First of all, who runs a cash only business? No one carries cash these days. There was also no atm in the business. Also another issue is that there were no eating utensils for the takeaway food. So many areas that this venue could improve on, sadly we will not be coming back. So much room for improvement. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Udon noodles with some veggies - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

I do have high standards for Asian food, but I found the food here to be underwhelming. I got the ho fun noodles and a wonton, and the noodles were a lot firmer and less well-cooked then I would have wanted, so it was a weird experience eating kind of hard noodles when the texture should ideally be more chewy. The service was pretty quick and I did appreciate that everything was custom and made to order and that you could choose a specific combination of noodles, sauce, and meat/veggies. The atmosphere and dishes weren't the fanciest, but it was very affordable and in a convenient location close to the University of Edinburgh. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - ho fun noodles, crispy wun tuns - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

The ramen noodle box was so bomb, could feed two for lunch for only like £10, and had so many options. Got the soup noodle box with ramen and Szechwan sauce and pork and it was amazing. They put TONS of meat in for the price, and the soup broth was unreal. Don't understand the problem with cash only places because it's for real cheap. You don't have one £10 note? That's literally all you need to get an amazing meal. Also the food came out so quick and was piping hot, great service. Another good point was that you could see that big TV screen at the pear tree across the street, so we could watch Wimbledon while eating hot soup. Couldn't ask for more. read more

If any of you have been to Amsterdam and tried one of the many Wok to Walks that seem to be on every second street over there you will be pleased to know that Red Box has taken the idea and moved it to Edinburgh. Imagine a Chinese version of Subway, where you can choose your noodles - including ramen, ho fun, udon and others. After that you move onto the meat (or veggie option) which has chicken, pork, beef etc and as an added bonus king prawns are no more expensive. To finish you choose from a selection of veg (bean sprouts and chinese cabbage and others you would expect to find) and a sauce. I would recommend the oyster sauce, apparently I have since been told that it is a huge libido booster but you'll be thankful to know that the effects are not instantaneous. As well as the main dishes there is a choice of about 8 sides, with the won tons and chicken satays being of particular mention. These come as part of a meal deal where you can choose a side dish, a main and a drink for £7.50 (the mains on there own are a fiver). They also do a loyalty card offering increasing rewards the more you go there, including a surprise treat after 15 visits. The portions are very generous and I was left full but not with that feeling that I often get after a Chinese where I feel like I can never look at it again or I might just explode. This place is going to be a huge hit when term starts again so definitely check it out now whilst you still can read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

