Noodlebox is one of our favourite food retailers here at Westshore Town Centre, have you been lately? No? Why not? You’re not sure about the spice level? We’ve got you covered, my friend. We reached out to Sarah C., manager of Noodlebox Westshore Town Centre, for a breakdown of their spice levels and what kinds of chilies they use to get their heat to complement their fresh recipes.
💧 Mild – no heat or just a little heat. If you’re new to Noodlebox start here; you can always try it a little hotter the next time.
🔥 Mild/Medium – a nice dose of heat. Like a medium salsa.
🔥🔥 Medium – for hot lovers from here on. This is also considered a western hot, similar to a hot salsa level.
🔥🔥🔥 Medium/Hot – “Now it’s officially spicy.” Sarah recommends starting here if you are a real spice LOVER or “chilihead” as it has a kick, but you can still taste your dish.
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Hot – this might hurt. Be warned!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Scorching Hot – “Guaranteed to burn. Only order this if you are a crazy person.” That’s for real! Maybe make sure you have a big glass of milk or some ice cream handy if you’re planning to try this one!
Noodlebox uses a mix of sambal and Thai chilies for their dishes. Sambal is an Indonesian chili paste made with chili peppers such as cayenne pepper and green chili pepper along with—but not limited to–shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallots, scallions, palm sugar, and lime juice. If you’ve ever had sambal oelek then you’re familiar with this mix of aromatic-umami-spicy flavours.
Thai chilies, or bird’s eye chilies, are a small-sized chili pepper that can be either red or green in colour, can be used fresh or dried, and they pack a punch. Thai chilies are hotter than jalapeño peppers, but not quite as hot as a habañero pepper.
The “scorching hot” level contains a mix of sambal, Thai chilies, and powdered ghost pepper. You’ve probably heard of ghost pepper before, in chili-pepper challenges and contests, as one of the hottest peppers in the world. It’s been surpassed by the Carolina Reaper, but the ghost pepper still tops out at around ONE MILLION SCOVILLE UNITS (SHU, the measurement scale for chili peppers). By comparison, your average Tabasco sauce ranges between 2,500-5,000 SHU. Sambal ranges from 30,000-50,000 SHU. Jalapeno ranges from 2,500-8,000 SHU, and Thai chilies about 50,000-100,000 SHU. A standard canister of law-enforcement-issue pepper spray registers between 2,000,000 to 5,300,000 Scoville units. Definitely not for putting on your noodles!
Noodlebox also makes it super easy to enjoy their fresh-focused menu with sustainable and ethically produced ingredients. In-store seating is limited due to current provincial health restrictions, but take-out is encouraged! Noodlebox tastes great at home, with someone in your bubble, or socially-distanced at a local park.
Download the app in either the iOS App Store or Google Play and when you register an account receive 30 bonus reward points just for signing up! Rewards members can earn points toward free boxes and receive notifications of member-only promotions. Place your order on the app and select your pickup time! Perfect for busy people, and the email updates let you know that your order is on time.
Maybe you’re working from home or can’t run out and pick up your order. Order with Doordash and wait for tasty noodles to come to you!
All Noodlebox dishes are customizable depending on your dietary needs, which is great whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, need a low-fibre diet, or if you just don’t like cilantro.
Check out their menu at noodlebox.ca to see their feature item and maybe place an order!
-Kelly B.