HHJ Eats: Elena’s Noodle Bar

4.75/5

WARNER ROBINS — Elena’s Noodle Bar officially opened on Sept. 1, offering a variety of Asian cuisine. After looking at them on Facebook, I was already interested in trying their noodles, and the restaurant’s theme won my husband over. It was a no-brainer for dinner last weekend.

The restaurant already won points for its convenient location in Warner Robins. It was only five minutes from our house, in a strip mall on Russell Parkway.

The first thing we noticed was the atmosphere, a big reason why my husband wanted to go. He is an anime fan, and the references to popular titles were apparent. We took a selfie with Goku from “Dragon Ball Z,” and my husband was glad to see his favorite Pokémon on a magazine cover in the entryway.

The theme continued into the dining room, with a large mural across the room and numerous references to Hello Kitty (which I know isn’t anime, but it’s still an adorable part of the theme).

We went to the counter to order. The restaurant is fast-casual, so you order at the counter and wait in the dining room for your order to be brought out. There’s also a large selection of Asian snacks and desserts to choose from.

As we perused the menu, we were informed that only a few dishes were available. We weren’t aware of this coming in, so unfortunately, what I originally wanted to try wasn’t available. But I pivoted and ordered a Korean BBQ plate and an orange Fanta, while my husband ordered the wanton noodle soup and a mango boba smoothie. 

I got my drink immediately, so I had something to hold me over until the food arrived. Everything arrived in about 30 minutes.

Thankfully, our waitress was communicative and updated us on how far along the food was. I could tell they were making it fresh, so I could understand a longer wait time. A few orders were before us, so I stayed patient while waiting.

The food came out as it was finished, so I got it earlier than my husband. I didn’t want to finish eating before he got his, so I picked at it until his food arrived.

My BBQ plate came with short ribs, rice, kimchi and cucumbers, and it was worth the wait. I don’t like cucumbers, so I gave them to my husband, but everything else was delicious! The rice had a topping with a good flavor and a little crunch. I ate that with the kimchi. Since kimchi tends to be slightly sour and spicy, the rice balanced the stronger taste. 

The short ribs were fantastic! They tasted like teriyaki, with a slight hint of sweetness but very savory and flavorful. They were by far my favorite part of the meal.

A few minutes later, my husband’s noodles and boba arrived, and I pulled out the “wife tax” card and tried both. These are not your college kid’s ramen noodles. Neither my husband nor I are sure, but the noodles had some sort of fish and, I think, cabbage with them, and they were terrific.

The boba smoothie was also delicious. The boba was freshly made, so it was warm, and the contrast between that and the cold smoothie was terrific.

We learned sometime later the owners also own the Asian market next door. We bought a coffee cake from there and saw some available at Elena’s. That was also heavenly. I pulled the wife tax card again and ate about half.

In total, we paid about $45 for our entrees, two drinks and a tip, but keep in mind this will be lower if you don’t order a boba smoothie. That alone was $7. We felt the total was a good value for the food and the experience and we were happy to support two small businesses during our dinner.

Google reviews are at 4.6, and I agree. We did have a wait, but I give a lot of grace since the restaurant is a new business and it was busy, so it doesn’t lose too many points. If you’re patient, though, the food is worth it. My husband and I want to come back and grab some snacks for the road.

Elena’s Noodle Bar is located at 1806 Russell Parkway, Suite 600, Warner Robins. The restaurant is closed on Tuesday, and open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.