This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

South Salt Lake • Tucked across the street from the Century 16 movie theater, you'll find Zabb Noodles. It's safe to say that a table full of guests at this eatery, which bills itself as an Asian fusion noodle house, will likely be able to order something inspired by many parts of Asia.

At its core, Asian fusion cuisine is the merging of various regional cuisines — such as Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai — brought together in one restaurant. Riding the popularity of such fusion menus, Zabb delivers family-style dishes that run the gamut.

Start your tour of the menu with a nod to China in the appetizer section, where Zabb offers up dumplings ($6.50) and fried spring rolls ($5.50) that are filling and flavorful — although clearly not housemade. The seven crispy-fried pork and vegetable dumplings were served piping hot and came with a tangy gyoza dipping sauce.

Perhaps nothing encapsulates Americanized Chinese food more than orange chicken ($10.50) and beef broccoli ($10.50). In the latter, florets of steamed broccoli and thin slices of carrot commingled with beef that was on the dry side. A watery broth failed as a sauce and added little flavor. The fried chicken of the former dish was hot and juicy but coated in an overly thick sweet and sour sauce that resembled tomato paste.

Japanese cuisine finds its representation in one of three versions of protein (chicken, salmon and steak) offered teriyaki style at Zabb. While the filet of the salmon teriyaki ($12.50) was generous, the cloyingly sweet teriyaki couldn't be countered by the accompanying onion rings — nearly a full onion's worth — in addition to steamed rice.

I looked to the noodle section of the menu for redemption. There's a vast representation of noodle dishes from all over Asia here — from pad thai ($10.50) to Vietnamese pho ($9.50) to Japanese udon ($9.50 tempura, $10.50 beef).

A steaming bowl of wonton soup ($9.50) offered up luscious, pork-stuffed wontons that I would have loved to have many more of, but the housemade pork broth lacked depth and richness. Fresh bean sprouts and cabbage provided crunch and texture but added little umami, and the egg noodles were sadly overcooked.

Zabb's most successful offering is also the house specialty, Zabb Noodles soup ($10.50), featuring a hot and spicy broth prepared to guests' requested heat level and filled with Shandong noodles and a generous portion of marinated pork alongside cooked eggs and fresh green onions.

Curry noodles ($11.50) and padsiew ($10.50) round out the noodle offerings.

Prices are a bit high at Zabb Noodles considering the overall quality of the food, but service is fast and attentive. Given its location just across the street from the movie theater, Zabb Noodles has the potential to appeal to many moviegoers looking to feed differing tastes in one convenient location where speed is the prime consideration.

Heather L. King also writes for http://www.slclunches.com and can be found on social media @slclunches . —

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Zabb Noodles

Food • Hhj

Mood • Hhj

Service • HH

Noise • b

Asian fusion offerings highlighting noodle and soup dishes are served up hot and fast at this South Salt Lake location.

Location • 168 E. 3300 South, South Salt Lake; 385-242-7605

Hours • Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Monday, 5-10:30 p.m.

Children's menu • No

Prices • $$

Liquor • Beer and wine

Reservations • No

Takeout • Yes

Wheelchair access • Yes

Outdoor dining • Yes

On-site parking • Yes

Credit cards • Yes