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noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:39:00 +0000

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Disco Dumplings, Disco Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:52:00 +0000

The Disco Dumplings can now stand on the plates proudly for more than guaranteeing complete satisfaction, they now own the disco ball they were named in honor of.

In 2001, while I was creating my menu, before child and club hopping was the scene, I named my Disco Dumplings after a dear friend, Lee Ellis, aka Disco. Lee, the owner of the hot spot Tonic in downtown Houston, the only guy with balls big and brave enough to hang a grand disco ball right in front of his business. When Tonic moved on, the disco ball retired.

I am thrilled to have this iconic disco ball come out of retirement and boldly suspend from our ceiling at Post Oak. If and until we bring back Feather Boa Fridays, the disco ball will grace us all from calmly above or twinkle during private events. Stay tuned in to see if Feather Boa Fridays returns.

Durian in Nha Trang Vietnam

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:39:00 +0000

As we were walking in Mui Ne, Vietnam, brave Mr. Scotty Steak boldly says, "Wanna have a durian eating contest?" Sure, why not: I do love durian. I knew this will be an easy win for me since whitey here has never had fresh durian before. Durian is not called the king of fruit for any easy feat. It is called the king of fruit for the very reason that few warriors (such as myself) can devour its flesh while savoring the delicious-ness of the entire experience.

On Friday night, February 5, Mr. Scotty Steak conquered the durian flesh without the gag as I had imagined. He ate a whopping tablespoon leaving me to finish off the entire fruit. I ate 8 pods, thank you very much! As I enjoyed every bit of the fruit, I noticed Mr. Scotty Steak kept drinking water to wash down the itty bitty amount he consumed. As I turned, he says, "Man, it smells like ass and tastes like wet baby diaper!" Wow, I cannot imagine how someone can describe my durian this way. As I tried to smell the ass, all I could smell was an airy aroma I can only describe as perfection to the palate. The sweetness, delicacy of the fruit melts me.I will surely miss this creamy texture and stunning aroma when I leave Vietnam.

As I ate the durian, I looked out to the Nha Trang beach envisioning this was where my mother loved to swim as a little girl. This is the city of my birth. This experience will be treasured as I share this king of fruit in this amazing city with my Logan and Mr. Scotty Steak.

Eating through my homeland Vietnam

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:52:00 +0000

The very best Vietnamese food in the world is on the streets of Saigon. I've been eating my way through the Ben Thanh Market in District 1 the last few days. Street vendors here can serve up any meal you can imagine. Let's see what I can remember consuming the past 3 days; sweet rice with mung beans, rice ball/ coconut pudding, crepes, baguette with fresh sunny side up eggs, beef pho, chicken pho, pork filled rice cakes, vermicelli with grilled pork, fresh ramen with roasted pork, steam pressed vermicelly with shrimp wrapped on sugar cane all served with the aromatic chilies. The chilies are unbelievably spicy and just perfect for me. I cannot name all the fruits I have snacked along the way...fresh coconut juice, mangoes, mangosteen, lychees, longans, watermelons, guava are just a FEW. Entire kitchens are set up every morning and hauled home every night. Vietnam, the people and way of life amazes me every time I visit. The roots that run through this country is deep within its cuisine. Each dish is crafted to be enjoyed the day of, if not within the hour. The people pour heart and soul into making every task is quite zen.

Die hard noodle fans I wish one thing; a trip down the streets of Southern Vietnam some point in their lifetime to witness the foods you have grown to love in the States in its raw and purest form. We are heading to the coastal regions of central and Northern Vietnam over the next couple of weeks. Check back for more noodle pics and updates.

Hospitality Business Golden Globes

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:55:00 +0000

I love talking to peers in the industry. After a hard week, I went into Catalan for a late lunch ... exhausted with Scotty. Feeling pooped and fiesty with work, I vented to Chris Shepherd about the business. Granted he just ended his hard lunch shift, who cares right? it's all about Jenni. Talking to Chris satisfied me for the rest of the day. This was over two weeks ago and I still have a feeling of satisfaction from that conversation. Thank you Chris for putting things in perspective for me. I learned that day that sucessful people in this industry take it to heart the very meaning of hospitality: the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. Ofcourse I am not a trained chef nor attended any hospitality program, however, I will say, some days I can pass as one: Other days, don't try me.

