Wow, this small little gem is to die for. Their boat noodle was so flavorful and the beef inside was so tender. Don't let the small bowl fool you for the size, it is quite packed. I love how you can customize your own noodles here and the staff is also happy to give you recommendations. The decor inside is very pretty and doesn't get too loud. Price is average, medium high for a bowl of noodles. Would definitely be coming back from Seattle to try more stuff from their menu read more

Fat Mao - Boat noodle - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Although Fat Mao in downtown is closer to our hotel, we headed to Fat Mao in Chinatown first. I didn't realize until I saw their decor ... Mao is cat in Thai = Fat Cat! The restaurant is cute and easy to find. +1 Great food. We ordered the Boat noodles and the Khao Soi. Both were flavorful with mild-medium spice levels. +1 Portion size and value seems fair. +1 Customer service was fast and super friendly. +2 We learned that the menus at their 2 Fat Mao locations are slightly different. Boat noodles is offered only at this location. We also learned about how the founders met (and married) and the family of restaurants that evolved from their union : Maenam, Sen Pad Thai, Longtail, Freebird, and Popina. Great beginnings for love and food. We had a positive experience and look forward to trying out their other Thai restaurants. read more

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Came here for dinner and ordered two different dishes. We ordered the khao soi chicken curry noodles. This meal was very good and the curry was very flavorful. We also ordered the tom yum goong soup, which is a hot & sour shrimp soup. This soup was my favorite and I liked how you could choose the type of noodles you want. I would highly recommend this place. read more

Fat Mao - Tom yum & khao soi - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Went here twice because my friends RAVED about it. I tried the Khao Soi during my first dine in visit and the Spicy Thai Boat Noodles for take out during my 2nd visit. The Khao Soi was pretty standard in taste but was unique since it had a whole quartered chicken leg. It was tender enough that it fell off the bone, so it wasn't too troublesome that the chicken was served whole. It helps you eat slower! Hahaha. Given that it wasnt extradinarily special to me, I think it was a bit overpriced. I could get similar khao soi elsewhere for much less. The Spicy Thai Boat Noodles may have been the BEST DISH I had in Vancouver. This was my first time trying this dish, so I don't have anything to compare it to in terms of authenticity or uniqueness. I also want to add that I selected "Clear Wide Rice Noodles" instead of the default vermillici it comes with. This soup was the perfect amount of spice and super flavour packed. It is a SOUR soup, like a soup version of Nước mắm, so some may not like that! The meat was plentiful (a bit too plentiful for my preference) and ultra tender. Even though I think the bowl is a bit expensive, it is SO GOOD and hard to find (I've never seen it elsewhere), I highly believe it is WORTH IT. JUST TAKE MY MONEY! This dish is in my reccomendations to every person in Vancouver. read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Ordered the Hot Sour Pork Noodles & Tom Yum. The wide noodles were deliciously chewy. Ham & Pork were savory and tender. The perfect comfort meal on a cold day :) Wait time was about 20 mins w/ 2 parties ahead of us when we arrived. The ambiance was cozy and intimate. A bit tight on space but still comfortable. read more

Fat Mao - Hot Sour Pork Noodles & Tom Yum - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

My sister in law raves about Fat Mao's, so we just had to join her, and she was completely right! Simple menu, very flexible on spice levels, flavours are out of this world! Just great, homemade food! read more

My goodness. My husband had seen this restaurant on the Food Network and it did not disappoint. We were greeted immediately as we entered. The service was quick and attentive. It's a typical Vancouver winter day (cold and rainy) so we decided to get some soup. I ordered the vegetarian cauliflower and tofu curry soup with wonton noodles. My husband got the Khao Soi Chicken curry with rice noodles. The broths were flavourful. The chicken fell off the bone. They were a perfect level of spicy heat. The best soup I've had. Simply delicious. read more

Fat Mao - Outside the restaurant - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This restaurant was so good! Originally came to Chinatown for another restaurant but they were closed for renovations and Fat Mao has been on my bookmarks so decided to check it out. We started out with the roti! Came out hot and it had the perfect texture and flakiness. The curry dip it in also had a great amount of spice. I got the khao soi and it was delicious. Tender chicken, delicious curry broth, perfect cooked egg noodles, topped off with some crunchy noodles and picked mustards. The restaurant also has a delicious chili oil that made this dish even better so be sure to ask for it! My husband didn't enjoy his duck noodle. I thought it was good but he didn't like that it was on the sweeter side. Service was very nice. I liked how they had an open kitchen so you can see all the dishes being made. Definitely a great place to check out. read more

