Newton’s Noodles

I think the concept is supposed to be «fresh» and «made to order,» but seeing raw chicken spooned from a tin basket by ice cream scoop isn’t really appetizing. They also make each order individually, and the wait time to be a deterrent to a quick lunch run. We found the «chork» to be gimmicky and not very useful (would anyone actually use both ends? I’ve never found myself wishing I had both a fork AND chopsticks to eat noodles, nor have I had trouble deciding between the two).
We had essentially written off the place and were discussing all the things wrong with it on our way back to the office. Once we opened our lunch boxes and started eating, however, Newton’s surprisingly redeemed itself. The portions were generous, the noodles were still piping hot. I got the signature fuzu (which is kind of a mix between pad thai and Korean japchae), and while I wasn’t blown away, it did grow on me after a bit. After a few silent minutes of munching, one of our lunch group courageously admitted «I can see myself going back…»
It’s still not on the top of my list, but Newton’s has made its way back onto our list of viable lunch options. Let’s just hope they figure out a more efficient system and do something about the wait.

I absolutely love Newton’s! It’s easily in my top few lunch places. There’s not a lot of variety, but they do it really well, and the quality is super consistent.
My only gripe is the hours. Weekday lunch they’re always open, but the rest is pick and choose. Sometimes they stay open until 6 for dinner, other times they are closed. Once I came over at 5:50 and they were locking the doors. I asked what time they closed, they said 6, so I asked if I could order dinner and was told no. Not the end of the world, but still not pleasant. If you have your heart set on dinner, call first.

Went here to use a Belly Bite freebie and was pleasantly surprised… The place was empty because I ended up taking a late lunch, which threw me off a bit (literally empty with just me and the three employees there)… But I ordered my fuzu and added on an appetizer (was disappointed that they were out of the duck confit spring rolls, so opted for the beef wontons)… Service took a bit of time because they make everything fresh for you, but the end product (even after having to commute another 20 min back to my office) was very tasty… Maybe a bit too much sauce on the fuzu for my liking, but otherwise spot on. And I opted for the Thai chili sauce with my wontons instead of the aioli… while the smell of it was a bit strong, it had just the right about of bite to it for me.
The only thing I was a little upset about was that I didn’t get a chork with my to-​go order… I really wanted one :-(

Its pretty good food, especially in the winter. The noodles come out HOT even after bringing them back to the office. Minus one star because of lack of consistency. Sometimes the noodles are perfect, other times too salty or too greasy.

Love it! I was in the area for work and decided to check this place out since it was part of the Skymiles Dining program. I was super impressed.
Normally when I go to a Thai restaurant I order the pad Thai WiTHOUT blah blah and blah. It was great to pick out all of my ingredients.
When it came to sauce I was skeptical… I’m not a fan of curry but I had seen the rave reviews of the coco-​curry sauce. It was awesome. It’s only been a few hours and I’m already craving it again!
Too bad I don’t live closer :-(
… I wonder if it’s a franchise… ;-)

My first experience at Newton’s was similar to that of many of the below posters. Not too much food for the price and the product left much to be desired. Way too many noodles given the amount of other ingredients, the egg was not cooked enough prior to mixing (leading to an odd runny omelette paste substance mixed in with the coconut sauce), too small/​too few shrimp (even when I had double shrimp after substituting out the scallops) and an overall sodden texture. Flavor of the Co-​Co Curry was good but net-​net, I felt as if someone took leftover pad thai from the night before, dumped it into a container of Ramen, and microwaved it.
I love seeing new fast casuals pop up, and I hate dinging them for having a so-​so product, but I don’t see this place being around long unless they up their game considerably.

If you like good food, stay away from Newton’s Noodles.
Overall the food is extremely bad.
1 –the whole ordering experience was awkward.
2 –the noodles were extremely bland and salty.
3 –the vegetables were over cooked and sliced so thin that they melt away.
4 –the ratio of noodle to stuff was off. you get way too many noodles!
5 –the egg was like mixed making like chunks of omelet like stuff… gross!
6 -$ 12 is WAY too much for a bad lunch.
DISCLAIMER — If you like good food, stay away from Newton’s Noodles.

