Yummy Rice Noodle now open on Olive Boulevard in University City

Yummy Rice Noodle (8406 Olive) debuted earlier this month in the University City space previously occupied by Royal Chinese BBQ. Owner Sean Lin, who hails from Fuzhou of the Fujian Province, worked as a chef in New York for years and now owns multiple Asian eateries across several states.

Yummy Rice Noodle features mixian rice noodles, known for their smooth texture and round shape. They’re directly imported from Yunnan in Southwestern China. The steamy noodles come with a choice of boiling hot, house-made broth and individually plated, thinly sliced components such as meats and vegetables to cook in the soup’s residual heat.

Here’s what to know before you go.

The Menu

Lin worked with chefs and longtime friends Ben Lin and Joe Zhu to develop the menu. Choose from eight kinds of broth bases, including the most popular so far: Tomato-Flavored Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles with beef bone. Spicy options include Golden Hot & Sour, Zesty Sichuan Pepper, and Szechuan Mala Spicy soups.

YummyRiceNoodle_dish — Thai-Style Tom Yum Gong Seafood Rice Noodle

Yummy Rice Noodle_sig rice noodle — Thai-Style Tom Yum Gong Seafood Rice Noodle

According to manager Lynn Chen, “We make the soup fresh every day selecting only the finest pork bones.” The restaurant uses more than 100 pounds per batch to create nutritive bases full of natural collagen, which is known to provide health benefits.

YummyRiceNoodle_Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles

Each soup comes served in a large insulated bowl alongside a bowl of rice noodles, a choice of protein, and a platter of fresh, ready-to-cook accoutrements on tiny trays: crab stick, fish tofu, pickled cabbage, corn, ground meat, chives, quail egg, ham, bamboo, and bok choy. Guests can further customize each meal with additional a la carte ingredients.

YummyRiceNoodle_pork — Garlic sauce over sliced pork

YummyRiceNoodle_braised dishes — A selection of braised dishes: traditional marinated egg, quail eggs, dim sum beef tripe, beef shank and braised duck

YummyRiceNoodle_rice cake — Sticky rice cake with brown sugar.

Preset combinations, such as Thai-Style Tom Yum Gong Seafood Rice Noodle, arrive preassembled in one bowl and ready to ladle into smaller bowls and enjoy. Vegetarian options include Mountain Cliff Mushrooms and Coconut Red Curry Rice Noodle Soups. Yummy Rice Noodle also offers a variety of appetizers and braised dishes, as well as fried rice and sauced noodle entrées. Highlights include garlic sauce pork slices, dim-sum style beef tripe, and sticky rice cakes with brown sugar.

YummyRiceNoodle_ground meat rice noodle — Ground meat rice noodles

Yummy Rice Noodle_fried rice — Ground meat rice noodles

The drink menu features bubble tea and mocktails such as nonalcoholic mojitos in fruity flavors such as peach, strawberry, and watermelon. The entire menu is available for carryout, with third-party delivery coming soon. According to takeout instructions, the rice noodles have a 10-minute lifespan once reheated soup is added to them and are meant to be consumed “quickly and cautiously.”

YummyRiceNoodle_beverages — Beverages include passionfruit tea and a black sugar latte.

Yummy Rice Noodle_NA mojitos — Beverages include passionfruit tea and a black sugar latte.

The Atmosphere

The approximately 3,000-square-foot space has seating for around 100 guests across booths, tables, and banquettes. Renovations included the removal of interior walls to create an open-floor plan. The dining area features a simplistic, modern design with a black, white, and red color scheme.

A mural on the dining room’s most expansive wall outlines the parable of Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles, which originated in Mengzi of the Yunnan Province and are Yummy Rice Noodle’s signature offering. According to the concept’s lore, the dish gets its name from a tale “of love and dedication” dating back to the Qing Dynasty. While a scholar studied for imperial examinations on an island in the middle of a lake, his steadfast wife would bring him daily home-cooked meals; however, by the time she crossed the bridge, she found that the soup and noodles she prepared would become cold and soggy. So, the story goes, she resolved to make a wholesome broth in an earthen pot, with a layer of oil on top acting as insulation to keep the soup hot. She packed the noodles and other ingredients in separate containers, later mixing them together to create warm, nourishing meals. Thus, the innovative dish got its name: “Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles,” also known as “Zhuangyuan Rice Noodles” to commemorate the top scholar, or zhuangyuan.

Tongue-in-cheek signage in the back of the dining room tells a different story. One, in particular, roughly translates: “Good-looking people will be fans here.”