thenoodleblog

2012-02-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

Get the Cameras Rolling - Celebrity Night is Back!

It's time for another non-profit to step out of the shadows and into the limelight! Jenni's Noodle House - Heights is rolling out the red carpet and honoring Houston's legendary Aurora Picture Show on Friday, February 17th from 5-10p.m.

Join the staff and volunteers of Aurora Picture Show as they cater to growling Noodlehood stomachs. For one night only, 100% of all tips collected will be donated to the organization. So have your camera ready to snap pictures of our spectacular hometown heroes, they'll be ready to strike a pose

2012-02-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

Calling all iPhoneographers! Jenni's Noodle House (Heights) is curating a one-night, dedicated art exhibit, honoring Houston's premier photographers who share their creative view of our city through Instagram. And we want your photos! Simply tag your Houston-themed photo on Instagram with #JNHlovesHou from now until February 2nd, 2012. On February 3rd, twelve images will be selected to be printed and included in the Jenni's Noodle House exhibit "Hou Hearts IG" on Feb 9th from 6-9PM. Your image can be of anything related to Houston: street arts, skyline, iconic Houston places, or just your favorite spot in the Bayou City. Images must be high enough resolution for a 12x12 print. We can't wait to see what you submit!

Logan's t-shirt

2011-10-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, I have been thinking about a new Jenni’s Noodle House t-shirt. I wanted it to really acknowledge the mission of our restaurants and the attitude and devotion to service that has kept us in business for close to ten years.

Immediately I thought of Logan. My son has lived his entire life in one Jenni’s Noodle House or another, absorbing the culture, witnessing what it is to serve others and synthesizing the millions of different components that dance together in order to create functioning restaurants.

Even as a very small child, our businesses are child friendly, so Logan has never been one of those kids who didn’t understand what his parents did. On a very basic level, little Logan knew that Ma and Ba were going to a place where people make food and people buy food.

As Logan has gotten older, I believe that this knowledge of the place we work in and the respect we have for our staff, as well as the meaningful and authentic way we serve customers has rubbed off on him.

Which is why when we were sitting in the car one day and as a young child he turned to me and said, “When you say nice things, it makes the heart happy” it made perfect sense. This was a child that understood that one action creates a direct reaction, whether it is treating people well, being nice to strangers or just the simple act of taking good ingredients and making a wholesome meal – Logan understood what our businesses were built on.

I am proud to present, the latest Jenni’s Noodle House T-Shirt, a special Logan edition. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me.

Play Fair, Play nice.

2011-10-09T21:10:00.001-07:00

Today, I received an email from a disgruntle guest before the kitchen even started on their food ticket! It made me wonder… has technology reverted our behavior back to childhood, full of temper tantrums and tattle telling or can’t we all just be adults here. Don’t misunderstand, you can complain. Just, give my staff and me an opportunity to make it right, right now.

I opened the first Jenni’s Noodle House in 2001, so I have heard my share of complaints, we don’t always get things right, service isn’t always perfect and not everyone is going to like the way and the how I prepare the food I serve. I understand. I am a big girl, I can take it, I didn’t get past the two year mark in the restaurant business not hearing any complaints and not knowing how to make things right. Don’t forget, I am a customer too, and I feel the same way sometimes. Having a business of my own has taught me that the present moment is a precious ingredient in creating a positive now and a lasting future. Technology may change, but one thing is always true ‘you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.’ Keep that in mind as you go through life, feel free to complain, but do so in way that makes it a positive experience for everyone.

Noodle Care Cookies

2011-09-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

My employees are more than staff to me, they are family. I have come to know their spouses, children and family. For a long time, I have wanted to establish a Noodle Care Program for my much-loved staff, a fund JNH employees could access in time of need. The only glitch in my plan, a way to reward the people that contributed to the fund.

As destiny would have it, after an influx of requests from customers for a vegan dessert menu choice, I happened to get a call from Houston’s baker, Vicky, asking if I would try her vegan cookies. I loved the peanut butter and chocolate chip, and I was I was tasting I began thinking about how to merge these delicious cookies with my valuable employees. I decided from the beginning that all the proceeds from the sale of these vegan cookies would go to the Noodle Care Program for all the employees at JNH.

