Restaurant Review: Ojai Noodle House

Born from a long-running joke and a love of home-cooked Vietnamese food, Ojai Noodle House brings big flavors and laid-back vibes to Meiners Oaks — with a little inspiration from New York’s cooler, darker noodle bars

Like so many great ideas, Ojai Noodle House started as a conversation among friends — husband and wife Marko Shafer and Shiny Chan, and their friend Chetan Mangat. “Shiny’s mom is Chinese-Vietnamese and she’s been cooking for us for 15 years,” Shafer says. “Her food is incredible, and we wanted to share it.” They used to joke about opening a spot called Phojai. When a space opened up in Meiners Oaks and a friend connected them with the landlord, the joke got serious. “We weren’t ready,” Mangat says, “but the opportunity was too good to pass up.”

While none of them had opened a restaurant before — Chan’s background is in fashion, Mangat’s in marketing — Shafer has run Hotel Café in Hollywood for 25 years. “But a music venue isn’t a restaurant,” he says. “This is our first real go.”

With dim lighting, a central bar, and vintage Vietnamese newspapers lining the walls, Ojai Noodle House channels the cozy vibe of NYC noodle spots. “A lot of Asian restaurants in California are great but don’t have much atmosphere,” Mangat says. “We wanted something cooler, darker, with music — and we lucked out with a space that already had that dive-y feel.”

Now to the food. Inspired by Chan’s mother, Khanh Chan, and with consultation of a group of professional chefs, the original recipes have been tweaked and elevated from talented home cook to restaurant level. “The menu was a work in progress for a long time,” Mangat says. “We got some high-end chefs from New York to consult, but for a while the food just wasn’t landing. When [current head chefs] Van Le and Luis Ortiz started working together, it all just clicked. All of a sudden everything that came out of the kitchen was just so good.”

The dishes are generously portioned, with everything except the pho less than $20. Summer rolls, sliced in half and standing to attention in their silky white skins, are served with a small bowl of pungent dipping sauce. They’re bulging with vegetables, mint, cilantro, and fine rice vermicelli. But it’s a surprise and ingenious bit of crunch from a piece of deep-fried spring roll in the center that really makes these beauties stand out.The banh mi, those huge lengths of slightly slightly sweet baguette overstuffed with carrot and daikon pickles, sliced jalapeño, cilantro, and whatever protein you desire (we chose grilled beef). The smash burger is American, but with a Southeast Asian twist in the form of housemade Vietnamese salsa seca. Also available are crispy, sticky chicken wings; homemade wonton dumplings in a signature sweet and spicy sauce that lacks heat but not flavor; and deliciously garlicky egg noodles.

But the highlight is, of course, the pho. Arguably Vietnam’s most famous dish, at Ojai Noodle House it is everything it should be: a huge bowl steaming with a 12-hour simmered broth, whose warmth and rich savory depths make you feel like you are being good to yourself. While there’s a vegetarian option, the carnivorous one is made with oxtail, beef bones, and various cuts of beef, served with slices of short rib and flank steak, a tangle of slippery rice noodles, and handfuls of fresh Vietnamese herbs. It is a dish so nourishing and deeply flavorful you can return to it time again and again. 

For the first few months, Ojai Noodle House served dinner only, but lunch service launched in spring, along with some new dishes, including a fresh citrus and shrimp salad with grapefruit, mango, celery, and cucumber, as well as a Vietnamese version of a dip sandwich made with rye bread and slow-cooked brisket in pho broth, layered with a homemade horseradish creme fraiche sauce, pickled red onions, and fresh herbs.

Chan says the menu will continue to evolve. “We have lived in Ojai long enough to know how repetitive eating out can be,” she says. “So we know that we need to constantly rotate our menu, add new things, and introduce special dishes to the community. It feels like everyone is really embracing all of what we’re offering and that’s been so great to see.” Shafer adds that he’s been surprised at the openness of local diners when it comes to trying new things. “We weren’t quite sure how spicy we should make things at first,” he says, “but people have really enjoyed the spicier dishes on the menu.” 

Ojai Noodle House has hit a space in Ojai that nobody knew needed to be filled. By weaving together their personal history and a keen sense of what their community craved, Shafer, Chan, and Mangat have created a restaurant that is fun, delicious, and a place you can return to without getting bored. It’s all so fresh and vibrant and clearly done with love.

Photos by Emma Larkan Photography.

Ojai Noodle House, 100 East El Roblar Drive, is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, 4 to 9 p.m. for dinner. Call 805-272-8898 or visit ojainoodlehouse.com.