If you're wondering where Susie's Wholefood Diner has moved to, you're in for a disappointment. Where there was mega-healthy vegetarian food before, now its all noodles and lovely-smelling sauces. But the amazing flavours aren't the only great thing about this place. Its simplicity is by far it's best quality. Not only does it mean that queueing time is kept to a minimum, their build-it-yourself system means that fussy eaters will always end up with something they like. If they don't, it's their fault because they chose what went in. You start by choosing your noodle type; off the top of my head I remember seeing rice noodles, egg noodles, udon noodles and ramen noodles on the list, but I'm sure there were more. Next you choose your meat, between chicken, pork loin, beef, king prawns or duck (or none at all, for all you veggie types), before picking from about ten different types of veg. Last but not leat comes the sauce, and I can personally recommend the satay! And all that for only £5! An absolute winner. I can see this place being mobbed once the students come back, so I plan to make the most of it before then. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Lunchtime visit. I went here for a takeaway. Their concept is simple and straightforward. Choose noodles, veg, meat & spices and they'll cook it up for you. Unfortunately, they didn't have my first 3 choices of vegetables / mushrooms and I had to settle, but still, the food was good and I can honestly say I will visit again. The price for a noodle box is around £5.80 (Nov 2016), which I do find a little pricey - especially after not having most of my wants available. That is enough reasons to deduct a full star. Also expect to pay in cash as their CC machine is broken (for a couple of months now..) Do check them out, though, as not many of similar ilk are available. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Red Box is one of the most recent additions to the scene near George Square. It offers a huge range of Asian dishes which all fuse an eclectic range of spices and herbs. It feels a bit like Oriental fast food and you simply go up to the counter and request your noodle dish exactly as you want it. They have a wide range of noodles, all of which I had never heard of. You then choose which meat or vegetables you want to go with it, and finally the sauce. I had beef with the oyster sauce which cost only £5 and tasted amazing. All their portion sizes are filling and any of their meals make for a delcious, value for money lunch. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Ok, so this is no Suzie's Diner. It will never be a Suzie's. But, it's actually pretty tasty. And cheap, to boot. I mean, you'll stuff yourself with 5 pounds. That's pretty good, right? The deal is, it's a bit like building your own sandwich, but it's building your own noodle-fry (stir-fry?). First, you choose what kinda noodles you want. They have egg noodles, rice noodles, udon noodles, ho-fun noodles, and probably some other sort that I cannae put my finger on. Then, you choose a meat: beef, chicken, prawns, et all. Then, you choose vegetables. There are many vegetables and you can choose whatever your heart desires. Bamboo shoots, broccoli, peppers, etc. Then you choose a sauce: satay, oyster, szechuan, black bean, etc. And then, about five minutes after you've done all this, voila! You have foods. I was kinda disappointed in the black bean sauce. It was just kinda boring, to be honest, but today I had satay sauce with prawns and broccoli and ho-fun noodles and it was yuuuummy. I'm half tempted to get some more on my way home, for dinner. Ok, so it's no Suzie's (as has been mentioned before, yes, about a 30-second read above this), and if I had a choice, I'd bring Suzie's back, but I can imagine they're going to do well. If only because it's quick, it's central and affordable enough for students. read more

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Well it's fine and noodles taste great. But they only accept cash and I don't think its tripled price compared with more decent noodles in China is worth paying for. read more

Noodle bars are an oddity to me......I think maybe this is my age showing. The quality is ok, the sauces are a bit thin but for a cheap meal with a starter and a drink thrown in for £9 it is very good value. Clearly setup to feed the student population this place is good at what it does to an extent without wowing anyone. Its really what A-ok was made to represent. read more

There's a big sign by the drinks fountain saying "No refills". So I have to pour my own drink, eat out of a cardboard box and am expected to bus my own table but you can't stretch to free refills? *ping* What's that? That's the sound of you losing a star. Oh they also do noodles and it's pretty good. read more

Excellent noodle bar for a quick lunch or dinner before getting on with your daily activities. Nothing fancy at Red Box- you literally get your food in a box, so it's easy to take away. You can also sit in, but it can be difficult to get a place at busy times. Chopsticks available, of course, though I'm a lazy Westerner so always choose a fork. The portion sizes are great! I never leave hungry from Red Box for this reason. The food tastes good. You choose a type of noodle, a meat, veg, and a sauce, and the food is prepared fresh and ready for you in about 5 minutes. Simple, and effective. I think the price is a bit steep compared to similar lunch options in the area, but the food is good enough to justify coming back. read more

There used to be a fair few "build your own" noodle bars about, that if I remember correctly were pretty popular with the 3am crowd. The concept seems to have disappeared in the last few years though so I was delighted to see the arrival of Red Box on the scene. It's not top level Chinese food by any stretch, but still some way above the buffet-style slophouses that those without tastebuds or table manners flock to in droves. Fiona's review has more or less covered everything else, though it's worth noting that it's very easy to make a complete disaster if you don't know what you're doing. read more