September marks six months of Noodle Care Program and we have sold more than 2300 of them. This makes me so proud. To me, there is no greater feeling than getting to eat a great tasting vegan cooking, while knowing that 100% of the proceeds go towards helping a noodle dealer in a time of need (we don’t use any of the proceeds for marketing or product purchase).

Next time you visit a JNH near you, try a vegan cookie for a great cause. Get ready to feel sweet inside and out.

America, eat your vegetables!

2010-11-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

With the holiday season here, we are giving away FREE VEGETABLES!

To encourage children to eat more vegetables, we are giving away vegetables to children (under the age of 12) at all our locations. Yes, you read it here first…FREE VEGETABLES. I love to give. What a better way than to give than to my future generations good eating habits.

While there are many children’s menus across Houston and beyond I often see very similar items. We have Logan’s Five Menu here at Jenni’s Noodle House, named after my little Prince, everything is five bucks on the menu. Your child now has the option of including one or more of their favorite vegetables at no cost to you.

Please encourage children to try a new vegetable.

Choices of vegetables are;

green leaf lettuce (great in soups)
snow peas (great in everything)
bean sprouts (great raw dipped in their favorite soy sauce)
broccoli (let the monster in the child consume those mini trees)
shiitake mushrooms (diced up will trick the taste buds to think they were ground meat)
cucumbers (will get your skin oh so soft)
green onions (just like the big boys)
red onions (just like mommy and daddy)
red grape tomatoes (looks just like grapes but these pop out a burst of surprise)
carrots (produce eyes that can see to infinity and beyond)
sliced bamboo (good luck!)

I would love to see pictures of your child slurping some noodles and eating all those colorful vegetables. Please post pictures on our Facebook fan page to show us what your daring little one did. Much gratitude and love for your support of the noodle house.

Juggling Act? Not at all.

2010-10-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

Our Heights location opened for business on a Wednesday late afternoon. Once we got the final approval from the city, while the contractors were finishing touch ups, I decided let’s do a test run in the kitchen for the contractors and everyone else in the house. After plating all the foods, we decided to turn the neon open sign ON.

Within a few hours, the dining room filled up as pedestrian, bikers and motorist noticed the OPEN sign. This hasn’t happened in the history of opening a JNH! “Field of Dreams” nailed it; ‘if you build it, they will come.’ Construction was by far the hardest but oh how sweet the end results have been. Randy Pausch says it best, “The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” I knew I wanted to be IN with the Heights and I am thrilled to be here.

Some have asked, how do you manage? Shhhh, each morning, I file for a separation from my dear Scotty. I go see my baby in the Heights and he visits the Post Oak chick. Yes, we have that kind of relationship. Occasionally, we catch the other red handed at Shepherd!

Shepherd is my middle child, rarely a peep from Shepherd. Moves along quietly.

Post Oak is my party hard during the day but turns in early at night child.

Heights is embraced by many and so far, an easy-going child.

Who are the amazing members that hold this family together? At each location you will find just a few happy, sassy, well-versed and strong personalities. These out-going individuals are all an extension of me. They are handed the gavel to make the necessary decisions. There are no managers here: We are all chiefs. Mama J (me) doesn’t think much of layers of bureaucracy. The set of tools given will be used. As the audience changes like the season, we all will go out to sharpen those tools together.

At the end of the day, we’re just chiefs slinging noodles, not brain surgeons. The last bowl is what you will remember, that’s all folks. Enjoy all of your experiences one bowl, one kiss, one discovery, one glance, one giggle, one exhale at a time. This too shall pass. Whether greatness or not, the next minute is coming around now. Thank you for following us.

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2010-03-12T19:39:00.001-08:00

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Disco Dumplings, Disco Ball

2010-03-07T05:52:00.001-08:00

The Disco Dumplings can now stand on the plates proudly for more than guaranteeing complete satisfaction, they now own the disco ball they were named in honor of.

In 2001, while I was creating my menu, before child and club hopping was the scene, I named my Disco Dumplings after a dear friend, Lee Ellis, aka Disco. Lee, the owner of the hot spot Tonic in downtown Houston, the only guy with balls big and brave enough to hang a grand disco ball right in front of his business. When Tonic moved on, the disco ball retired.