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Came here last minute and was lucky to get a table right away on a rainy day for lunch. Only bad part is, I'm now thousands of miles away and am craving it again just 3 days later. Delicious food and service. Even my picky 5 year old was very happy! We had the wing bean salad, chicken curry noodle, and hot and sour pork noodle. Stuck with their suggested noodles and ordered some wheat noodles on the side for the kid. Both soups were great, I loved mine and equally liked my partners! read more

We came here looking for a good restaurant after Phnom Penh had too long of a wait line. Fat Mao exceeded our expectations. You could choose your own type of noodles, and the soups were excellent. The staff were very nice.I highly recommend this place. read more

OMG!! This place is my new favorite in Vancouver. Their food is soo amazingly good. We were there for lunch and once we got back we had such a strong urge to go back for dinner lol... that's how good their food was . We tried a couple of things on their menu and curry and roti was so tasty. The roti was flaky and the curry had so much flavor. Their noodle soups were one of the best we've had. The best part is you get to choose what type of noodles you want in your soup. The soups were a little spicy than what we're used to but they were able to adjust that too. This is my place to visit on my next trip! read more

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Delicious Southeast Asian noodle restaurant. There's a variety of types of noodles to pick from. The duck noodles broth was very flavorful and went well with the wide noodles. The Khao Soi broth went well with the egg noodles and the curry flavors was very rich. When I last ate here in February, I also tried the Thai Boat with vermicelli. I recommend trying all these noodle dishes. Service is quick and food comes out fast. read more

Fat Mao - Duck noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I think the flavor of the broth was great, but the amount of noodles and portion for the price could've been better. I got the Tom Yum Goong soup with thin vermicelli noodles, and there were lots of mushrooms and some shrimp! The inside is very nice and modern. read more

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Food is good here! I ordered the chicken curry, and it was so flavorful. The chicken was tender and well marinated/simmered into the broth. I got the clear rice sheet noodles and it was soft and tender. Took one star off because I gotta say the restaurant didn't smell very good. I noticed the smell as soon as I sat down. My clothes also smelled like the restaurant after I came home. I think it's due to the small space and poor ventilation. I don't think I'll come back to this location due to the smell, but the noodle was definitely good. read more

Fat Mao - Curry chicken was excellent - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I went here on a Monday around noon and was seated immediately which was surprising since the seating area wasn't very big. The staff were friendly and the food came relatively quickly. My parents ordered the Khao Soi chicken curry noodles for $20 which was flavourful, but it tasted like a typical Khao Soi dish. I ordered the Braised Duck Noodles for $21. The Shanghai wide noodles were the right amount of chewy but I was quite underwhelmed by the soy broth. The duck was soft and easily fell off of the bone which was good. The portions felt quite small since only about half of each bowl was filled with food with the remainder being garnishes. My duck noodles only came with half of a baby bok choy head... Overall, the food was decent, but I would not say that these dishes were worth their prices. read more

Fat Mao - Braised duck noodles and Khao Soi chicken curry noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This place is super busy. If you want to get in I do suggest coming right at opening or mid afternoon. We arrived before they opened on Sunday and got in right away. I noticed the server telling other customers that there was a waitlist. The noodles were good. I had the clear glass noodles and they provided plenty of meat in the bowls. I have to admit, I thought it was way overpriced! It was over $20 for each soup bowl. They could have reduced the meat a little and charged less. However, you do leave the restaurant full. The broth was great and service was great. read more

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How have I never found or heard of this restaurant earlier sooner!! The location is definitely quite unusual for me to come to but I'm sure glad I did! I came here for a quick lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the food. Although the noodles are definitely on the pricier side ($21) and would not be an every day type of restaurant, I really really enjoyed their rich and hearty flavours. I believe they make all of their own sauces and spices so you can truly not get these flavours anywhere else! If you're looking for a change of place to eat noodles this might be it! read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I've had Fat Mao twice and tried 4 different soup dishes as well as some appies and have been extremely impressed! Their flavorful dishes (think creamier/saltier broths, laksa, century egg) are to die for but I found their subtler broths (e.g. braised duck soup) a little lacking in depth. And this is coming from someone who generally likes subtler dishes. Sticking to what I enjoyed, it was totally worth it and I'll definitely be back :) read more