I just wanted to share my thoughts to the noodle fans and show credit where credit is due...this time to Chris Shepherd at Catalan (on Washington) for being such a champ in the business!

The most late lunch pow wows go to Keith at Benjy's. Keith has heard it all from me. Never leaked a syllable. True FB friend.

Teddy's Not Gay!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:19:00 +0000

Here is a story of a boy who just wanted to eat healthier...

It all started at Shepherd. A regular noodle fan makes his frequent visit to the Shepherd location always in style. What we call a, "pretty boy with meticulous threads" who always orders the same off the menu personally customized dish. One day as Mr. Scotty Steak was ringing in the order in his usual way [Rockin' Veggies but instead of the vermicelli, sub soba noodles, add tofu, the fresh ones] for the umpteenth time, he made the remark; "Only a gay man can order something like this." Unbeknownst to Scott, the lady on the other side of the counter ordering for Teddy on this visit says out loud, "Teddy's not gay, he's marrying my sister!"

From that day on, the personalized dish was called "Teddy's Not Gay." Teddy is a good sport and takes such pride when someone orders his creation.

Teddy is an avid JNH fan and we miss him dearly. Teddy moved with his gorgeous wife to beautiful Paris, France. Baby Ansel arrived in Paris looking like her stud Daddy.

Teddy's Not Gay is the 2nd most popular dish at Post Oak, next to our Gingery Chicken Vermicelli. Thank you Teddy for your energy and creation!

Recycle and Reuse our Containers!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:52:00 +0000

With all the take out you have surely done this year, you have managed to acquire a share of nice containers from JNH. There are a number of other fine establishments just like your neighborhood JNH that spend a good penny on their packaging. Don't feel guilty of the footprint. Simply reuse all those containers. There are many ways to put them to good use:

store ornaments
use as gift packaging
organize pens, markers, pencils
organize child's toys in their toy area
store batteries
organzie nuts, bolts, screws
reuse to pack picnic snacks
great to separate hair accessories
use in drawers to organzie nic nacs
tons of ways to use in garage

What do you use yours for?

We want to know.

The world needs to know.

Breakfast for Champions

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Super JNH fan, Max Dunlap would like to thank the VS Lemongrass Beef in helping him achieve a 2nd place win on Thanksgiving morning in the 10K-turket trot. The display of the noodle love is worn proudly! This is a reminder to consume local noodles for instant gratification. Get up and come over right now for a bowl of good noodles...

By the way, Max consumes an average of three doses a week of noodle power for speed.

Thank you Max...you are the best!

Making More Soups

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:49:00 +0000

I made two stocks today, chicken and pork. Yes, that is real bones in there, lots of it. One of the few restaurants left that still cook with 100% bones with no added artificial flavorings. We make broth everyday. If you are interested, stick your head back and check it out next time you are in the Post Oak location. Here at the Post Oak location, the kitchen is a lot friendlier to peek in than the tight Shepherd location. But nothing is as compact as the original Jefferson location. If you remember, it was a straight shot to the entire kitchen from the order counter! The good ole days to the best of times... I cannot feel more love than I already do for all the JNH noodle fans out there. Thank you for keeping my dream alive.

me + work = fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:00:00 +0000

i have been helping out since i was two years old!

i am learning eye hand coordination, counting, organizing, all the stuff ma says make me better.

my ma is so smart. i love her so much! i love my ba too.

Feather Boa Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Since I have been asked over the past few months to bring back feather boas; I want to really know how many of you want to bring back feather boa Fridays to the noodle house again?

We like to start them young

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:09:00 +0000

Here is a child with very intelligent taste buds... already a fan of the noodle house. Even though he cannot get there yet, he is making his mommy take him there. Way to go kiddo!

Best Cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:16:00 +0000

If Before this day, I had doubts if I would ever find a great cupcake at a specialized cupcake shop...I finally found it! If you are ever in the Chicago area, find your way to Old Town for the absolute best cupcakes I have found to date. Cupcake shops have been sprouting up across cities everywhere and I love a simply moist easy to eat cupcake. I have never been satisfied with the many highly go to places as I was when I took that first bite into this German Chololate cupcake. The icing was oozing wet, cool (right out of the fridge), sweet coconut drippings onto this perfectly baked cupcake! The lady behind the counter pulled a chocolate cupcake from the rack, pulled out the coconut mixture from the refrigerator and spooned it generously onto the room temperature cupcake. Absolute perfection. I promise you, this is way better than the NY, Boston, California much hyped about go to places! You will have your moment when you experience this sweet perfection.

