organic pork belly, chicken, tofu, kimchi, and mozzarella cheese.
En Tu Boca: Ramen Crusted Chicken Wings
Wings are the ultimate party food. What better way to kick off the festivities than to crush a few dozen of these ramen-crusted chicken wings from En Tu Boca? Remember, there's no wrong way to eat a chicken wing.
We haven't seen what these babies look like yet, but if they're anything like the name indicates, we're going to have a good time.
Jinny's Pizzeria: Cheesy Corn Pizza
If you need a brief break form the noodle action, you can grab a slice of pizza, because who can say no to pizza? Jinny's Pizzeria will have cheesy corn pizza slices on deck for the masses.
__________
VIP DESSERTS
The Dirty Cookie: Ube and Matcha Cookie Shots
Not only will TDC bring its Matcha Green Tea Cookie Shot, but it will be making an exclusive Ube Cookie Shot, as well.
__________
The Loop: Lil Loop Churros
The Loop will be bringing its popular churros to Noods Fest, but in mini form. Fans can choose between an ube glaze churro with shredded coconut, a cinnamon churro with pineapple glaze, and a matcha glaze churro with almonds.
__________
Creamistry: Choco Pie Nitro Shake
Creamistry's signature nitrogen infused "NitroShake" will be garnished with Choco Pies, marshmallows, and whipped cream.
__________
Hint Water will keep everyone hydrated in VIP!
There will also be five breweries inside the VIP section offering up a variety of unique beers. Twenty Eight, Towne Park Brewery, Bruery Terreux, The Good Beer Company, and Smog City Brewing will all be on tap. Bruery Terreux will have their Fredereick H., The Good Beer will serve a Fiesta Farmhouse Ale, and Smog City Brewing will have a beer known as Sabre Toothed Squirrel.
If you haven't gotten tickets yet to the Marketplace or VIP section and want to get one (or all) of these items, make sure to snag some before heading to NOODS NOODS NOODS!
