Noodles and Rice Cafe in Orlando serves Hong Kong-style hot pot, where diners cook raw ingredients like meat and vegetables in a communal pot on their table. The restaurant offers individual mini hot pots as well as shared large hot pots. It is located in the Mills50 arts district, where parking can be difficult. Diners order ingredients for their hot pot and choose between spicy Szechuan or light beef broth. They cook and enjoy items like beef, lamb, mushrooms, cabbage and more by fishing them out of the boiling broth. Hot pot is meant to be a social experience where diners try new foods.

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http://travelerfo o die.wo rdpress.co m/2013/03/14/no o dles-and-rice-cafe-serves-up-ho ng-ko ng-ho t-po t-in-o rlando /
Noodles and Rice Cafe serves up Hong Kong Hot Pot
in Orlando
by Traveler Fo o die
Noodles and Rice Caf e.
Modesty is one of the traditional virtures the great sage Conf ucius advocated. Although a great scholar,
Conf ucius admonished his students, “When walking in the company of three, there must be one I can learn
f rom”. To Conf ucius modesty and humility are required qualities f or a society to sustain itself while pride will
lead to destruction. T he typical example of the modesty is demonstrated by the host to his visitors. He will
apologize f or the ill-preparation and small quantity of his f ood, which turns out to be sumptuous banquet.
And the modesty is also shown when the Chinese accept compliments. T hey always respond to compliments
with “Nali, nail.(literally where? Where?)” – f iguratively meaning, “I have done nothing to deserve your
compliment.” Noodles and Rice Caf é website “About” page quotes, “Just a Nice Place with Great Asian Food
at a Reasonable Price.” In true Chinese f ashion completely opposite. Let’s put aside the Hong Kong style
sampler menu with noodles, rice, soups, and BBQ. I tasted one item, BBQ Chicken f rom that menu, it blew me
away. Let’s talk about the Mini Hot Pot Menu.
Where else in Orlando can you f ind a Hot Pot Restaurant, much less a Mini Hot Pot restaurant? I am told
there might be a f ew, but I’ve never really come across any. Why am I in the dark about this? Or maybe, this is
the f irst? I described hot pot in a previous post. T his restaurant of f ers individual hot pots. T he concept is
the same but instead of sharing with the entire table, you get to have it all to yourself . I would imagine then,
that the rules about keeping a clean ladle in the pot f or stirring and serving would not apply. However, there
is nothing to say that the table can’t share with you.
Noodles and Rice Caf é took over the old Blue Bistro spot along Mills Av. in the now f ull f ledged artsy Mills50
area. Being along Mills Av, parking is always tricky, you can park on the road or look f or side streets and
behind buildings. As you enter there is an open counter that appears as counter service, but really it is an
open kitchen. You can step up and chat with the f riendly chef s to see how things are really done. Watch out
though there is hot steam f rom boiling noodles. To the right is the greeter podium. If you came this f ar
without a reservation, too bad. I’ll strongly advise you to make a reservation bef ore going.
T here a f ew hot pot tables. When these tables are occupied the wait could be long. On the f our tops when
there are two people the other two cook tops are vacant. Great way to make new f riends would be to invite
people who are waiting to your table. Or not. T he hot pot area is surrounded by half walls and there is a
divider between the eight tables. So if you are seated in the f ront f our tables, you have to walk all the way
around and to the back f or the sauce bar. Not sure about that divider.
Our server came over and of f ered a drink order, we choose green tea. She went over the ordering system
and we were lef t to make selections. Naturally with all the BBQ items hanging in the showcase I wanted a
piece of something. BBQ Chicken was available. T he chicken was tender, sweet and juicy. We decided on
Szechuan and Beef Broth. Szechuan was aptly spicy with great depth and heat. Beef was light and tasted
like a pho. T he server placed our broth on the cook top and turned it on to 180 degrees. We were instructed
that if it started to boil over reduce the temperature to 140. T his being induction cooking the results were
immediate and constant.

2. We ordered Beef , lamb, Daikon, Enoki Mushrooms, Taro, Napa Cabbage, Cuttle Fish, and Beef Tendon Ball.
All of these items were f resh. T he sauce bar was a combination of many things.
Vegetables go into the pot f irst, then roots, noodles, meats and seaf ood. As the cooking begins this is
where the action gets interesting. Fishing goodies out of the broth is f un and challenging if your chopstick
skills are not up to par. T hey’ll provide a f ork and ladle.
Hot pot dining is meant to be enjoyed in a group. T hrow caution to the wind and try some things. If it is not
cooked to your liking, put it back in the pot. If you happen to not like something, no big deal, the portions
range f rom $1 – $4. Chalk it up to beginners luck and try something else. Hurry up and get over to this place,
because when everyone f igures out this place exist, the wait will be very long.