If I were going to be truthful to myself, I would pre-emptively give these people 2000 pounds because that's about how much I expect to spend here in the next year. This shit hits the spot. Here's the best part... and I KNOW I am not alone in feeling this way... The best part is that you get to choose stuff. Yes, I know, when you go to a restaurant you get to choose stuff, but here you get to choose exactly which veggies and meats and spices. Now choosing whatever you like is wonderful, but NOT having to pick out the weird veggies that you don't like - EVEN BETTER. I know you do it. Everyone does. Over in the corner of your plate is a little pile of onions or water chestnuts or babycorn (I personally hate beansprouts). I get a monster bowl full o' fresh veggies - REAL Asian veggies like: bok choy; shiitake mushrooms; sugar snap beans; bamboo shoots; water chestnuts; baby corn; Chinese broccoli I also get CHOPSTICKS - yay! And there's enough food for 2 meals. The cute Chinese waiters and waitresses all have adorable 1/2 Scottish, 1/2 Chinese accents (as a nerdy linguist this is cool for me). and NO POTATOES - yippie. read more

No. Just no. Maybe because I grew up cooking Indonesian and Thai food, maybe because I'm just really picky about my noodles, or maybe because I'm blind as a bat (or rather my taste-buds are) but no. I just can't, for the love of me, understand what people like about this place. It's clean, it's well-lit, but that's about it for me. The sauces taste factory-made and cover any of the flavours a well-wokked dish should have, the satay is nothing like a proper satay (and I've been making my own satay with the help of my Indonesian Nan since I was 7 years old) and it's just no! I'm not saying you shouldn't go here, I'm just saying it doesn't taste anything like what I expect proper noodles to taste like. Okay, so it's fast food, quickly prepared and I understand why that's attractive to people. But I've eaten here four or five times now and not a single time have I not had the impression that eating cardboard covered in the same sauce would have the exact same taste. It just doesn't tick my boxes. I'm sorry Red Box, I just can't say I'm impressed with you at all. read more

I'm having a noodle love affair! Everyone I've brought here has fallen for Red-Box, just as I did, and comes back time and again. Even friends from out of town have clamoured for a trip to Red-Box at some point during their visit, and I'm pretty sure that's not simply to escape my notorious cooking. The variety of items on offer means that there's something for everyone, and you can either develop your own personal favourite or experiment with something new every trip, knowing it's going to be freshly cooked right from scratch there and then. The concept behind Red-Box is simple but effective; along the lines of a Subway for noodles, customers pick their base (noodle type), key filling (meat) and extras (vegetables, sauce, and seasoning). Large signs near the entrance explain the process and different noodle types to beginners, and then you just head straight on in and compile your dream meal. Brilliantly located and never less than delicious food, this is a regular lunch-spot for me. The titular red box arrives at lightning speed just minutes after ordering (everything moves fast in this place, including the queue) and, TARDIS-like, contains piles more nosh than a conventional understanding of spatial dimensions ought to permit. For those patrons choosing not to take away, the restaurant is clean and functional, although not particularly stylish in its minimalism and the stools can get little uncomfortable. The service is as one would might hope for from a fast-food restaurant - brisk but polite - and the pricing with noodle boxes starting from little over £5 is extremely good value given the sheer quantity within. A drink can boost the price considerably, though; while you'd be hard pushed even when buying a starter and beer to spend as much as £10, the comparative added expense of drinks does mean that Red-Box can be a less competitive option for a full meal than some other fast-food outlets, based on price alone. Of course, if you're taking away and have your own drinks sorted, then I can't see a single reason you'd go anywhere other than Red-Box to get your food. Noodle me. Noodle me good, Red-Box, my love. read more

I think I might have been a little unfair on Red Box in my last review and being as I actually have gone back numerous times since writing about it last I thought it only proper to give the place an update... What's changed since last time? Well not a huge amount to be honest - the restaurant still feels like a grotty cafe and the food still hasn't exploded my tastebuds but you know what? Compared to its peers Red Box offers great value - especially when you haven't got time to wait around for your food to be prepared - last night both orders were ready within three to five minutes of ordering. Although it's never quite planned, whenever someone comes to Edinburgh to visit we always seem to end up at Red Box, and judging from how busy the place has been every time I've been there I can't help but feel that lots of other people find themselves constantly gravitating towards it too. I'll keep going to Red Box for now, but I'm still expecting something great to happen with the food before that elusive fifth star appears. read more

