Aries' Noodle & Dumpling Waltham

I'm not sure where I heard about Aries' Noodle & Dumpling in Waltham, but they just had a main water break on my first visit, so that didn't work out too well. No website that I can find, but THIS should sort of show what they have.

They are located on Main Street in Waltham, and there is paid parking in the lot to the right. There are also a few free on-street spots further to the right, across the street.

I think they have simplified the menu. Last time the specials board was packed with dishes. The inside was pleasant, and the takeout was flying out the door at lunchtime.

The menu said Aries' Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup ($12.99 extra beef $5). The soup was pleasant, and the beef was a thinly sliced beef shank that was tender. The noodles were good, but it was kind of a big lump, so it was hard to eat. Having no clue what the noodles were, I had to ask if the noodles were made in-house? My waiter then explained it was hand-pulled noodles. The receipt said Lan Zhou Hand-Pulled Noodle, and that changes the whole dish. The broth was very mild, verging on bland. 06/24/21

The sign on the front window explained the dish. Of course I didn't see this until I was leaving. 1. clear broth Fail 2. white Fail, wasn't present 3. red Fail, wasn't present 4. green Fail, scallions 5. yellow Fail, white noodles. If you are serving a famous dish, shouldn't you do it right?

Szechuan Style Sliced Pork with Hot Sauce ($15.99). Yes, that's a mound of garlic on top. Next time I'll remove some of the garlic. This was a very generous serving. It was all tender pork that wasn't mushy. There were some small bits of cabbage underneath and celery. This is not like Sichuan Gourmet, where there is a mound of stuff underneath. It was spicy, but I think I would have liked it spicier. The "hot sauce" was delicious. Extra spicy next time. Rice is $1.50. 07/15/21

Szechuan Spicy Chicken ($14.99). This is a dish that's on every self-respecting Sichuan restaurant's menu. This was an excellent version with super crispy and tender chicken. Done correctly, it should be dark meat, and it was. The peppers were actually spicy today, and you never know what you will get. There were also Sichuan peppercorns hiding in there. They don't stick to the chicken, so you have to hunt them down. Notice that they are doing the right thing and breaking the chili pods open. I don't understand restaurants that cook with whole pods. 09/04/21

Appetizer Spicy Duck Slices ($12.99). Looking at the picture on the takeout menu, it seems like you would get around five slices of duck breast. However, what you get is half a duck sliced on the bone sitting in a pool of chili oil and soy sauce topped with chili peppers. The duck was tasty and tender and had been rendered down perfectly. Yes, this might not be for everyone since there are tons of bones, but I don't mind. It was delicious! They now have a helpful new menu that includes pictures. Added is a shrimp dish with what looks like shrimp that I had in Sweden. 09/29/21

And here they are! Just called Cold Water Shrimp ($12.95) on the menu. This is, in fact, the long-missed Swedish shrimp. I never thought that I would encounter these guys over here. The texture was off a tad, but not by much, considering that these are previously frozen. These guys are tasty! The dipping sauce was also really delicious. I would absolutely have overlooked these if it wasn't for the picture in the new menu. The waiter tried to translate where they come from, and his phone said the North Pole, and that's pretty close. The North Sea would have been more accurate. 10/21/21 Got this as a takeout on my last visit. Way more shrimp in the box.

I also ordered the Pork & Cabbage Dumplings (10 pcs $7.99). They come with some black vinegar in the brilliant serving tray. The dumplings were really delicious, even if the picture won't win any awards. The skins were on the thick side. It does, however, show off the serving tray. 10/21/21

Noodle soup with Pork Ribs. ($11.99). The receipt read "braised ribs W bbq sauce Noddle". This was an excellent soup, rich and fragrant, and I wouldn't call it spicy, but it had a subtle hint of heat. The ribs were tender and porky. Beware of bone splinters. Noodles were cooked perfectly, but they were LONG, so they were a bit tricky to eat. Yes, I now have a shirt with spots 😋. 11/18/21

Address: 617 Main St, Waltham, MA 02452 Phone: (781) 209-0008

You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.

-- Abraham Maslow