Number Nine Noodles + Beer

Number Nine Noodles + Beer Restaurant Review:

In the string of cluttered vintage boutiques and rockabilly barbershops that make up Long Beach's Retro Row, Number Nine stands out for its subtlety. This efficient sliver of a space houses two short rows of tables and low-backed blonde benches that are more perch than chair. Classic Vietnamese dishes pop against the white walls: green leaves of cilantro poke out of chewy, tofu-stuffed spring rolls; chopped peanuts blanket a pile of tender five-spice chicken; red chopsticks dive into deep bowls of pho to pluck out a slice of brisket cooked by the broth. When the weather dares to dip below 70 degrees, warm up with the mélange pho (shrimp, chicken, pork, beef and tofu). In the summer, stick with the crispy shrimp bún, a cold salad that's essentially pho without the liquid. We dip everything that's not nailed down into Number Nine's peanut sauce, a creamy combo of crunchy peanut butter and hot sauce. The shelves surrounding the three-seat bar in the back --- which doubles as a busy to-go counter --- are stocked with select reds, whites and beer, both Asian and local. Sip a shochu cocktail and watch cooks fry calamari then pass it through a window to T-shirted servers. When the restaurant fills up, snag a seat among the succulents on the patio which fronts Fourth Street, or share lemongrass beef skewers under tiny white lights in the secret backyard garden.