On a day like today when its dreary, grey and pi**ing it down, you need something hot, and something that, as Dustin Hoffman once said, makes you foo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul8K60BHPXM This it does - its not rocket science, it takes a little while and its not the most delicious noodles you've ever had. But it fills a biiiig hole and for a fiver, is a hellofalunch. Still working on best combos, I went for Singapore powder today and think the satay was better. Any suggestions let me know, if the weather stays like this I'll be back soon... read more

Ahhhhhh Red Box, how you tempt me each and every day with your delicious noodles and your cheapness. Ohhhh, sweet Red Box, just across the road with your black pepper sauce and meats and veggies, you are magic. I can't praise the Red Box Noodle Bar enough. For a mere few pounds you can have a box of nuclear hot (in temperature) delicious, custom made noodles. It's a simple idea - choose a noodle type from a list of six, choose a meat type from a list of six(ish), choose three veggies from a big ol' selection and then choose a delicious sauce - black bean, red thai, satay or my own particular favourite, black pepper, to name just a few. You pay five pounds and thirty pence and five minutes later a perfectly sized box of delicious noodles arrive. You can eat in or out and it costs the same. There are a selection of starters to choose from - prawn toast, won tons, spring rolls, etc, and a range of beverages - Chinese beers, soft drinks, OJ and water. It's simple and highly effective. My only complaint is really a statement of wonder - how in all of the world do they manage to get their noodles so hot that they stay hot for about ten minutes. A friend of mine now opens his noodle box on his way back to the office to let the noodles cool down on the way home. Great, five massive stars from me and an uber high-five. read more

I went to this restaurant last week for the first time and thought it was great, so I will definately be back. A super fast-service noodle bar where all the ingredients are cooked fresh in big pans behind the counter and it is cheap and cheerful. You choose what you would like from a selection of noodles, sauce, meats and vegetables and can also add a starter or a beer on really cheaply too, only for an extra £2-4. I had the chicken satay and pork dumplings and they were both so yummy - love the novelty of eating out of a box with chopsticks too. If you plan on sitting in it can get quite busy, so you might need to wait on a table, but it is well worth the wait. You can also do takeaway and as service is so fast, you would really not notice the way. I would recommend on sitting in the first room though near the front door - it doesn't shut on its own, so with the number of people walking in and out the door was often left open so it was quite chilly. Perfect for fast, fresh and cheap but very yummy food. read more

A regular spot for us. I've always lamented the lack of cheap noodle places in Britain and Ireland. Luckily Red Box has answered my call! Everything is so simple and so well cooked it's surprising they're not chancing their arms for an extra few bob from you. I've eaten here many, many times at this stage as the location is so convenient for us. Never had bad service, always prompt and polite. Great choice of ingredients and I love that you can always order whatever you're in the mood for. read more

Simple and easy to use menu, food arrived swiftly after we placed our order and it was very good value for money so, despite the rogue beggar who made it through the doors and asked us for money, I'd be more than happy to make a return visit. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Love this place - love that you can pick your own veggies, love that there is a choice of 4 (maybe 5?) types of noodle, and love that you can customise your dish with additional coriander, chili, spring onion or ginger. I also love the kids' portion. A perfect size for me for lunch. Not tried the meat options, but have to to say that the veggies are always cooked perfectly - still with a bit of crunch. Tasty tasty tasty!! read more

