Noodle Bar
1944 Fremont Blvd., Seaside, (831) 392‑0210 | 215 Reservation Road, Marina, (831) 384‑6225, noodlebar831.com
One of Steinbeck’s last pieces of published writing in his lifetime was written at the age of 64, when he traveled to Vietnam to cover the war. It was unfortunate that his introduction to a rich culture was in war and not through the food, which Noodle Bar does so well. What began as a hole‑in‑the‑wall restaurant with first‑come‑first‑serve bar seating in Seaside with a no‑fuss menu of pho and dry noodle bowls, has since expanded into a second Marina location with a spacious dining room. The menu is still built on ubiquitous Vietnamese comfort food, but has expanded to include sweet treats like fried bananas and over a dozen flavors of colorful bubble teas.