A great lunch spot! I was shocked at the quality of the food, especially the seafood, for the price, everything is under $ 10. Also the vegetables are very fresh and cooked perfectly. I’ve tried both the original soy and the coco-​curry, I liked the soy better but the coco-​curry is a nice difference. Also love the soba noodles, but the rice are also cooked well. The first time I got medium spicy and it was perfect but the second time there was no spice at all.
I wish I could buy the chopstick/​fork combo for my own. The cooks and cashiers aren’t the friendliest but they’re always in a hurry to get the good out fast.
Overall I think this is one of the better lunch
places and you get a lot of bang for your buck.

«Just the facts ma’am»
Positives:
–Really good food
–Great price point. Chicken, shrimp, & scallops for under $ 10. Amazing.
–Happy and helpful front-​line staff. All smiles. Very accommodating.
Negatives:
–No substitutes; I have a severe fish allergy that cause me to be allergic to scallops but not shrimp. Although the chicken and shrimp are more than enough. It sorta bothers me that I can’t get chicken or shrimp in place of scallops without being charged more.
–If you have a peanut allergy beware! While the front-​line staff is great. Something is amiss with the back-​line staff. I have a peanut aversion and I’ve gotten peanuts all but once after specifically asking for no peanuts. Because I have severe food allergies, I know how something so small can lead to a near death experience (see my Jaleo review for an example).
Definitely in the lunch rotation.

I’ve been here twice since it’s opened. Both times I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
Most importantly, the food is good. Or at least what I’ve tried, which is admittedly not much. Both times I went I got the coco curry FUZU (have no idea what that name is about). I was a little sketched out by the quality of the seafood at a fast casual restaurant, but it was fresh.
Also, the Maine Root sodas are great. Fun, different flavors (blueberry? ginger beer?), no artificial flavoring. I also had some of their jerk spice chips, which I hadn’t seen before, not sure where they really fit into the restaurant concept, but they were yummy.
It comes off a little gimmicky with the «Do you FUZU» slogan, the lcd menu screens, and the weirdo chopstick/​fork combo, but all in all, the food is decently priced and good. Solid edition to the lunch-​time line up.

Pretty tasty and the service was fast, though it wasn’t too busy when I went.

Its nice to see more noodle places pop up in DC in general. This however meant my hopes were pretty high. I had the coco-​curry and while it was great to see an abundance of warm yummies, the sauce seemed to be wanting. Wondering if its a lack of salt, or sesame oil, or something. Loved the cilantro. Nice for something warm, but not as mind blowing as I’d hoped.

Loved it! I read about Newton’s Noodles in the Express. I figured it was owned by Newton’s Table in Bethesda, which I also gave 5 stars, than I should love this place! I got the FUZU with the coco-​curry sauce. I am not really a huge fan or curry but this sauce is yum. It adds a creamy flavor to a very traditional dish. The place was really well organized as well. I love the fact that they give you a buzzer to let you know when you order is ready instead of yelling out a name or a number. This place also has a few other appetizers I want to try. Great place to go if you are going with two or more.

The first time I came here was a disaster. Trash piling up, a long line that was slow for no explicable reason, unfortunate quantity control.
Fortunately, I gave Newton’s Noodles another chance! They have wrinkled out their opening week [month] troubles, and now this place is a go-​to for lunch.
You can get a signature bowl, or you can make your own. I get the signature because it comes with 4 proteins (chicken, shrimp, scallops, and egg) and like 5 veggies, and the make-​your-​own only includes 2 proteins and 3 or 4 veggies. The signature is only $ 1 more, and you can get the «original» which is with their special sauce or the «coco-​curry» which is a coco-​curry sauce. Note that the signatures come in a medium size portion (same as the medium size make-​your-​own) rather than a large or a different size altogether – it’s a little confusing if you take the size pictures on the menu literally. In addition, they will not accept any substitutions on the signature dishes. Reasonable because it’s a deal for the set combination, but annoying when you think about all of the other restaurants and eateries in the world that allow substitutions on signature items with a smile.
For me, the portion is perfect for lunch, but some of my (male) coworkers and friends think it is a little small. To combat this problem, they either order a large (which looks quite large to me), or they get a medium with double meat.
I consider myself pretty spice-​averse, but I haven’t had too much of a problem at Newton’s. They allow you to choose no spice or spice levels 1 – 3 on the make-​your-​own bowls, and I assume that the signatures come at about 1 or 2. It’s at about the max of my spice tolerance, but it isn’t spice for the sake of it and I don’t leave with an incapacitated tongue. In fact, I find myself craving Newton’s weekly.
As an afterthought (both for this review and for the Newton’s menu), they serve other Asian fusion dishes like Kapow chicken and Tuna Bites. I haven’t had anything but the noodles, but I hear that the Beef Wontons are good and the Tuna Bites are not. Regardless, I will continue to order the Signature Original Noodles.

