Not as hard to find as the Italian Connection, but still if you don’t know where it is, it’s hard to find even in these days of Internet maps. Here’s directions: go to Warsaw, turn left, wander about in various horrible strip malls and declining industrial areas, make a U-turn, another left, park in a grass and dirt lot, and you’re there!
We went to Noa Noa on a whim one Tuesday evening. Friends had told us years ago it was good, and we finally got around to going.
Waited way too long. It was exceptional.
I had Cajun oysters as an appetizer. They were plump, tasty, fresh. Oysters lightly breaded with Cajun spices and fried. Debbie got satay beef skewers, also perfectly spiced, tender and tasty.
Dinner was a wood grilled marlin with curry sauce on rice for me. Deb continued a Thai theme with grouper sauteed with Thai spices. It was all so, so good. The menu is centered on West Indies and Thai flavors. I’m not a huge fan of that, but this was all so well prepared with good ingredients that I’d recommend Noa Noa to anyone.
Dessert was a key lime pie. It didn’t disappoint. A nice crust, a tart lime filling. Perfect.
As good as the food was, the service was even better. We’ve dined at amazing places, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Pigall’s in Cincy, Rockpool in Sydney, and let me tell you, the service at Noa Noa was better than any of those. We’ve only been to Noa Noa once, so maybe we got their one and only perfect server (Stephanie). But it was crazy busy, even though it was Tuesday night, Stephanie was taking care of many tables, some of them both large and ‘special’, and she never missed a beat for us. Everything came up right when it should, she was attentive, and the bill handled right on cue. It was the single most impressive display of restaurant service I’ve experienced.
So get yourself to Warsaw and hunt down Noa Noa.
Noa Noa Revisited: 8/03/2010
We went to Noa Noa again tonight and the food was insanely good. Truly exceptional. Unfortunately the service was exceptionally awful. Our server for some reason took appetizer orders for 4 people of our party of 6, and then wandered off, and never did come back for the other two. Entrees came to the table a few at a time, the last one arriving about the time the first were finished. Dessert was much the same, two delivered to the table, then another, finally the last when the first two were done. I could see least some of the interactions of the server and the kitchen, and well, it wasn’t a kitchen problem.
Leave a Reply