Greetings fellow foodies! If you were anywhere else besides FOODBEAST's food festival Noods Noods Noods then you definitely missed out! We’re talking noodle-infused dishes that one could only dream of and other really unique grub that’d never cross one’s mind. From sea urchin noodle balls to udon-integrated menudo, it was all there!
The festival, presented by Nissin the Original Cup Noodles, kicked off in historic Downtown Santa Ana. Just outside of the video gaming mecca that is the Esports Arena, food trucks and kiosks decorated the streets at 4th and 5th where the smell of noodle filled the air.
Thanks to our friends at FOODBEAST, SUSPEND Magazine had all access to the VIP section where participating vendors unleashed world premiere dishes incorporating the famous pasta. The Marketplace for other festival patrons included items like the Hot Cheeto Sushi Burritos and Korean Bulgogi Elote Fries. (Believe me when I say everything was so damn good!)
It’d be almost impossible to name our favorite, but our top two entrees were definitely the deep fried uni (sea urchin) from Anchor Hitch in Mission Viejo and the squid ink pasta from Neptune Raw Bar hailing from Artesia.
I do have to give props to Bruxie’s KBBQ glazed fried chicken sandwich as well. It’s also coined the "Fried Chicken Seoul Mate" and we know exactly why. Our friends at Bruxie take juicy fried chicken breasts, combine kimchi, cheesy smoked pork belly, and top that motha’ off with some ramen, giving you and your stomach your Seoul Mate. Oh yeah... and all that goodness is held snugly in between two fresh waffles. Let it sink in — we’ll wait. The sandwich packed a lot of heat so if you’re a baby about spice, you have been forewarned.
Noods Noods Noods had great food, the atmosphere was inviting, and the event was dope all in all. Shoutout to FOODBEAST and Nissin for bringing attention to the much needed union of street food and noodle to the public eye.