I am thrilled to have this iconic disco ball come out of retirement and boldly suspend from our ceiling at Post Oak. If and until we bring back Feather Boa Fridays, the disco ball will grace us all from calmly above or twinkle during private events. Stay tuned in to see if Feather Boa Fridays returns.

Durian in Nha Trang Vietnam

2010-02-09T22:39:00.000-08:00

As we were walking in Mui Ne, Vietnam, brave Mr. Scotty Steak boldly says, "Wanna have a durian eating contest?" Sure, why not: I do love durian. I knew this will be an easy win for me since whitey here has never had fresh durian before. Durian is not called the king of fruit for any easy feat. It is called the king of fruit for the very reason that few warriors (such as myself) can devour its flesh while savoring the delicious-ness of the entire experience.

On Friday night, February 5, Mr. Scotty Steak conquered the durian flesh without the gag as I had imagined. He ate a whopping tablespoon leaving me to finish off the entire fruit. I ate 8 pods, thank you very much! As I enjoyed every bit of the fruit, I noticed Mr. Scotty Steak kept drinking water to wash down the itty bitty amount he consumed. As I turned, he says, "Man, it smells like ass and tastes like wet baby diaper!" Wow, I cannot imagine how someone can describe my durian this way. As I tried to smell the ass, all I could smell was an airy aroma I can only describe as perfection to the palate. The sweetness, delicacy of the fruit melts me.I will surely miss this creamy texture and stunning aroma when I leave Vietnam.

As I ate the durian, I looked out to the Nha Trang beach envisioning this was where my mother loved to swim as a little girl. This is the city of my birth. This experience will be treasured as I share this king of fruit in this amazing city with my Logan and Mr. Scotty Steak.

Eating through my homeland Vietnam

2010-02-01T07:52:00.001-08:00

The very best Vietnamese food in the world is on the streets of Saigon. I've been eating my way through the Ben Thanh Market in District 1 the last few days. Street vendors here can serve up any meal you can imagine. Let's see what I can remember consuming the past 3 days; sweet rice with mung beans, rice ball/ coconut pudding, crepes, baguette with fresh sunny side up eggs, beef pho, chicken pho, pork filled rice cakes, vermicelli with grilled pork, fresh ramen with roasted pork, steam pressed vermicelly with shrimp wrapped on sugar cane all served with the aromatic chilies. The chilies are unbelievably spicy and just perfect for me. I cannot name all the fruits I have snacked along the way...fresh coconut juice, mangoes, mangosteen, lychees, longans, watermelons, guava are just a FEW. Entire kitchens are set up every morning and hauled home every night. Vietnam, the people and way of life amazes me every time I visit. The roots that run through this country is deep within its cuisine. Each dish is crafted to be enjoyed the day of, if not within the hour. The people pour heart and soul into making every task is quite zen.

Die hard noodle fans I wish one thing; a trip down the streets of Southern Vietnam some point in their lifetime to witness the foods you have grown to love in the States in its raw and purest form. We are heading to the coastal regions of central and Northern Vietnam over the next couple of weeks. Check back for more noodle pics and updates.

Hospitality Business Golden Globes

2010-01-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

I love talking to peers in the industry. After a hard week, I went into Catalan for a late lunch ... exhausted with Scotty. Feeling pooped and fiesty with work, I vented to Chris Shepherd about the business. Granted he just ended his hard lunch shift, who cares right? it's all about Jenni. Talking to Chris satisfied me for the rest of the day. This was over two weeks ago and I still have a feeling of satisfaction from that conversation. Thank you Chris for putting things in perspective for me. I learned that day that sucessful people in this industry take it to heart the very meaning of hospitality: the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. Ofcourse I am not a trained chef nor attended any hospitality program, however, I will say, some days I can pass as one: Other days, don't try me.

I just wanted to share my thoughts to the noodle fans and show credit where credit is due...this time to Chris Shepherd at Catalan (on Washington) for being such a champ in the business!

The most late lunch pow wows go to Keith at Benjy's. Keith has heard it all from me. Never leaked a syllable. True FB friend.

Teddy's Not Gay!

2010-01-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a story of a boy who just wanted to eat healthier...

