Doing my usual browsing on Yelp, I came across Asian BBQ and Noodles, specializing in Hong Kong style BBQ at affordable prices. What really caught my eye was the menu of roast pork belly and duck, and yes with simply that, I made plans to make a visit. The restaurant itself is very low-key and under normal conditions I'd probably just pass it by. When you walk in you're relieved to see it full of Chinese customers. I'm a huge believer in judging restaurants by the amount of people from the culture choosing to eat there.
The menu is small with various BBQ choices, side dishes and noodle
soups, but with all the raving about the roast pork belly, we ordered
the 3-combination BBQ special(Char Siu pork, Roast Duck, Roast Pork Belly,) for $12.95. It's served with a bit of pickled white radish (daicon,) and carrots but make sure you order your rice on the side!
With all the wonderful meat, I added pickled mustard greens to the side ($3). I'm a fan of mustard greens on their own as they add a nice bite and contrast of flavor to meat, but pickled you just get that extra dimension that plays well with Chinese bbq. The pickling is sour from the vinegar base with hints of sweetness from the added sugars. The greens themselves are slightly bitter and they maintain a nice green vegetable element to the food.
The First thing I try is the Char Siu BBQ pork. The flavors were all there, a sweet honey and hoison glaze on slices of pork that had hints of five-spice. Even though the flavors were all there, the meat itself was a little dry, I'm not sure if that was because the meat was soo lean or simply overcooked. Either way, the pickled veggies were necessary in adding that extra bite to the meat, distracting away from the dryness.
The next to try was the roast duck, and the experience was a lot better than the char siu pork. The meat was tender, and you can tell the duck was roasted well as the skin was slightly crisp but softened up by the natural fat during the slow roast. Again the flavor of five-spice was there along with a nice soy-sauce finish. I used the hoison sauce and chili oil as a dip on the side to round out the flavors the way I like it. This was really good and a must order.
Last but not least, my favorite part of the plate, roast pork belly. Although throughout the dishes, five-spice was the major seasoning, when put with the pork belly it creates a really deep flavor. Pork always takes on flavors really well, and this case is no different. Along with the great flavor you definitely notice that the pork meat is tender, with a small layer of fat before you get to the pork skin. A lot of the time when I order Chinese roast pork, I get a soggy skin and you can tell if it was cooked quite a while ago. Here at Asian BBQ and Noodles, the pork is made recently and served often. This equates to a nice layer of crispy skin, my personal requirement for a successful roast pork belly. I can't say this enough, this is a must order, if you decide to just get one thing here, this should be it!
I may be biased by my love for pork and crispy skin, but if you share this affinity, you definitely need to make a trip if you're in the Las Vegas Chinatown area. Ordered alone, each meat with rice is under $8 and that just can't be beat, especially when the meat has quality exceeding the cost. I'll even give the char siu a scratch. The flavors were all there, it may have just been an off day for the cooking so I might give it another shot. With the low cost and great flavors this place is a no-brainer, I'll definitely be back to nurse that craving.
Asian BBQ and Noodles
3400 S Jones Blvd
Ste 5C
Las Vegas,
NV 89146
(702) 202-3636
