Grotto Noodle House

This place is decorated like the name says: it’s like a grotto, a cave.
I came in today with my dad for a bowl of phở. However, we can’t finish two bowls, so we got a large assorted meat balls with seaweed phở for $ 8 and the leek dumplings for $ 4.25.
We wanted to place our order when the lady came over (she speaks Mandarin) and told us that there was a posted sign that said we needed to order 2 bowls of noodles. We were pretty dissapointed because we each HAD an order, and basically were forced to order two bowls of phở. So we got two small bowls of phở, one for $ 7, the other for $ 6.50. That’s literally $ 1.25 more than the order we had earlier…
We read the sign again (which is in Chinese) and technically it says that we needed to have an order per person. which we did. We literally wanted to walk out of the restaurant cause we can’t eat a lot and ended up not finishing half the bowl of one of the phở. Nor did we want to take it home in a container because the phở will turn soggy. Also, we still had another place to go, so in the rare shining sun in the car today of autumn, it won’t be as fresh. What a waste.
The food though is delicious. The soup is HOT and remained hot the whole time I ate it, hard to find places like this now where the soup is hot. Yes, there was MSG in the soupbase, but it was GOOD. The beefballs, fishballs, squidballs were good. For the food, honestly I’d probably give it a 5 star.
However, I’m not sure I would come again because we literally needed to get one bowl of phở per person.
I really don’t recommend businesses forcing their customers to get a large meal each. I mean, I understand that it would be okay for each person to get something (which we were doing originally), but to force your customers to get a whole main each?! Some people just can’t eat that much, and like me, I don’t plan to come back cause it’s such a waste of food.

This place used to be amazing when they had the original owner from when they first opened. From awesome soup noodles to amazingly priced $ 12 ayce hotpot, I loved going here. This all changed roughly 3 – 5 years ago when the ownership was transferred. Speechless now.

This place has been around for ages. I remember coming here twice when they first opened years ago and haven’t been back since. The BF and I were looking for something to eat at metro square. He said he hasn’t been here in a while so we decided to check it out.
It was almost 2 pm and BF wasn’t very hungry cause he already ate a small lunch. I hadn’t eaten yet. So we thought we would order a noodle and an app to share. We were informed when we were ordering that if 2 people were eating, they each had to order a noodle. The owner (I think) said it was cause the cost was too low and they don’t make enough money if 2 people don’t each order a noodle. I didn’t see that written anywhere on the menu. Then I noticed a small piece of paper on the wall written in Chinese. My Chinese skills are probably the level of a 2^nd grader, but from the few words I could pick out I figured that was where they mentioned that rule. Well the owner seemed like a nice guy and we had already spent 10 mins starring at the menu so we order 2 noodles.
I ended up ordering Fish meat noodle w/​XO sauce ($ 10.75) from the chef recommended section. It was alright. You can taste the fish paste in the noodle. But being one of the more expensive item on the menu, I wish it had a bit more ingredients in it. There was only some veggies and scrambled egg. The BF ordered Sliced marbled beef ho fun ($ 6.75). He said it was good. The broth had good flavour and wasn’t too oily.
By the time we ordered, we were the only ones left there but it still took them a while to get us the food. I wish the rule about 2 people must order 2 noodles were more obvious and in English as well, cause we might have gone somewhere else right away if we knew. We were so stuffed cause we don’t like to waste food. Food was OK. Might return.

Okay, I’ll give one star back. They seem to have stabilized on their recent menu shortage issues, however their prices are now much higher than before.

totally agree with Derek. The broth is very tasty and full of flavor. The new owner (actually they have run the place for a few years now) keep the secret recipes of the broth and maintain the level. The plus of this place is the very friendly service. The owners always serve you some snacks and dessert to complete the meals.
Our family favorites are always Satay fatty (marbled) beef noodles and beef ball noodles.

I would give the food a 4 but the service gives this a 5. There used to be different owners but it was since taken over by a Mandarin speaking couple. They are the nicest people! For what the food is, noodle soup, it’s decent. You can pretty much customize your noodles any way you like. Their marbled satay beef nood soup is very good!

Another family favourite — this place is a great place for soup noodle and as mentioned before they have customisable soup noodle — my favourite is their fish ball and slice rice noodle with their beef broth.
My parents are partial to their satay beef noodle soup because they have their own unique spice blend and it is quite good. I also enjoy their dumplings as well because they are so juicy and flavourful.
But we do get their dun tong for take out — they only have one kind — but it is sooo good and you do get a HUGE pot of it good for at least 3 days — this is a specialty item and you do need to order at least a few days in advance — because it is 5 hrs worth of labour for the restaurant and sooo worth it.
One thing that I find that makes me uncomfortable — is when I come here with my parents is that the owners are very hack-​hai to the point where it can get a bit discomforting. But their food makes me come back here — also they have other menu items that are on the wall for order as well — and well as the occasional seafood special.
English is not a first language and even Cantonese is not going to do you too much good either and this place is cash only.

Just had another run at this place again. They allowed me to do one other customization this time so I got my beef and tripe only noodles. Still good, service is better than before since they got new owners.

Grotto Noodle House is located in the New Century Plaza. I drove by the entrance all the time. and yes it sure try to decorate to look like a cave…
I walked in through the entrance facing the parking lot. and I was surprise that it is so small. It is more like a food court set up than a restaruant.
The tables are set up really close together. and the place is so small, there is no privacy at all… I though sit in one end of the table, and can hear every word the family next to me chatting and swearing their way in Chinese…
They rent the unit across the street too. I wondering how it will be to have the orders delivery to those tables.
There are not real menu, Just the menu from the wall and the menu on the paper table mat. I order the Grotto Fish Meat Noodle soup ($ 7.50) and Black Sweet Rice with Coconut Milk ($ 3.50).
When I was served a slice of watermelon and hot tea before I order. First time happening to me in any restaurant. The Fish Meat Noodle is not something I expected… There are not too many «noodles» in the order. It comes with mushroom, a shrimp and 3 thin piece of vietnamese sauage. Taste wise it is ok, but I don’t think I will order that again.
The dessert I ate later, it is ok. Not too sweet but good as a treat! :)
I don’t mind dropping by for a quick meal. The service is quick and friendly.
Around lunch time, they have food set up across at the other unit, where a lot of people working in the mall comes and buy lunch. It is like daily specials that has no menu. Maybe I will try that next time!
Cash only! No lunch specials

This noodle place is in a somewhat secluded place with an entrance in a little mall. The place itself is unique because it looks like a grotto. When you enter the small restaurant, the walls and ceiling are made to look like a small cave.
This place is a customizable noodle place where you can pick your preferred type of noodle, soup base and what you want in it. I always try to make my own phở dish, but the beef broth is a very generic one and it doesn’t taste like phở at all — eh but I’m willing to eat it anyways with no complaints partially because I «created» the dish myself and partially because their dessert is so good! It’s called black rice with coconut milk.
I mainly come back for the dessert, but I hear their seafood noodles in beef broth is pretty good too. And it’s feels kinda cool to be eating in a grotto! (It reminds me of those rain forest café restaurants).