Ramen, Drunken Noodles & Bibimbap at Noodle 21

Noodle 21 is a trendy Branson, Missouri restaurant that offers a variety of Asian dishes, including some of our favorite indulgences like ramen, pho, pad thai, drunken noodles, fried rice and even sushi. The ambiance of the restaurant is more on the American side and has a cozy, inviting feel with Top 40 music and modern decor.

We came in with a craving for a hot, brothy bowl of ramen, but we ended up ordering three different dishes from the diverse menu. We try to approach Branson Foodie Magazine with a dish by dish format, but we just couldn’t choose one! Once our food arrived, we enjoyed our heaping bowl of ramen and the spicy Thai drunken noodles, but our favorite thing on the table was the Korean Bibimbap.

Bibimbap was something new for me, but Piper had previously eaten this dish when he lived in Korea. There, the popular dish is served surrounded by several bowls offering various flavorful vegetables and condiments which are meant to be mixed into the rice bowl. Bibimbap, (pronounced BEE-bim-bap) literally means “mixed rice,” and is traditionally served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables — often julienned carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach and crunchy bean sprouts. You can choose between chicken, beef or tofu, and sometimes seafood. The whole thing is topped off with an egg, traditionally with a runny yoke that when mixed with the rest of the ingredients makes a creamy, dreamy texture and flavor. At Noodle 21, the egg came scrambled as it would in Chinese fried rice.

The heaping bowl of Bibimbap arrived still sizzling in a hot stone bowl, along with both of our noodle dishes. We topped it off with traditional gochujang, a delicious chili pepper paste, and we were in Korean flavor heaven. I have never tasted anything like it, and as you hear Piper say in the video, there is nothing else like it in the world.

The ramen was a large portion served in a rich beef broth, and the spicy Thai drunken noodles had the right mix of Thai chili pepper, basil and lemongrass served with delicate egg noodles, delivering a particular Thai flavor punch that I absolutely love.

We have since tried a few other dishes at Noodle 21, but these three remain our favorites so far.

Located on Highway 248 (see full address below), Noodle 21 is open every day from 11:30am to 9:00pm, and offers a second location in Historic Downtown Branson called Noodle 22. We have yet to try that location, but we hear it’s even better, and we can’t wait to try it!

We hope you enjoy this video! We have been having the time of our lives putting our videos together for you to enjoy our dining experiences and adventures right along with us. Our print magazine is also available for purchase at area retailers and online at bransonfoodie.com. You can find a list of our retailers on our website as well, and if you’d like to carry the magazine at your store, please let us know!

Noodle 21
2001State Highway 248 Ste 1 & 2
Branson, Missouri
417-320-6088

Open every day from 11:30am - 9:00pm


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