Picture of Yaki Noodle Bar, IG11 8RY

Historical version 4 of Yaki Noodle Bar, IG11 8RY (view current version)

Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant in Barking, conveniently located just across the road and along a bit from Barking Station.

The decor is firmly canteen-style, seating around 70 people at tables and benches fixed to the floor. It's neat and clean-looking, though, and well-lit during the daytime thanks to the full-length windows at the front.

Kake first visited on a Monday lunchtime in July 2012. There were around 7 or 8 other customers when I arrived a little before 1pm. Music was playing, not too loud, but a little cheesy for my taste. A small dish of prawn crackers was placed on the table as I sat down, and my requested tap water arrived swiftly in a glass with ice.

Much of the menu looked a bit generic, but I spotted a section of Vietnamese noodle dishes and decided to try the lemongrass chicken and rice noodles with salad (£4.60) photo. The chicken component was a little on the chewy side, but there was plenty of it and the lemongrass flavour was detectable (if subtle). The salad — lettuce, cucumber, and red onion — was very fresh, the noodles themselves were fine, and the crushed peanut topping was in good proportion to the rest of the dish. The fish sauce supplied on the side wasn't quite fishy enough for my taste, though at least it wasn't too sweet.

Service was fine. No service charge was added to the bill.

Kake's verdict: I wouldn't travel to come here, but it's a good option if you're in the area and want a quick lunch; I've been here several times now as I'm in Barking a lot.

Child-friendliness: When Kake and friend visited again on a Saturday lunchtime in November 2014, the staff were very welcoming towards the pair of two-year-olds we had with us, and happy to adapt things to their needs. There's a fish tank at the entrance which children seem to find entrancing, though it's right by the door so they'll need close supervision. Nappy change facilities not checked.

Accessibility: No steps to get in — there's a ramp from the pavement. Haven't checked the toilets yet.

See also:

Last visited by Kake, August 2016. Opening hours taken from menu, July 2012.
OS X co-ord: 544520 OS Y co-ord: 184415 (Latitude: 51.539629 Longitude: 0.084150)
This is version 4 (as of 2017-01-02 10:37:25). View current version. List all versions.