Front of House FAQ’s
1) Why don’t you have a break down of nutritional information on your website?
Although it is not a legal requirement to disclose nutritional information, The Noodle Box plans to research and communicate full nutritional information in the near future. In the past we have not had the resources to undergo the testing required to look into this information.
2) Why are spice levels variable from order to order?
There are a few reasons spice varies; sometimes the sambal is more concentrated due to growing conditions of the chillies, however, most times it is human error. We have made the conscious decision to avoid using automated cooking procedures such as portioning, measuring, and weighing ingredients ahead of time. This style of cooking, where a chef is creating each meal to order, is more challenging and exciting for the cooks, keeps all the ingredients very fresh, and is a more authentic experience for both the cooks and the customer.
For consistency’s sake we do train cooks using well written recipes and procedures, and there are firm guidelines that work the majority of the time, however, sometimes mistakes happen. If there is a significant difference to your expectation of spicy-ness, and your food, chances are it’s an error, and we will fix it for you on the spot.
3) Why don’t you do home delivery?
We will be soon! It will vary from place to place, and could involve a third party deliverer, but we are working on bringing delivery service, in some fashion, to all of our stores. Talk to a store manager to find out their specific policies and delivery guidelines.
4) Why is there a charge for modifying your meal, even when I’m asking for things to be left-out?
At The Noodle Box we charge for any and all modifications made to any menu item, (unless that modification is offered as an option on the menu, in which case it is free) The charge is 44 cents plus tax, and this is regardless of how many modifications you need or want. This nominal fee helps offset the additional time and money that cooking “off the menu” costs us. It enables us to offer our menu in an incredibly flexible fashion.
You can get the dish as it was created for the regular price, or for 44 cents, customize your meal in many different ways. The costs to us that arise from having this very open policy are, the extra time it takes to cook custom dishes, the mistakes that are made on occasion that create wastage of food and time, and the work that cooks will do in resetting their station to safely deliver food when a customer has a dietary intolerance or allergy. Instead of making a series of charges that reflect the different costs that result from different mods, we decided a flat fee was a fair, and reasonable cost.
5) Is your food vegan? Can it be?
Most of our menu items can be made vegan easily simply by ordering with tofu, and requesting no fish sauce and no egg noodles, (if those ingredients would otherwise be present.) Please ask your server for more details and suitable menu items.
6) Is your food Gluten free? Can it be?
A lot of our menu items can be made gluten free easily, simply by changing the wheat noodles to rice or rice noodles, and requesting no crispy fried onions and gluten free soya sauce. All stores have a Gluten Free menu that details all of the options. Please ask your server for this. It is also available for download on our website under the “Nutrition” page.
7) What are those bacon-like crispy things on top of each dish?
Those yummy things are actually crispy fried onions! A very delicious garnish ingredient that goes well on every dish. If you have allergies to wheat or gluten we can remove these easily from your dish.
8) Why don’t you have table service?
Our style of service, where you order at the counter cafe-style, is to ensure all of our resources are focused on getting the orders in, getting the food right, and getting it out to the customer as quickly as we can. When time permits we like to run food out to tables, but when we are too busy we ask that customers come up when they hear their name called. Always check that the food you are grabbing is yours by checking the bill that is with the order!
9) How are phone-in order wait times calculated? Why does it take longer than if I were in the restaurant?
In order to be fair and courteous to customers that have taken time out of their busy schedule to come in to The Noodle Box to place their order, we prioritize their food over phone-ins. Phone-in order pick-up times are spaced to allow for walk-ins, and if demand exceeds this spacing, phone-in orders can take a very long time. Sometimes, it is quicker just to come on down, or call ahead earlier in peak times.
10) Why is there a charge to have my meal “no-carb” (without rice or noodles)?
No-carb dishes are prepared using additional protein and vegetable portions to replace the noodles or rice. These items are both labour intensive and very costly in relation to the price of the carbohydrate portion.
11) Why are menu prices different between stores?
This is due to the differences in operating costs at each location. Rent, services, food cost, wage cost and franchise royalties, all vary a great deal between stores. As our goal is to deliver you the best value we can in all markets, we structure our menu prices to reflect the unique market conditions of each location.
12) Why is the charge for dishes with no protein (chicken, pork, tofu etc.) the same as dishes with protein?
Much like the ‘No-Carb’ option, it’s a case of preparing the dish with substituted ingredients. If there’s no protein requested cooks will add extra vegetables to help balance the flavours and consistency of the dish.