Dan R.
Yelp
I was torn between eating at Hard Rock Cafe, Youyu noodle bar, or the buffet on the second floor (for $42.99 plus tax). I had a $25 meal voucher, and opted to go for the noodle bar. What I got was a mixed bag.
The hostesses were inviting and sat me immediately. Two other individuals were sat at the counter on opposite sides of me within about five minutes. Either the server in the section was very busy or maybe she was not told the other two guests around me were her responsibility because both guests were constantly asking for the attention of a server and she was unable to give it to them. She did however come to me and brusquely asked what I wanted to eat, did not offer me a drink from the menu or a soda (I was fine with water anyway), and was mostly absent during my meal.
I ordered Chicken Pad Thai. The dish came out in normal time, no delays. The portion size was HUGE, and given that I was hungry, I was excited to receive it. I had asked for lime slices on the side but they were not there on my plate - a busser made eye contact with me and he was gracious to get me the limes quickly.
The rice noodles were cooked correctly, and there was a copious amount of protein in the dish: Chicken in large pieces, tofu cubes, and lots of scrambled egg. There were also lots of bean sprouts and chopped peanuts. The proportion of vegetables, however, was way off, as there were barely any scallions, garlic, onions, or any other vegetation aside from the bean sprouts. Also, the chicken had a funky, almost waxy texture, which was a bit off-putting; thankfully the other proteins were plentiful so I was not suffering.
The server came over once to fill my water and did not ask me how my food was; the busser filled my water twice (now is a good time to mention that Youyu serves water in small glass coffee cups so refills need to come quite often) and was attentive and professional.
The rest of the menu contained lots of Asian fusion staples, some of which looked good via description and I would try on another visit, some looked way overpriced ($26 for soup dumplings when other dim sum are $10 less? $44 for pepper steak with onion?)
I think I made the right call eating here instead of Hard Rock Cafe (not a huge fan of chain eateries like that), but maybe I should have splurged on the buffet. I'd probably give Youyu another shot, I guess it depends on my mood.
