The Great Wall of China was constructed to keep roving packs of ancient pandas from absconding with the local cuisine. Succeed where the bears failed with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of Asian fare at Noodle Maker, located in the Arts District.

Noodle Maker temps taste buds with authentic Japanese and Chinese dishes and spirited interpretations of Thai, Korean, and Indian concoctions. Ignite an evening outing with Korean pickled cabbage, otherwise known as spicy kimchi ($2), or play a quick game of telephone with a braised sliced pig ear ($3.99). The classic ramen bowls bubble between a choice of light miso broth or butter soya soup and delicately engulf the likes of teriyaki chicken ($8.50), tsuke tofu steak ($11), and grilled onion pork tenderloin ($8.50). Shrimp, barbecued pork, and seasonal Chinese vegetables reclaim the three-sided star from Mercedes-Benz in wor wonton ($9), and the spicy neu rou mein ($9.50) elegantly assembles beef brisket and tendon with Shanghai noodles in a five-spice braising broth. Noodle Maker's cultural rice bowls blend flavours from East and Central Asia with such Epicurean delights as butter goat curry ($10), Thai basil shrimp ($11), and bi-bim-bap ($10), a Korean bowl filled with beef, cucumber, a sunny side up egg, rice, kimchi, and eight maids a-milking.

Reviews

Three Yelpers give Noodle Maker an average of four stars, and 89 per cent of Urbanspooners like it.

• The food here is wicked! The broth is masterfully done. – Peter Ewashko, Urbanspooners
• I like daring and creative restaurants and Noodle Maker nailed it. – CyniC, Urbanspoon