This summer, a brand new restaurant, 2D Noodles, opened in Tenleytown! We wanted to try the restaurant out for you all and give you our honest opinions. While the restaurant’s menu is extensive, featuring appetizers, dumplings, noodle soups and desserts, we tried out three offerings: pho, ramen and a bubble tea.
Travel time: 6/10
Service: 10/10
Price: 6/10
Comfort: 9/10
Pho Thai Eye Round Steak: 7/10
Forest Made Ramen: 8/10
Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea: 8.5/10
Overall: 7.8/10
2D Noodles—located near several other Tenleytown hotspots such as Whole Foods, Chick-fil-a and Panera Bread—feels like a bit of a trek from GDS because of the long hill. The distance could make the restaurant an unfavorable spot to eat at during a rushed lunch period. However, the service was faster than expected, which made up for the long travel time. 2D Noodles is a bit pricier than other popular lunch spots for GDS students. The pho, ramen and rice dishes all range from $12-$18. The ambiance was fantastic. The interior was decorated to look cartoonish, with 2D drawings of animals and food on the interior, and had a comforting feel. The music was great as well. We appreciated the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack that played in the restaurant while we ate, which added to the wholesome energy.
- Pho Thai Eye Round Steak (7/10)
The first thing we ordered was the Thai Eye Round Steak Pho. The dish was $15 and came with beef bone broth, noodles, basil, bean sprouts and lime. Vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha and hoisin sauce were all available at the table as well. The herbs infused in the broth added a nice touch to the flavor, making the dish comforting and warm. Without the additional sauces, the dish was a bit bland, but the soup still had a nice flavor profile because of the lemongrass and other herbs.
- Forest Made Ramen (8/10)
Next, we got the Forest Made Ramen. The ramen came with tofu, bok choy, ear mushrooms, seaweed and scallion broth and cost $15. We liked the toppings included with the ramen more than those that came with the pho because they improved the texture of the meal. While we enjoyed this dish, the broth was a bit bland without the sauces. However, the meal was hearty and satisfying, and the noodles had a nice texture.
- Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea (8.5/10)
For dessert, we tried the Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea. The milk tea was our favorite part of the meal, and it cost $5.95. The boba was sweet and delicious, and the pearls had a great texture. The tea itself was a little too milky and we would have loved the drink if the ratio of tea and milk had been more even. However, the flavor of the boba made up for the lack of flavor in the tea. There were also many other drink options on the menu, such as smoothies, iced tea and other flavors of boba tea. 2D Noodles doesn’t have our favorite boba in the D.C. area, but it was a good afternoon treat.
Overall, our experience at 2D Noodles was PHO-nominal, and we recommend trying it out for a new dining experience in Tenleytown.