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History




Traditionally Noodle bars in the East are eateries where one can stop and have a quick snack of Pho Bo (Beef Pho), Tom yam kung (Hot and Sour Prawn Soup) or Canh chua (Vietnamese Seafood Soup) mid morning, on the way home and/or late at night.

Combining traditional and modern, Noodlebosch is a perfect balance of this.

Noodlebosch, having the consumers' best interests in mind and after huge demand has finally introduced a Medium size for those who desire a quick, healthy and delicious, steaming helping of noodles, broth or rice with a selection of specialties from all around the East. We have done away with the original "Single" and "Double" sizes. This not only offers ease of choice for you, our valued customer but it also simplifies the concept therefore increasing our efficiency so that all our customers' favourite lines are always available! The mention of Thai Chicken Curry, Guang Zhou Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef Chao Mein or a Norwegian Salmon California Roll will get your taste buds buzzing.

Noodlebosch continues in the practical Eastern way of preparation. Knives are not necessary in Asian cuisine because traditionally all cutting is done when preparing the food before service.

Philip tells us of the Origins of the name

A few years ago I undertook a trip to Germany for a trade show where I stayed with family friends in Munich . As Christian, one of my host's sons showed me around the city; I explained my concept of my noodle bar as well as my frustrations for finding a name for it. Christian at the time was working as the graphics designer for a new brand of clothing that had recently over taken a leading American brand of sporting clothing.

He asked me, "What is it again?"
"A noodle bar" I answered
"And where is it?" he countered
"In Stellenbosch", I said.
"Then why not call it Noodlebosch?" he suggested as if wandering why I had found it so difficult to come up with a name.
I laughed and loved the name immediately.

The name represents no pretense whatsoever. Like the Germans, the name offers a dry sense of humour which underlines an ethic of fun combined with the highest attention to detail and professionalism in all aspects of business.

Origins of Noodlebosch Recipes

Weeks before I opened the first branch in Stellenbosch Deon, my brother came to my home in Stellenbosch to finalize the methods of preparing the dishes. Deon has worked in some of Europe 's top restaurant kitchens and now has his own extremely successful restaurants.

During the months building up to the opening of Noodlebosch, Deon and I went through the menu discussing ingredients, costings and methods. I also come from a restaurant background so we were attempting something new introducing restaurant cuisine to the fast food industry.

At my home my brother and I were able to clarify methods in practice that we had only spoken about before. We simplified the "Thai Curry Sauce" into what it is today and it is still our best selling line. We converted our mother's home recipe into the "Mongolian Breakfast Noodle". I love Penne Napoletana so over the years I had developed a blend of a raw blended version that I had seen our mother make together with the traditional sauce that her grandmother had taught her. The blend became Noodlebosch's "Singaporean Tomato" My brother came up with the marinade that we use in the "Kyoto Marinated Beef" and he showed me the "Egg Fried Rice" Recipe.

Deon taught me and the rest of the kitchen team how to make fresh spring rolls of chicken and veg, Balti Veg and our popular Chocolate and Banana spring rolls.

After a friend had been nagging me for months for Sweet n Sour Sauce our contracted chef, Martin introduced Noodlebosch's Sweet n Sour Sauce under a condition that I specified, "Only fresh tomatoes are to be used and not any canned tomato sauce."

For our "Hot Bombay Curry – Durban Style" I travelled to Durban to study under an Indian Chef. She taught me everything from selecting the best spices, to roasting the whole spices, then grinding and blending them to the final cooking methods. I had to substitute the chicken on the bone with chicken breasts and home made chicken stock so that there wouldn't be any bones in our final product.

I have learnt to leave bones and seafood shells out of our meals from an expression from one of our Stellenbosch customers when he opened a rib noodle special we were doing at the time and looked at me in disgust, "Dit het bene."