Fat Mao - Braised Duck Noodle Soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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The host and cooks were very welcoming and attentive. It was very busy but they paid attention to every person who entered the restaurant. The service was quick and efficient. Great tasting ramen and broth with a generous amount of vegetables and seafood and meat. The order was a sizable portion and we had a lot of leftovers. Good value. I would come back to eat here and try a different ramen. read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I went on tour to Vancouver, BC and this time Ku wife was with me. We both indulged the chicken curry Khao Soi and it was delicious! I highly recommend this business! Service was superb as usual and the ambience was perfect for summer vibes, perfect weather 70F read more

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We came here on a rainy weekday so a warm bowl of soup was what the doctor ordered! I got the braised duck noodles while R got the khao sol chicken curry. I got mind with Shanghai wide noodles and felt it was a bit too chewy for my liking as some of them were stuck together. I quite enjoyed the soup base but the duck could have been a bit softer. R though the khao sol was quite good. The curry was quite flavourful and he enjoyed the clear noodles which made it different in a good way! read more

Fat Mao - Braised duck noodles, khao sol chicken curry - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Last time I was here was pre-COVID. So happy to have the opportunity to come back. Glad to say their soup is consistently excellent each and every time! I had the hot and sour pork noodles and the flavour is beautifully vinegar-y and savoury. Love the harmony of flavours with the crispy shallots and roasted peanuts. Their duck leg is sumptuously marinated in soy and an equally amazing soup. We also started with their roti and it was delicious. Why did I take a picture of just the curry dipping sauce? Because it's drinkable and that oil means it's packed with flavour! read more

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The food here was insanely good! It's a hole in the wall place who makes excellent food. I got the vegetarian Khao sai and it was one of the most flavorful ones I've ever had. The portion size is huge and definitely can be share with another person or save some for another meal. We were staying really close to this place during our visit to Vancouver and loved every minute of our experience here. read more

Fat Mao - Khao sai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've been dying to try this restaurant for some time, but it's always been super busy! This restaurant catches the eyes of some famous celebrities! It puts a spin on Thai cuisine with some creative dishes giving a non-traditional dining experience. We finally came on a weekend late afternoon to a short 15 min wait. This restaurant is quite small with around 25 seating. Service is friendly and our server gave recommendations when we asked. Their menu is not extensive, but does have a good variety of noodle dishes and appetizers (fried food, vegetables, salads) and I appreciate the ability to choose the type of noodle. We ordered a Century Egg with House Tofu (fried shallots, bonito flakes, green onion, cilantro, and black garlic sauce) and the braised duck noodles. For whatever reason, I was expecting a fried tofu dish so was fairly surprised that this was a cold appetizer with steamed tofu. While the description of the appetizer sounds a tad odd, the flavours and components actually worked well together. The dish was a tad salty and would've paired perfectly if I had a bowl of rice! The braised duck soup noodles came with a huge portion of duck. The dish was good, but not great as in it wasn't anything special. I like the texture of the dish with a crunch from the vegetables and tenderness from the duck (the meat feel off the bone!), but it was a touch sweet for my liking. Overall, I would come back to try their curry noodles which seemed to be quite popular amongst other diners! read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Completely blown away by the coconut and mushroom soup! It looked like my options were limited since most of the menu contains fish or shellfish but the coconut/mushroom is completely vegan. Awesome news ! The broth was rich and creamy and full of mushroom / coconut flavour, and had just the right amount of heat from the Thai chlli. You can choose either vermicelli or the rice sheets. The rice sheets sounded unique and different so I decided to give it a try. I really loved the chewy texture and they sure give you a lot of noodles! For those feeling skeptical of still feeling hungry after this vegan dish, you will be pleasantly surprised. I was so stuffed! They also throw in a variety of mushrooms in the soup and baby corn as well. I left feeling full and satisfied 5 stars for me ! read more

Fat Mao - Mushroom coconut soup with rice sheets (vegan) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Price/quality (4/4): Had their duck noodles. I was very surprised at how flavourful and delicious it was. It's easily one of the best noodle joints around, and it's presented as a place that really focuses on serving individual noodle bowls. This is important, because most good noodle joints these days tend to serve ramen--which is great, don't get me wrong, but we do need more variety. Service (1/1): Service was friendly and effective. Would I come here again: Yes read more

