by intern David Longo
Photo credit: Elana Levitan
Salty and sweet with a touch of heat is an accurate representation of the cuisine served by award winning chef Dennis Friedman. Friedman’s debut of his new restaurant Newton’s Noodles will be September 23rd, 10 am at their new and only location in Washington and will feature Asian Fusion food styles with a contemporary twist.
Far from ordinary, an array of different options are presented on the menu giving the ability to please any kind of customer who walks through their door. Not only is the food tasty, but is also made fresh to order from locally-sourced ingredients.
“Do you Fuzu?” is a quote that can be found throughout retro-looking restaurant, displaying Newton’s Noodles signature dish. Fuzu consists of narrow rice noodles accompanied by the customer’s choice of proteins, vegetables and toppings. Although it may sound like a heavy dish, Fuzu was rather light and appetizing without leaving that uncomfortably full feeling after being eaten. Not only can a customer customize the proteins and toppings to their likings, but Fuzu also comes with two fantastic choices of sauces, a savory soy-based sauce as well as a coconut curry sauce. Both are extremely appetizing, but we’ll leave that for you to choose which is more suitable to your palate.
The next appetizer to be served was a peculiar looking ahi tuna bite, but don’t judge a book by its cover just yet. These tuna bites were coated with black nigella seeds served along side a soy-mustard vinaigrette. One must try the meal to comprehend how cooked to perfection they were; Friedman and his team didn’t miss a beat. The salty and tangy soy-mustard vinaigrette complimented the bitterness of the tuna bite perfectly. Also, the ahi tuna bites had a slight crunch due to the black nigella seeds, but thankfully this didn’t make it uncomfortably chewy. Served with a choice of either brown or white rice, the customer gets that healthy option.
Lastly, beef wontons were served to finish. Now if you’re a health conscious type of person, this is the appetizer to stay away from. However, while the beef wontons weren’t the healthiest choice, they sure were a crowd pleaser. These golden-brown beef wontons were served with a creamy garlic aioli dipping sauce, giving the sweet and salty wonton a perfect match to finish it off. Luckily, the breading wasn’t to heavy either.
Alongside these great dishes were organic sodas provided by Maine Root. Flavors offered were blueberry, sarsaparilla, mexican cola with the option of diet and ginger. Not a complaint could come from these drinks, especially because Maine Root claims to use 100% cane sugar unlike most competing soda brands. Altogether, Newton’s Noodles offers high quality food for a reasonable price. It is highly recommended to try Newton’s Noodles on their opening day.
