The Coco Noodle Bar in Ealing

As I’m nearly done with my job in Ealing. Finally after 18 months I can now try and get my life back on track and join the real world, and hopefully put some life back into to this weary body.

Having lived in Ealing Common and Brentford for around 5 years, oh so many years ago, I know the eating options in and around Ealing Broadway and South Ealing are pretty poor.

There are exceptions of course, like the great Sushi Hiro, now alas gone. Boo hoo. The brilliant Santa Maria Pizzeria, which sadly I have tried all too little, and of course one cannot mention Ealing and not say the word Nandos. As that branch next to Ealing Common tube station was the first one in the UK, and still for me it is the best.

As my soul has been zapped over these 18 months my spirit has dwindled and my passion for cooking has been here and there, but steadily on a low. I’ve tried to cook everyday but to be honest I just cannot be arsed most days. Which is not good as I used to love being in the kitchen and cooking away all day. For the last few months I’ve put my head down and tried my best to regain those skills I once had.

So when I do not bring my lunch to work, I am forced to either eat Singapore fried rice at the Kam Tsin Village, the Chinese take away opposite. Believe me, I’ve tried a lot of other people dishes form there and the Singapore fried rice is the best.

Then there is Guru, but the standard and portion size has gone down hill a lot from late last year, and I haven’t been back since. Plus he never has any change for the £3,49p lunch deal. He owes me so many 1p’s.

Oscars is fine if you have the patience and get in there before the students from the college opposite. If you see a queue you may as well just walk to the Broadway and forget about it. It’s a lost cause. The sarnies are good, but they are so bloody slow.

I remember trying Coco Noodles many years ago and not being too in awe of their noodle dishes, but my main stay for lunch these days is simple fried rice. See Kam Tsin Village above.

So sometimes I go for a wander up to the Broadway for a bit of shopping but mainly to get my arse out of the office for an hour or so.

Coco Noodle Bar will win no prizes for its culinary delights, but it does provide some good things form its large pan Chinese cum Asian menu.

I normally do not like restaurants like this, take Banana Tree as an example, but I have found that these places seem not to fuck up on fried rice dishes. Thankfully. The best of the bunch is the Thai Fried Rice. No idea why the name. It contains lots of little morsels of meat and prawns and has a good supply of hot chilli’s.

So if you are ever in Ealing, no idea why, but if you are Coco Noodle Bar will provide some good nourishment.