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Please note, Salvation in Noodles has now closed. Time Out Food editors, MARCH 2020.
Salvation in noodles is a trendy Vietnamese restaurant in a quiet spot at the Dalston end of Balls Pond Road, on its own apart from a few shops, and away from the area’s buzzier main streets. Presumably because of this location, it’s only open for dinner and the small space is usually filled with locals.
The staff and space are both undeniably cool. Hip hop plays over the speakers and the team are super-friendly; they all wore trainers and said ‘hey guys’ a lot. Food-wise, the smaller plates were the winners. Tofu rice paper rolls were fresh and delicious, in sticky wrappers and matched to delightful sweet and sour sauces, while the tofu curry bowl, served over white rice, was a surprising highlight, with big chunks of crispy tofu over a spicy, aromatic curried stew.
Disappointingly, the noodles themselves weren’t really up to scratch. The broth in our chicken pho (the house specialty) had a good depth of flavour, but the chicken was dry and the noodles soggy. I drained the bowl of broth but left the meat.
Deliveroo drivers were crashing through the door constantly while we ate, for obvious reasons: this is super-fresh, snacky food that’s perfect for a quick, healthy meal. It’s also good value – you’d be hard-pressed to spend more than £30 during dinner for two. If it was nearer my office, I’d be popping in for that tofu curry every day.