It all started at Shepherd. A regular noodle fan makes his frequent visit to the Shepherd location always in style. What we call a, "pretty boy with meticulous threads" who always orders the same off the menu personally customized dish. One day as Mr. Scotty Steak was ringing in the order in his usual way [Rockin' Veggies but instead of the vermicelli, sub soba noodles, add tofu, the fresh ones] for the umpteenth time, he made the remark; "Only a gay man can order something like this." Unbeknownst to Scott, the lady on the other side of the counter ordering for Teddy on this visit says out loud, "Teddy's not gay, he's marrying my sister!"

From that day on, the personalized dish was called "Teddy's Not Gay." Teddy is a good sport and takes such pride when someone orders his creation.

Teddy is an avid JNH fan and we miss him dearly. Teddy moved with his gorgeous wife to beautiful Paris, France. Baby Ansel arrived in Paris looking like his stud Daddy.

Teddy's Not Gay is the 2nd most popular dish at Post Oak, next to our Gingery Chicken Vermicelli. Thank you Teddy for your energy and creation!

Recycle and Reuse our Containers!

2009-12-27T11:52:00.001-08:00

With all the take out you have surely done this year, you have managed to acquire a share of nice containers from JNH. There are a number of other fine establishments just like your neighborhood JNH that spend a good penny on their packaging. Don't feel guilty of the footprint. Simply reuse all those containers. There are many ways to put them to good use:

store ornaments
use as gift packaging
organize pens, markers, pencils
organize child's toys in their toy area
store batteries
organzie nuts, bolts, screws
reuse to pack picnic snacks
great to separate hair accessories
use in drawers to organzie nic nacs
tons of ways to use in garage

What do you use yours for?

We want to know.

The world needs to know.

Breakfast for Champions

2009-11-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

Super JNH fan, Max Dunlap would like to thank the VS Lemongrass Beef in helping him achieve a 2nd place win on Thanksgiving morning in the 10K-turket trot. The display of the noodle love is worn proudly! This is a reminder to consume local noodles for instant gratification. Get up and come over right now for a bowl of good noodles...

By the way, Max consumes an average of three doses a week of noodle power for speed.

Thank you Max...you are the best!

Making More Soups

2009-09-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

I made two stocks today, chicken and pork. Yes, that is real bones in there, lots of it. One of the few restaurants left that still cook with 100% bones with no added artificial flavorings. We make broth everyday. If you are interested, stick your head back and check it out next time you are in the Post Oak location. Here at the Post Oak location, the kitchen is a lot friendlier to peek in than the tight Shepherd location. But nothing is as compact as the original Jefferson location. If you remember, it was a straight shot to the entire kitchen from the order counter! The good ole days to the best of times... I cannot feel more love than I already do for all the JNH noodle fans out there. Thank you for keeping my dream alive.

me + work = fun!

2009-09-18T14:00:00.001-07:00

i have been helping out since i was two years old!

i am learning eye hand coordination, counting, organizing, all the stuff ma says make me better.

my ma is so smart. i love her so much! i love my ba too.

Feather Boa Anyone?

2009-09-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Since I have been asked over the past few months to bring back feather boas; I want to really know how many of you want to bring back feather boa Fridays to the noodle house again?

We like to start them young

2009-09-17T14:09:00.001-07:00

Here is a child with very intelligent taste buds... already a fan of the noodle house. Even though he cannot get there yet, he is making his mommy take him there. Way to go kiddo!

Best Cupcake

2009-09-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

If Before this day, I had doubts if I would ever find a great cupcake at a specialized cupcake shop...I finally found it! If you are ever in the Chicago area, find your way to Old Town for the absolute best cupcakes I have found to date. Cupcake shops have been sprouting up across cities everywhere and I love a simply moist easy to eat cupcake. I have never been satisfied with the many highly go to places as I was when I took that first bite into this German Chololate cupcake. The icing was oozing wet, cool (right out of the fridge), sweet coconut drippings onto this perfectly baked cupcake! The lady behind the counter pulled a chocolate cupcake from the rack, pulled out the coconut mixture from the refrigerator and spooned it generously onto the room temperature cupcake. Absolute perfection. I promise you, this is way better than the NY, Boston, California much hyped about go to places! You will have your moment when you experience this sweet perfection.

