Trip for Noodles Will Do a World of Good

The menu here is crammed with noodles: Thai rice noodles, Chinese egg noodles, Vietnamese rice stick noodle soup, even stir-fried spaghetti.

“My whole life I’ve been involved in restaurants,” says John Mekpongsatorn, the 23-year-old restaurateur who created Noodle World, an Alhambra eatery that combines a Denny’s-style fast food atmosphere with what amounts to a global tour of noodles. “My favorite thing to eat, of course, was noodles.”

Mekpongsatorn is the latest heir to a family dynasty of Asian cuisine that dates back to 1930 in Thailand. That year, his grandfather migrated from China to open a Chinese-Thai restaurant in Bangkok. In 1968, his father, Surabon, opened some of the first Thai restaurants in the Los Angeles area.

John Mekpongsatorn decided his own restaurant would consolidate all his favorites in one menu, and offer hefty portions of quick, cheap, flavorful food.

“If you go to any other noodle shop here, they’ll have (only) one kind of noodle,” he says.

Not Noodle World.

Mekpongsatorn compiled a menu with Thai recipes handed down in his family for generations, and the contributions of Chinese and Vietnamese chefs.

Thai boat noodles ($3.95) come in a meaty stew of rare beef, beef balls, livers, tendon and tripe. Tom yum ($3.95) mingles rice vermicelli with shrimp and mushrooms in a broth of lemon grass, chile and lime juice.

Chinese egg or rice noodles accompany fish balls, won tons, squid and mussels in a seafood stew ($4.50.) The Vietnamese-style soup named pho bathes rice stick noodles ($3.75 to $3.95).

House special pan-fried noodles are topped with ground chicken, dried shrimp, tofu and black mushrooms ($4.75.)

Even pasta finds its rightful place at Noodle World, albeit with an Asian twist; stir-fried spaghetti is served Thai-style, with tomato, mint leaves and beef, chicken or mixed seafood ($4.75 to $4.95).

Rice dishes and appetizers, such as egg rolls ($3.95) or fish cakes ($4.75) are also available.

Two kitchens--one for soups, one for stir-fry items--and a small army of chefs, keep the average serving time down to a few minutes. During busy hours late at night, though, it can run longer, Mekpongsatorn says.

Prices are mostly in the $3.50 to $5 range. Only one item exceeds that--a combination seafood dish that costs $5.50.

The low prices attract a crowd of trendy, young Asians--college and high school students who pack the spacious booths on weekend nights. The no-frills, diner-style restaurant offers little in the way of atmosphere, but regular customers create their own folksy climate, chatting among tables with friends or acquaintances. Mekpongsatorn says the customers are mostly Thai and Chinese.

Noodle World, 46 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra. Hours 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. (818) 293-8800.