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I did not realize that Fat Mao has been around this area for this long. It's funny because my grandma was watching a Vancouver food blogger's Youtube video and Fat Mao was featured and she told me to check this place out, so I did. Since re-opening, you have to place your order at the front and pay for it first, then get sat, and they'll bring your food out to you. Much more of a fast casual style versus table service. There is also hand sanitizer placed at every table and near the entrance, which was a nice, clean touch. Their menu is small and simple. What they do have they excel at, and I respect that. They have two appetizers and six soup offerings with the option to change the noodle base. I love a good tom yum soup, so immediately their Tom Yum Goong (hot and sour prawn soup with a variety of mushrooms, galangal & lemongrass) caught my eye. Instead of the glass vermicelli noodles it came with, I subbed those for the clear glass noodles. My friend got the Khao Soi which is a Northern Thai curry dish. Both of our dishes were very good. My tom yum soup was the perfect balance of sour and spicy. I had never had the clear glass noodles before, but I thoroughly enjoyed every bite and was a big fan of the texture. I was pleasantly surprised that they had already peeled off the tail skins, as most restaurants I've been to that serve prawns don't remove them, so that was a nice little bonus. Overall, a lovely dinner experience and would recommend if you're looking for a good warm bowl of Thai soup. Kob kun ka, Fat Mao! #SupportLocal read more

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Delicious, authentic Thai noodle soup restaurant! Everything from the ambiance, servers and food. Reminded me of when I visited Thailand a few years ago. Even the humidity of the restaurant. Quick service, avg priced food, very filling and would recommend. Spicy boat noodle- broth is very savory and spicy but slightly too salty on its own. However the pho noodles paired well. Would recommend! Hot and Sour - was more sour than hot. Broth was peanuty, tangy and slightly spicy, which worked well coating the wide Shanghai noodles we chose. The dish was delicious but was not what I had expected. Curry Roti - a few slices of roti paired with a small cup of curry dipping sauce. Tastes like moms home cooking. I ended up drinking what was left of the sauce! With how great the curry tastes, next time I will try the khao Soi! read more

Small hole-in-the-wall shop with fast and friendly service. I made the mistake of snacking before coming here, thinking I'd be fine and it wouldn't be that much food anyways. WRONG! Come here hungry! The food is packed with flavor and is served fresh. Seating is pretty limited so be careful if you have a big party or if you see that it's super busy. I feel bad because I couldn't finish my food nor take it to go since my lodging doesn't have a place for me to store it. I need to come here once more before I fly back home, for sure! read more

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Man oh man. I am now back home in Los Angeles DREAMING about these noodles. My friends and I came here on a weekday and there was no wait! We were immediately seated and decided on what we wanted. I ordered the duck noodle soup with Shanghai noodles and my other friend ordered the Tom yum soup. First of all, I loved the duck! The meat wasn't juicy but it was tender and the soup had a very deep, rich duck/soy sauce flavor. The Shanghai noodles had the most perfect bite to them, cooked to a perfect al dente! But the star of the show? The Tom yum soup. All four of us agreed that it was immaculate and honestly? The best Tom yum I've ever had in my LIFE. The soup was the perfect amount of sour with the best creaminess. Absolutely amazing. I haven't stopped talking about it since we went. It was more of a Tom yum Kha (according to my friends) but it truly was one of the best I've ever had in my life. Would highly recommend this place and if we were to come back, this is the first place I'd come back to eat at! read more

The hot and sour pork noodles is hands down the best item on the menu. It's full of flavour and loaded with ingredients. The braised duck noodle was too mild and overall not that tasty. We also ordered the mapo tofu which had decent flavour but for $17, the portion was small and not worth it. I've also tried the spicy boat noodles and thought it was just alright, nothing spectacular. Fat Mao is great if you're looking for something quick and comforting, but just note that some items are a hit or miss. read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Amazing experiences every time, my favourite is definitely the khao soi chicken curry noodles, it's insane how flavourful it is, every friend I've recommended it to go has loved it! read more

Did a take-out order for lunch, which was ready within 10-15 mins of phoning it in. They specialize in Thai-style noodle soups, which is certainly a refreshing concept -- not really any other places in town doing what they're doing. They seem to have 2 noodle soups that can be made vegan, so I tried one of them: the vegetarian khao soi ($16 plus tax). The soup comes with a generous portion of cauliflower and tofu puffs, plus a choice of noodles -- I got the flat, wide, Shanghai wheat noodles, which were fantastic (chewy yet soft texture). The broth is really rich, with a heavy coconut milk base and plenty of chili oil. It's also on the sweet side, which was maybe my only very minor complaint -- but the depth and complexity were lovely. In the broth, there's some really nice pickled greens, cilantro and bean sprouts -- all really nice touches that I appreciated a lot. All in all, I was very impressed with the soup and will definitely try them out again. Very filling, rich and delicious. Highly recommended. read more