Red Box is a rather funky (neat plastic stools) build-your-own style noodle bar, choose 1 from 5 sorts of noodle, 1 type of meat and 3 veg then select your sauce. Your selection is then cooked and served in a standard noodle box piping hot. By default Red Box provide chopsticks but they don't mind giving you a fork instead (love the food never mastered the eating implements) and they offer a decent range of meal deals (various starters\soft drinks\beer). The joy is that you can essentially craft the meal you fancy (more importantly avoiding the stuff you don't) and normally the service is pretty fast, Red Box does get fairly busy at lunchtime but I have always manage to fit in a visit easily within the lunch hour. One little aside, the sign for the toilets is a little naughty if you stop and think about it... In conclusion good food, freshly cooked, if you like noodles you can't go far wrong with Red Box. read more

It is a good pick-your-noodles-and-what-goes-in-them place, served in a card board box. Take-away or eat there, it is not really a place where you hang around. There is tofu, and quite veggie friendly in general. Once ordered food is done quickly. Have a glass of water to go with it. It is good, you get good value. But it is not breaking boundaries of culinary heights. read more

This place deserves a fourth star if we're talking food alone, because my meal was tasty, cheap and fast. And I was very happy with my serving coz it was massive and steaming hot and was all round goodness. I opted for rice noodles with four veggies and the singapore sauce. Yum. Very nice indeed. But Red Box has to stick to three stars at the moment because I sat in and the place was FREEZING. There are no seat backs on the chairs so your back gets sore. And it all looked a little dingy and I felt the eating section needed a bit of a scrub. So although the food was really pretty durned tasty, the experience of eating it wasn't so fun. Ideal for takeaway though! I think I will definitely be back here, just not on a cold day or to sit in. read more

This restaurant is doing great business right now with all the Edinburgh Festival custom. The food is prepared pretty quickly and arrives piping hot in those great little cardboard containers they use for take-away in the usa. We had some Wings and Vietnamese Spring Roll along with our noodles. The wings had a nice sweet savoriness with the meat just falling off the bone. The spring rolls, whilst tasty enough will be a disappointment to anyone who ever had Vietnamese Spring Roll in Vietnam as they bear little resemblance. Noodle portions were a good size but I must admit I found the Singapore seasoning to be a little bland and found myself reaching for the salt and pepper. Not something I'm used to doing with Asian food. read more

This place is a really delicious place to stop by if you want a cheap, quick dinner. I first went there about 4 days ago and I found that I was craving it for the entire 4 days until I went there today. I had the ramen noodles, roasted duck and pepper and it was perfectly spiced and flavourful. I couldn't finish it all! I ended up saving it for a late night snack and it was still good upon reheating. Totally worth saving for later if you can't seem to finish it at the restaurant. read more

Was in here for the first time last night and am going back tonight! I had egg noodles with duck, brocolli and mixed peppers in black bean sauce. The black bean sauce was thick with black beans, which you don't find often here, and the duck was just melt in the mouth. I also love the fact they don't feel the need to charge extra for king prawn or duck. I can see me spending far too much time in here during the Fringe and beyond!! read more

Nice noodle place, with a good selection where you can mix and match what you want and they cook it up fresh. The spring rolls were good and I liked my noodle box, but the Szechuan sauce was not as spicy as I expected, but still quite tasty. read more

Red-Box Noodle Bar - Noodles Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

I would call this the Subway of Noodle bars. Why because you select what YOU want that goes into your dish. No more picking out that veg you dislike. Your dishes are made as you wait. Mines took about 5-8mins. Served in a retro noodle paper box. I really enjoyed my noodles of ho fun, chicken and satay sauce with mixed veg. The staff were very polite and patient as i looked at the many choices available to me. They have a small seating area ( sits about 30 i think) if you arent wanting to take it away. The decor is clean, simple but very modern. They have the noodles boxes at £5, snack box at £2.80 Or meals deals which are better value at £7.50 for snackbox, a noodle box, and a drink. Meal deal for 2- same as the meal deal but get 2 of each item at £14. Children noodle box is £3.50. Children meal deal is a noodle box, crackers, drink and a toy. The snack boxes you have a choice of Chicken skewers Beef skewers Pork ribs Chicken wings Curried fish balls Shui mai Wor teip Vietnamese spring roll Prawn toast Crispy won tuns Cheese and chicekn spring rolls For the noodle boxes 1st pick your noodles Egg noodles Rice noodles Ho- fun noodles (flat white noodles) Udon noodles (japanese noodles) 2nd pick your meat Beef Chicken Prawns Duck Pork 3rd pick your veg A good variety of veg inc asian veg. 4th Pick your sauce Oyster sauce Blackbean sauce Satay sauce Thai red curry sauce Thai sweet chilli sauce Szecwan sauce Singapore seasoning read more