Wagamama's Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Walking up to the very famous Wagamama franchise was a very exciting moment. I have heard about Wagamama back in 2001 (from Claire & Patrick) when I first opened on Jefferson. I have been told over the next few years by tons of my customers how much JNH reminds them of Wagamama in London. A long time customer (Andrew) even loaned me a cookbook (suggesting I have one for JNH...not a bad idea.) Dillon and his hot husband, both die hard JNH fan even brought back a Wagamama tee for my main squeeze, Mr. Scotty Steak Salad. Well, Wagamama landed in the USA via Boston a couple of years ago and I finally made it up there to check out this great place.I love what I am seeing, great eye candy; simple layout, nice earthy tones, stainless galore (if you know me, I am a stainless steel kind of a girl when it comes to (well, just about anything!) the communial style tables, the cool wireless gadget that the waitress used to send our order to the kitchen, the friendly staff and the cook to order menu. Great concept for urban cities with mass transportation since only urban cities will adopt communial style tables wholeheartedly, my opinion.The food arrived at separate times, which I can relate to and understand since my kitchen can only cook so many dishes at one time as everything is cooked to order . The gyoza was nice, the yasai men was a tad too saucy for me and my ginger udon was very subtle in flavors and light. I love the beef texture in the chili beef ramen.I enjoyed and loved the experience at Wagamana. I loved that it inspired me to come back and appreciate my two little noodle houses and how it has grown. I love my entire staff, from counter personnel to the backbone of the kitchen staff. Everyone that helps me out at JNH definitely is an extension of who I am...a very happy and hard worker that puts in an honest day at work with evidence to show it everytime, YOU coming back. I am convinced more than ever my staff is second to none and my entire menu is wholesomely good.

For the noodleblog record: our dumplings, ginger soy and noodles kick Wagamama's ass!

Catch of the day

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Nothing like fresh shrimp caught that morning with no chemicals or dye before the sale. If you ever dare to buy, these shrimp taste so much better than store bought. MamaTran used to meet with her "vendor" in a common area of town to buy tons of fresh seafood caught that morning to feed us, all eight of us. I sure miss all of my mother's incredible cooking but I miss her most. My life feels so incomplete without the presence of my mother. My blessings in life just isn't as stimulating since I cannot share this with my MA.

Ladies in this picture rock old school sales for the first generation Vietnamese shoppers all over Houston and beyond!

Not a blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:22:00 +0000

Hello noodle fans! I am not a blogger nor do I blog about things I have no control over. I think bloggers are mostly haters. I say this right off the hook because there have been bloggers that jump to comment without much thought to their thoughts on the affect it could cause. On the first day of opening Post oak on April 3, a customer visited, took pictures within the space and posted on YELP within three hours after opening as if a food critic themselves. Today, most think they are a food critic within their rights, but c'mon folks, expecting positive results the first couple of hours of a business opening is insane, even if I am a perfectionist. At least the pros, like the few here in Houston, give a restaurant a couple of weeks if not four before tearing them apart. To all the bloggers spreading hate, shame on you for not having better things to do. I challenge you to discuss without judgement and be open to the results that flow back.

Within these noodle blog pages, I want to share my thoughts and looking forward to hearing your thoughts about experiences; especially if they pertain to JNH. I will answer as I have time and will touch on all comments that are pointed out. Thank you for reading and supporting the noodle house that has become ground to spread noodle love.

Hot Wifey Turn 40, Party at the Noodle House

noreply@blogger.com (Jenni's Noodle House) — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Scott, aka "the House Hubby", threw a super fantastic party for the "hot wifey", Jenni, who turned 40, at the newest edition to the Noodle House Family... The Post Oak Jenni's Noodle House. A red carpet, cherry blossom and Madonna event. Each guest was greeted by the JNH Paparazzi photographer, Everett Taasevigen, as they walked the red carpet through a white gauzy doorway to a candlelit disco. And of course all of Jenni's favorites were playing like Madonna. Everyone enjoyed the chocolate fountain, the delicous food and yummy birthday cake. One thing that can not go without mentioning is Jenni's 'Hot Wifey turns 40' dress.

The best part is you can host a private party at Jenni's Noodle House too, just contact Jenni!