or years I refused to eat Asian food because of the unrealistic representation of the cuisine on television. You see, whenever I ordered Chinese food, it would come to my house in a large characterless silver food container that looked like it came from a high school cafeteria. But whenever Chinese food was ordered on Seinfeld it would come to Jerry's apartment in those great cardboard boxes that almost look like little houses for leftovers. I hated that I was never able to get the box I desired, but that's a pain you'll never know. You've got Noobox.

Noobox has a hip abbreviated name to appeal to all the young folks, but really should be called "noodle box," because that's exactly what you get. This is an a la carte Asian menu that offers a wide variety of fresh choices that can thrown into your box full of noodles. You approach the counter with a menu list and a sharp pencil and pick our your meal from an almost overwhelming variety of ingredients. Add your choice of 11 vegetables (celery, bamboo shoots, broccoli, peppers, etc.) 7 noodles (shanghai, egg, etc.), 6 sauces (soy, oyster, chilli, etc.), and 7 proteins (chicken, beef, tofu, etc.). The experienced staff will then fry up your flavor experiment in a wok and send you on your way with a box full of delicious Asian magic. All the food is prepared fresh and the ingredients are carefully selected to produce the healthiest possible dishes. It is possible to order Asian food without gaining 10 pounds and the good people at Noobox with show you the way.

Noobox has become a bit of a franchise in Montreal since opening in 2005 with a successful satalite operation running on rue St.-Urbain and a new location that just opened on LePage boulevard. Each location serves the same affordable and carefully prepared Asian cuisine, but the best location is probably still the original Rue St.-Antoine Ouest spot. The food is about the same, but the space is a little roomier and the area is a little more exciting. Regardless, this is a great affordable restaurant for students or young adults who live on a budget, but still want to please their palate.-PB