Although we did use our noodles back in 2021, we thought it was time for a revisit as there are so many noodle restaurants to choose from.

New restaurant: Highland Noodles

When searching for a new-to-us place to try, Highland Noodles in Frisco stood out because they are known for their handmade on the premises specialty noodles. We were not disappointed – the tomato and egg noodle dish and the beef and noodle dish both had a rich flavor and the portions were huge.  Plus, we were very surprised (actually more like amazed) that the restaurant was located within a shopping area that had dozens of Asian restaurants and shops – and we had never noticed this area before although we had probably driven by it dozens of times. Thank you ABC Life for opening our eyes to the many options we have for future dining delights.

Bonus: The very next day we discovered on someone’s recommended mysteries for 2023 list the book Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien. It’s on our TBR list now. But it does make one think: how do you die by a dumpling? Poisoning? Or a swift and mighty whack on the head? We’ll find out soon.

LEARNING CENTER

Since we loved the flavors of this restaurant, here’s something we learned about “Natural Flavors”: Next time you read a label and are encouraged to hear the product has natural flavors so you’re feeling very health conscious, keep this in mind: “Secreted from a gland near its rear end, castoreum is a substance beavers use to mark their territory. Because it has a musky vanilla aroma, for centuries castoreum has been added to some perfumes and foods. The FDA only requires it to be labeled “natural flavoring.”

And, also, while we think back fondly on our noodles, we found there are several food terms for the head or brain: noodle, bean, melon, beef-witted, to name a few. But we want to pass along a caution: “Using your noodle is high in carbohydrates. Using your melon is less so. If you’re on a true low-carb diet, beef-witted is the way to go.”