The day has finally come. After a year long process, Paik’s Noodle is now open in Valencia! I first tried Paik’s Noodle in Buena Park after doing some damage at Daiso, and at first I thought it was just a regular noodle house. Come to find out, Paik’s Noodle is so much more. I stopped by the newly opened restaurant tonight with my adoptive Korean Grandma to share noodles and she told me all about the history of Hong Kong Banjum (Hong Kong Chinese Food). I had no idea it was such a big deal, but apparently it really is a HUGE deal to have one of these so close to home!
Paik Noodle is a franchise started by Jong-Won Paik, a well known “celebrity” chef in South Korea. He has gradually expanded his Paik’s Noodle empire into the United States, and there are a handful of locations in California. As of today, we have our very own location in Valencia.
In speaking with the owner (above left), he mentioned that the whole process to get the location open took about a year and there was very intense training involved at the headquarters in Koreatown. People asked him why he didn’t open in the valley where there is more demand, but as a resident of Valencia and a fan of Paik’s he was adamant that he wanted to open a location here. And, judging by the crowd tonight, people are definitely happy to have one in the neighborhood. Every single seat was filled despite it being their first day.
The menu at Paik’s revolves around comfort food. My Korean Grandma told me that as the Chinese population grew in Korea, the cuisines merged to form Korean style Chinese food. That’s where Hong Kong Banjum comes from. There are items on the menu like jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce pictured below), and they are making the noodles fresh in house. You can see everything being prepared through an open kitchen in full view.
Another key dish my halmoni loves is jjamppong, a spicy noodle soup with seafood that was so flavorful, and only $6! The prices here are so low, I had to look at the menu twice to make sure I was seeing it right. This is a first look, but in a few weeks we’ll have a full write up with an overview of more dishes.
For now, those familiar with the Paik’s brand and those seeking this type of comfort food will be thrilled that they no longer have to leave town to get these noodles. For the rest of us, go in there with an open mind, and try something new. I can honestly say there is no other place in town serving the dishes on this menu. Yes, it is a chain, but the location is locally owned, and it is truly something new for SCV. As I keep saying, the tide is turning and slowly but surely we are getting more and more variety. It seems like this shopping center is really becoming the place for unique dining experiences. We have Fish Tail, King Kogy, Paik’s, and coming soon is a sushi burrito place. All the variety is great for SCV!
Paik’s Noodle is located at 28124 Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia (same shopping center as Chipotle). They are in a soft opening phase so please be patient. As is the case in Santa Clarita, people rush to a new place and then get mad when it is busy. Also, we are hearing that they don’t have to-go containers, so be warned.
