Jerry: This place looks sketch.
Jeanne: Some of the best…read morefood are in hole in the walls.
Located in Richardson on the NE corner of E Arapaho and N Plano Rd, this location of Nora Asian Fresh is nestled between Best Donuts and a Nails & Spa. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, this franchise has 15 locations in Arizona and 3 in Texas (Richardson, Plano, Austin). I'm not sure how long this location has been opened, but the very small shoppe corner that they're in appears to dated and doesn't scream "come have dine here". But as the old adage goes, looks can be deceiving.
The dining area is simple yet inviting with the unique wood like vertical panels filling the entire far wall. There are no booths, just table and chair throughout. You place your order at the counter using the large digital menu on the wall. After placing your order you can help yourself to their drink station then pick your table. They will soon bring your meals to your table.
As noted in their name, Nora Asian Fresh prides themselves on making everything fresh daily. I saw the young lady who was taking orders in the back making dumplings when I went to ask for take out containers. Their menu provides a nice mix of "fusion" dishes which really just means they have a little bit of everything. Their appetizer menu includes such items as eggrolls, edamame, dumplings, jalapeno poppers and squid salad just to name some. Their Bowl meals which come with steamed rice include orange chicken, teriyaki chicken, broccoli beef, pork katsu with curry, teriyaki salmon as well as poke or unagi bowls. On the Ramen & Asian list are miso, tonkotsu or seafood ramen, fried rice, chow mein chicken, chicken biryani, pad thai and Malaysian noodle. Finally there's a long list about 30 different sushi rolls.
Jerry and J ordered the Orange Chicken Bowl. Katie tried the chicken fried rice. Jeanne got the Pad Thai and I tried the Malaysian Noodle (of course). We also tried their chicken egg rolls and chicken dumplings.
Egg rolls and dumplings: Both were a tad overcooked and their skins were just a little too dry and crunchy. They should've been taken out of the fryer about 30 seconds earlier. The fillings were delicious and they were served with dipping sauces.
Orange Chicken Bowl: Presentation was nice with fresh boiled broccoli in a large bowl. Both said it was good. J said "It was pretty good best I've had in a while. It wasn't too sweet and had good flavor." I tried some and I agreed. It was overly battered like some places like to make it and the taste on it was delicious. Not overly sweet and was even a little tart. Yom Yom Yom. It was a large portion, but J finished the entire bowl. Jerry and the rest of us had enough for another meal.
Chicken fried rice: I didn't get to taste, but it looked good. Katie like everything about it except the way the chicken was cooked. Note that Katie is very particular about her the way she wants her chicken cooked. Also a large portion.
Pad Thai: Noodles, shredded carrots, green onions tossed in a wok and garnished with fresh bean sprouts and crushed peanuts, Jeanne enjoyed it but was surprised they didn't ask how spicy she wanted it.
Malaysian Noodles: I guessed from the photos in the menu that this was Char Kway Teow and I was right. It is a popular Malaysian stir-fried noodle dish using flat rice noodles. Their cook did an excellent job. It had a nice smoky with a savory sweet taste. It is tossed in a wok with eggs, bean sprouts, chives and in my case, shrimp. It was outstanding! Yom Yom Yom Yom. There are many other "Malaysian" dishes, but if you have to choose only one to put on your menu, this would be a good choice and they do it quite well.
Personally I could eat there every week especially since they have so many other dishes to sample. But unfortunately I live 639 miles away. Thanks for a nice lunch Nora!