THE NOODLE BOX G/F, Shop 1 30-32 Wyndham Street Central Tel: 2536-0571 Open: noon-11pm, closed Sunday This tiny place on the corner of Wyndham Street and Glenealy was opened by the same people behind Wyndham Street Thai and La Bodega, but there is no fear a meal here will make you reach the upper limits of your credit card.
As might be expected from the name, the Noodle Box specialises in noodles, with a few starters and salads to help you round out the meal.
There are Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese soup-based noodles, as well as the sauteed variety.
The noodles cost only a little more than you will pay at dai pai dongs, but presentations are attractive, and you do not get the feeling a cockroach may run up your leg or that there is any need to wash your chopsticks and crockery in hot tea.
Vietnamese soup noodles are topped with a tangle of fried shallots, bean sprouts and shredded chillies, with a few leaves of fresh basil and mint. The broth is bland, but this is easily remedied with a dollop of chilli paste.
If you want something a little more substantial, try the vegetarian or seafood laksa, which has a rich, coconut-based broth. There are also Thai tom yum noodles, spare rib soup, and fried noodles to choose from.