Fat Mao - Vegetarian khao soi noodle soup (made vegan) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Very fun little noodle spot. I had the Spicy Boat Noodles which was good, the meat was delicious and the soup was very rich. Service was quick and friendly. Overall very pleasant experience. read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I'm from the states and have only came here once but have been dreaming of this place ever since. The roti with curry dipping sauce was so delicious. It's flaky, a little bit of crunch, and pairs so well with the curry. I tried their spicy boat noodles with Shanghai wide noodles and it was soooo good. (I switched to wide noodles). I've never tried a Thai noodle soup before and was so surprised how much I've loved it. It's similar to a Vietnamese Bun Bo Hue - same concepts and similar meats. It has the right about of spice and tingly to it. The soup also came with fried pork skin which I thought was interesting. The space is clean and the staffs are tentative. read more

Fat Mao - Roti with curry - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Tasty hipster ramen noodle place in Chinatown. Well, at least the Chinese name somewhat matches the English. Parking here is a bit awful. Best to come after 1800 when some of the side streets free up. The place is definitely hipster. Interior is a bit plain and has the black ceilings like many Staff were friendly. Fat Mao ceviche - special mention. Nice and tangy with a bit of a kick thanks to the chili slices. Chips are taro instead of potato. Could've used a few more chips to go with that dip, but it'll do. Braised duck noodles - very nice soy-based soup. Meat was a wee bit dry but that's typical for duck. Noodles were nice and firm. Overall a wee bit pricey and definitely not authentic, but the food here is quite good and is worth a visit. I'll be back to try some of their other noodle dishes. Recommended. read more

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I was pretty sad when Rhinofish closed because it was my favourite noodle joint in Chinatown, so I'm pretty glad that I ended up trying Fat Mao instead. A cute restaurant with an open concept kitchen where you can see the food prepared in front of you. We sat at the bar which was a good place to see all the action. First of all, how cute is the menu and all the cat related decorations in the restaurant. I ordered the braised duck leg noodle with Shanghai noodle, and the bf who had been to Fat Mao before ordered the rice soup (he raves about the tom yum noodle, btw!) The braised duck leg noodle was just was expected - rich soy broth with various vegetable garnishing with wide noodle and a tender braised duck leg on top. The flavours were spot on but the noodle was slightly undercooked. The waitress recommended that I add some vinegar to the broth to cut down on the richness which was a good call. Definitely a nice comfort meal on a cool day. The rice shop is basically congee with some meat and a poached egg on top. I have always loved poached egg on congee and it's the first time I've seen it available at a restaurant so it is a good sign. Definitely a good small meal - don't forget to break the yolk and mix it all in! Overall a good experience at Fat Mao, fast service and the food is quite delicious but reasonable in pricing. Will certainly be back to try out other items. read more

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Best noodles in the city! With the colder winters heading our way, noodle and soup season has been the go-to! The roti was sooo delicious, it felt super similar to the ones I had in Malaysia-- the dipping sauce was to die for. Khao soi chicken curry was 9/10. Portions were generous and the chicken fell right off the bone, the soup was creamy and light, hint of spice. The duck soup was light and not oily, super delicious 9/10. What I love about this restaurant is also the ability to choose your noodles. The service was quick, and attentive. read more

Fat Mao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was so excited to try this place but it fell short of expectations. We had the roti and clams as appetizers. Clams was a small portion but roti was tasty. Then we had the braised duck and the laksa. The clear rice sheets were all clumped together so I had to peel layer by layer off which was not easy to eat, the server said they were supposed to be served clumped together. Duck didn't taste fresh, was gamely and also in pieces instead of the whole breast we saw in photos. The laksa had good flavours but it was too heavily seasoned and soup base was thick. Observing the 2 kitchen ladies, they have an opportunity to be friendlier, greeting customers that come in. Vancouver is filled with amazing Asian food especially noodle eateries. Fat Mao needs to step it up to survive in this competitive market. read more

Fat Mao - Braised duck - Asian Fusion Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Hot & Sour Pork Noodles with Clear Rice Sheets $15- there were pieces of chashu, Vietnamese ham & minced pork hidden under all those toppings!! It's officially noodle soup season which is my favorite season so I can't even be mad with all the snow. @fatmaonoodles definitely packed a punch with their broth, I definitely need to come back to try all their other noodz! read more

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