When I saw the sign go up for Newton’s Noodles, I couldn’t wait for it to open. I had assumed it would be like a Gengis Kha– meets-​Noodles & Company concept. I thought the menu would include a mix of internationally inspired options, next to American comfort foods. When I went the other day, I was a little disappointed. I had expected that in addition to selecting veggies, proteins, etc., that I would also get to pick my noodle and type of sauce. That wasn’t the case. It was soy sauce or coco curry sauce, and three different levels of spice, and essentially 1 choice of noodle (rice noodle). I was a little disappointed in that, but everyone in my office had said good things about it, so I decided to try it, thinking those must be some special noodles…
Not really. They were fine. Actually… they kind of reminded me of the time I overcooked rice noodles and they turned to mush. After digging in, I think I got past most of the mushy noodles, and it was a little better. But, for me, I don’t think I will get the Fuzu again. It just wasn’t that great. The portion size was good, because I had enough left over to save for my next lunch, but that might also be because I wasn’t crazy about it. For someone who tries to eat out for lunch less than once per week, on a budget, it just wasn’t worth the $ 9 (sans beverage) for me.
I will say that the environment was neat, and the staff was very friendly. I just wish there were a couple more options for noodles and sauces, and that the noodles weren’t so mushy. I’m wondering if the Fuzu is just the pilot dish? At least that’s what I’m hoping. I’ll likely return to try some of the appetizers, which look delicious, but I don’t think I’ll do the noodles again unless they diversify the menu.

The noodles are good. I was surprised by how limited the menu is.
The employees were really friendly. Love the CHORK (chopsticks fork combo)
It was good and I would go back… But I was expecting a few more options

Newton’s Noodles was sadly anticlimactic.
After all the hype and the opening pushbacks, I was eagerly awaiting to try this supposedly fresh, unique twist on the typical stir-​fry/​wok/​noodle/​whateveryoucallit rice noodle dish.
However, what I got was a unnoteworthy glop of noodles overdoused in some generic brown-​ish sauce (aka the Original Signature Fuzu). I honestly couldn’t note anything special about it besides the fact that it was unappealingly salty and $ 10 outta my wallet. And coming from someone who uses chopsticks regularly, there are really no benefits from breaking apart the chork — the separated chopsticks are too short to effectively use, so you might as well just keep it in fork form.
Then again, if you’re easily satisfied with any type of Americanized Asian or Asian fusion food, this might be passable.
Just definitely not for me.

Can go from good to great, but needs to figure itself out!
So this place just opened and the concept is a welcome addition to the neighborhood for a quick, savory lunch. The chorks are fun too. I’ve been here twice and experienced 2 extremes so far:
My first visit was on Monday and I ordered the original signature fuzu — a tasty mix of noodles, chicken, veggies, and seafood in a soy-​based sauce that had some good zing to it. There was virtually no line; staff were hustling and getting the food out efficiently. I really enjoyed the experience.
My second visit was today, same time (1:30pm) and I had a completely opposite experience. Two friends and I ordered at the same time, and this time I decided to try the other signature dish, the one with a coconut curry. First, my friends’ food came out 15 minutes before mine did, even though we ordered and paid together. Second, the dish tasted bland, was over-​sauced with too much heavy coconut and not enough flavor, and my stomach still feels sick from it 5 hours later. I will never, ever order that dish from here again. This dish is nowhere near as good as the other one; the service was a mess and staff all seemed to be freaking out; and the whole operation seemed like it got spooked from a line of people waiting on food. It needed someone (a manager) out in front, issuing orders and making the flow work, correcting mistakes, and keeping it moving.
I really hope that they iron out the kinks in service here — it would make sense for them to do up a couple of large batches of both of the signature dishes and have them ready to go at lunch time so that customers who want one of those two things can get it quicker.
I will give this place another shot, but will wait a few weeks for them to get their act together. And then I will try a make-​your own. That visit will make or break it for me…

