The Leptologists Eat at Merlion Rice and Noodle

Candice: Where are we going today?

Paul: You picked Merlion Noodle and Rice.

Candice: Hmmmm. I think you manipulate my list of choices so we go where you want to go.

Paul: Never! Merlion Noodle and Rice is in Worthington on High Street, a short drive from Downtown Columbus.

Candice: It's quaint. The Price is Right is playing in the background. There's a refrigerator with a collection of sodas. Oooo, Grape Crush.

Paul: I've seen our server before.

Candice: Where have you seen her?

Paul: She's from Saigon Palace which used to be my favorite Vietnamese restaurant downtown before it closed down.

Candice: They had excellent Lemongrass chicken.

Paul: But the old place had a funky smell. I heard they closed down and moved north. I didn't realize they changed names and cuisines.

Candice: The place smells faintly of antiseptic. The specialities are now Malaysian and Singaporean food. Are these the same people, I wonder?

Paul: We ask and find out they are the same people. A number of these menu items look like standard Americaized Chinese food: General Tso's, Sesame Chicken, but there does seem to be some interesting items.

Candice: Some of those things are served on weekends only. The Nasi Lemak is available on Tuesdays and Wednesday during dinner hours only.

Paul: Too bad. But they have potstickers.

Candice: And we remain on a quest to find the best dumplings ever. Let's get some.

Paul: We order dumplings. I choose the Singapore Mee Goreng.

Candice: I order the Claypot Noodle Soup.

Dumplings

Paul: The dumplings look tasty.

Candice: Indeed. I ask, and we find that these are homemade dumplings. Oh, the cabbage is very tasty.

Paul: The sauce is good, but they seem a little overcooked. I can taste the burnt oil.

Candice: I like that smokey taste from the grill.

Paul: The entrees arrive. My Mee Goreng is a spicy noodle dish with peppers and onion.

Mee Goreng

Candice: It looks good.

Paul: I ordered it mild, and the fire lingers on my tongue. Nice flavor.

Candice: Mine arrives in a Hello Kitty bowl.

Paul: Careful, it's hot.

Candice: The noodles are whole wheat ramen. I don't like the taste.

Paul: You're right. It's an odd taste.

Claypot Noodle Soup

Candice: The bok choy is everywhere. And there are weird little dumplings in my soup that I don't like. The broth is wonderful, but I do not like the noodles.

Paul: Those are weird dumplings.

Candice: Yours is tasty. I think you won this round.

Paul: I think so. I am reminded of the lovely food at Basil. So what do you think?

Candice: There was no wait and the drive was not bad from downtown. It was worth the wait.

Paul: Agreed. And the price for both our entrees was under $8. So worth the price for me.

Candice: Not so for me. I didn't enjoy much about the soup except for the broth.

Paul: We're split on that. Is it worth coming back?

Candice: The menu is limited. I didn't see anything else on the lunch menu that I'd like to eat.

Paul: Exactly. There are some dinner items that might be good, but otherwise, we've exhausted the menu after one lunch.

Candice: It's just not worth coming back.

Paul: Agreed.

	Candice	Paul
Worth the Price?
Worth the Wait?
Worth Coming Back?