I was attracted here by the cool retro noodle boxes and the decent reviews on tripadvisor. Being a vegetarian, I was quite skeptical when I saw the cooking preparation here. I asked whether they use separate cooking apparatus for veggies, and despite a positive response, I feel dubious. The food and sauces didn't feel particularly fresh, the interior was quite dirty, and the staff ignored me when I asked for anything after having ordered the meal. The taste of the noodles isn't bad, though it isn't amazing either. There is far too much sauce and far too little fresh ingredients. I went to soba bar last week and got a really good serving of fresh noodles, which was admittedly smaller, but far more satisfying in terms of taste. If you want a lot of food for a good price, this is the place to come. If not, I advise you to go elsewhere. read more

This place is amazing. I can't count the number of times I ate there as a student in between classes. On of my favorite activities was getting some noodles on a sunny day, taking them to The Meadows or the park in George Sq. and just watching the clouds drift by overhead with my friends. They have a wide variety and a fairly inexpensive. Being so close to the University is really the perfect spot for them. The only reason I don't give them 5 stars is that they do not have the most comfortable dining area. Because of the small size of the shop, it can get cramped and loud in there very quickly. I suggest getting carry out. read more

Came here after leaving the Peachtree House. My friend aptly described this place as the noodle shop version of chipotle. You can pick your starter, noodles, meat,veggies, sauce, and drink. It's at the perfect location for catching people after drinking at the pub across the street. Had a yummy experience. read more

Solid food. Kinda of a hole-in-the-wall but food was good. Good prices and nice staff. Will be sure to come again soon.

Great noodle bar! Choose a noodle, sauce, 3 veg and a meat! Great price and good food!

I didn't try the food (what? A review that didn't try the food? egads!) but what I did try (and like) is their bubble tea. Don't see it too often in this neck of the woods, so I now know where to go to get my tapioca game on. Now, just if they got lychee flavour in.... read more

I've not been to red box for a while but remember it for it's no nonsense, fast and cheap noodles. What I don't recall is the staff being so unfriendly. On this occasion I got cold treatment while placing my order and felt totally rushed. The noodles were very tasty and still great value for a small box (which just about fills the spot). They could improve this place though. Firstly, who wants to listen to annoying and fairly loud pop trash while they're eating?! And the atmosphere is a bit cold. The floor and furniture is adequate but a wee bit worn looking. I wouldn't go as far as to say dingy, but could benefit from a bit of TLC. Toilets are a bit manky too. If though, like me, you're after a cheap grub while out n about then you probably won't let this put you off. I wouldn't make a special trip though. Time persevered with chop sticks on this occasion: 2 mins (Luckily they have forks!) read more

Red Box have recently been good enough to put up their prices, something I only noticed because on my first visit last weekend they didn't have half the offers that they're advertising on their website. Apparently this is a recent change - although I probably would have said that too. What does bother me about it was that seemingly all the little faults people here mention are still there. It was good noodles, but not the best I've had. At least they have beer on the menu now. read more

Great wee place opposite the Pear Tree Inn that serves up a tasty and quick meal in a box. I can't comment on the entire menu, but I loved the red Thai curry with egg noodles, chicken and extra garlic and chillies. You build the meal as you want it, then all your choices are tossed into a hot wok and served to your table (or as take away). Sometimes the simplest things work best. read more