Wagamama's Visit

2009-09-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Walking up to the very famous Wagamama franchise was a very exciting moment. I have heard about Wagamama back in 2001 (from Claire & Patrick) when I first opened on Jefferson. I have been told over the next few years by tons of my customers how much JNH reminds them of Wagamama in London. A long time customer (Andrew) even loaned me a cookbook (suggesting I have one for JNH...not a bad idea.) Dillon and his hot husband, both die hard JNH fan even brought back a Wagamama tee for my main squeeze, Mr. Scotty Steak Salad. Well, Wagamama landed in the USA via Boston a couple of years ago and I finally made it up there to check out this great place.I love what I am seeing, great eye candy; simple layout, nice earthy tones, stainless galore (if you know me, I am a stainless steel kind of a girl when it comes to (well, just about anything!) the communial style tables, the cool wireless gadget that the waitress used to send our order to the kitchen, the friendly staff and the cook to order menu. Great concept for urban cities with mass transportation since only urban cities will adopt communial style tables wholeheartedly, my opinion.The food arrived at separate times, which I can relate to and understand since my kitchen can only cook so many dishes at one time as everything is cooked to order . The gyoza was nice, the yasai men was a tad too saucy for me and my ginger udon was very subtle in flavors and light. I love the beef texture in the chili beef ramen.I enjoyed and loved the experience at Wagamana. I loved that it inspired me to come back and appreciate my two little noodle houses and how it has grown. I love my entire staff, from counter personnel to the backbone of the kitchen staff. Everyone that helps me out at JNH definitely is an extension of who I am...a very happy and hard worker that puts in an honest day at work with evidence to show it everytime, YOU coming back. I am convinced more than ever my staff is second to none and my entire menu is wholesomely good.

For the noodleblog record: our dumplings, ginger soy and noodles kick Wagamama's ass!

Catch of the day

2009-06-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing like fresh shrimp caught that morning with no chemicals or dye before the sale. If you ever dare to buy, these shrimp taste so much better than store bought. MamaTran used to meet with her "vendor" in a common area of town to buy tons of fresh seafood caught that morning to feed us, all eight of us. I sure miss all of my mother's incredible cooking but I miss her most. My life feels so incomplete without the presence of my mother. My blessings in life just isn't as stimulating since I cannot share this with my MA.

Ladies in this picture rock old school sales for the first generation Vietnamese shoppers all over Houston and beyond!

Not a blogger

2009-06-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hello noodle fans! I am not a blogger nor do I blog about things I have no control over. I think bloggers are mostly haters. I say this right off the hook because there have been bloggers that jump to comment without much thought to their thoughts on the affect it could cause. On the first day of opening Post oak on April 3, a customer visited, took pictures within the space and posted on YELP within three hours after opening as if a food critic themselves. Today, most think they are a food critic within their rights, but c'mon folks, expecting positive results the first couple of hours of a business opening is insane, even if I am a perfectionist. At least the pros, like the few here in Houston, give a restaurant a couple of weeks if not four before tearing them apart. To all the bloggers spreading hate, shame on you for not having better things to do. I challenge you to discuss without judgement and be open to the results that flow back.

Within these noodle blog pages, I want to share my thoughts and looking forward to hearing your thoughts about experiences; especially if they pertain to JNH. I will answer as I have time and will touch on all comments that are pointed out. Thank you for reading and supporting the noodle house that has become ground to spread noodle love.

Hot Wifey Turn 40, Party at the Noodle House

2009-05-25T11:17:00.001-07:00

Scott, aka "the House Hubby", threw a super fantastic party for the "hot wifey", Jenni, who turned 40, at the newest edition to the Noodle House Family... The Post Oak Jenni's Noodle House. A red carpet, cherry blossom and Madonna event. Each guest was greeted by the JNH Paparazzi photographer, Everett Taasevigen, as they walked the red carpet through a white gauzy doorway to a candlelit disco. And of course all of Jenni's favorites were playing like Madonna. Everyone enjoyed the chocolate fountain, the delicous food and yummy birthday cake. One thing that can not go without mentioning is Jenni's 'Hot Wifey turns 40' dress.

The best part is you can host a private party at Jenni's Noodle House too, just contact Jenni!