I went on Monday, after the grand opening. At 11:30 am, the restaurant was empty, and I had to wait less than 5 minutes for my to-​go order. Clear advantage for anyone that wants an early lunch!
The rain and wind was really picking up at that point and the restaurant seemed kind of dull and lifeless in terms of the color scheme and décor. Not to mention the staff was also not that friendly; not that many smiles or thank yous. Which doesn’t matter in the long run to me, when it comes to a workday lunch.
I absolutely loved the duck confit spring rolls and would highly recommend them as an appetizer. Perhaps overpriced by a dollar (they were $ 7), but they were so meaty and juicy. The wrappers weren’t crispy, given they were spring rolls, but they weren’t soggy either. The sweet and sour sauce that came with it also paired perfectly with the meat and seasoning.
The main course was the original fuzu. I have to admit that when you open the to-​go box (an innovative take out box on top, and circular container on the bottom, with 100% guarantee of no leaking), the noodles are very pretty, with shallots, scallions, and black sesame seeds. I can certainly say that for $ 9 you get a huge portion, a better value than a lot of the food trucks on 20^th and L. They didn’t skimp on the protein, as I had a lot of shrimp and scallops especially.
However, the main reason I’m only giving 3 stars is the sauce. I just didn’t like it. As someone who grew up eating some form of rice noodle all her life (pancit canton, sotanghon for the Filipinos out there, and also chaomifen, chaohefen for Chinese), I had high expectations for the fuzu sauce, which is branded as «the perfect balance of salty and sweet with a touch of heat.» (Yes, I took the little brochure, I was that excited.) They did not skimp on the sauce, as another reviewer mentioned. But the flavor was awfully one-​note. There was a bit of heat but the overwhelming taste was salt. I really like garlicky sauces with a touch more sweetness, so I was steadily disappointed as I finished my noodles.
I am definitely coming back to Newton’s Noodles, given the proximity to my work and their delicious spring rolls. If you come here with the expectation of fusion noodles, something out of Chipotle, then you should definitely come. For more authentic rice noodles, though, I’ll stick with City Lights of China. I would definitely look into combining their different apps for a complete meal (crispy Kapow chicken and soba salad, maybe).

After months of waiting for Newton’s Noodles to open (as the opening date got pushed back… and back… and back…), I was excited to finally try it out with Valerie S.
At Newton’s, you pick one of the «signature» fuzus ($ 9) (which is noodles with protein/​veggies), or select your own. They put your ingredients in a bowl, send it to the back to be cooked, and then you eat it.
I’ll start with the good news: The food was really good. We both got the signature original fuzu, which comes with a long list of veggies, noodles, chicken, shrimp, and scallops. I like this kind of food pretty much regardless, and wasn’t disappointed — especially a fan of the sauce (it’s pretty saucy).
Also, they had one of those soda fountains with exotic-​seeming sodas, so that was fun. The space is a nice one — really large, plenty of seating.
Okay, now the bad news:
#1. The Wait!!! — It’s a rainy day, so we figured there’d be a pretty short line, and we were right. However, «pretty short» (20 people or so?) translated into a 30 minute wait until we were sitting with our food. The whole process is a sloww one to start with… plus they were somehow understaffed (in the first week!) and just moving very robotically but slowly. Was amazed at inefficiency, and the lack of a sense of urgency. Really frustrating. Didn’t they realize people we coming in, seeing the line/​pace, turning around and leaving?!
Other little things — my friend and I got the same thing, but her bowl was somehow ~30% more full (see her picture!). Annoying, especially for 10 bucks.
There was nobody in charge of cleaning tables, emptying trash, etc. The trash can was overflowing, and people were leaving their garbage on the counter (see picture). Despite the manager walking by every few minutes, nobody cleaned this up the whole time we were there.
People asked to make minor modifications to their «signature» fuzus and were declined. This is a pet peeve of mine. If someone doesn’t want scallops, why argue with them? Just make what they want!
I’ll come back and try it again in a few weeks, but if they don’t speed the process up, I won’t be back again — no reason to stand in line that long, and it was super annoying that they didn’t even seem to be trying. Despite the delicious fuzu, I somehow left with a bad taste in my mouth.