Since June goes to bed before the sun sets these days, The Astronomer and I celebrated our anniversary over lunch rather than dinner this year. Not quite in the mood for a fancy kind of fete, we headed to Honey Badger Noodle Shop in Alhambra for a casual, noodle-centric meal. The couple that slurps together, stays together.

I first visited Honey Badger last October with Louise. While the food we tasted was very good, it arrived painfully slowly.  Not to mention, nearly half the menu was unavailable for one reason or another.

Fortunately, the restaurant was firing on all cylinders when I lunched here with The Astronomer. Service, pacing, and food were all on point.

We began with an order of Party Wings ($5.51), which included two Honey Badger Wings, two Chipotle Wings, two Mongolian Wings, and one Naked Wing.

While The Astronomer liked the plain wing best, the saucy and spicy Chipotle and the sweet and garlicky Honey Badger were my faves.

We also shared the made-from-scratch steamed pork and kale dumplings ($5.51), which boasted thick, pliable skins and well-balanced fillings. Vinegar was on hand for dipping.

Honey Badger specializes in handmade noodles that are curly and bouncy. We tried them in three different preparations this afternoon. First up was the Cumin Lamb Noodles ($8.26), braised lamb stir-fried with scallions. A fried egg added extra richness to the bowl. This dish is a must if you’re a fan of musty mutton.

Also terrific was the Carbonara Noodles ($7.34). I was impressed by how well this classic Italian preparation worked with Chinese-style noodles.

And finally, a bowl of Honey Badger’s signature Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup ($8.26). The broth, deeply aromatic and heavy on five spice, reminded The Astronomer and me of our favorite Vietnamese noodle soup, bo kho. The beef was plentiful and tender. We liked this bowl a lot.

I hope to return to Honey Badger soon to try their build-your-own noodles option featuring unique flavored noodles like kale and black pepper. I also hope to slurp noodles with The Astronomer forever and ever.

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Honey Badger Noodle Shop
555 West Main Street, Suite A
Alhambra, CA 91801
Phone: 424-644-7060

Awesome Alhambra

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• Đông Nguyên Restaurant – Alhambra