Full disclosure: I was invited to Jubao Palace Noodle Bar at Seminole Hard Rock & Hotel Tampa for a complimentary meal tasting in exchange for my opinion. These opinions are my own and do not reflect Seminole Hard Rock & Hotel Tampa.
Thai Tea is my favorite and probably one of the main reasons why I go to Jubao Palace. The one at Jubao tastes as authentic as you’ll find at the best places in town including The Wat Thai Temple. Totally worth it and delicious.
As if that wasn’t enough, we had Vietnamese coffee as well. Vietnamese coffee is guaranteed to keep you up at night when you need cram. I’ll warn that the caffeine dose is high. It’s delicious though and I highly recommend it.
What would Asian food be without fried rice? The fried rice at Jubao Palace is completely filling and a great option if you need to fill up before having a few drinks and hitting the slots. One thing I appreciate is that it isn’t too salty, some places go overboard with soy sauce.
All the starters at Jubao are delicious, but the favorite of the evening is The Spicy Garlic Cucumber dish. This one I highly recommend. It is has a nice finish with red pepper flakes.
My favorite thing on the menu? The pork belly! The pork belly is crispy and delicious. My friend Natalie Kass who has lived in Macau as an English teacher said it is comparable to her experiences abroad in Macau and China.
It’s a generous portion so you may want to share and order some appetizers with it. The duck is also excellent and made traditionally. The chef has plenty of experience in local Chinese cuisine and has worked at big names around town.
For those of you that like noodles. Jubao has pho and a variety of different styles of soups that you can enjoy. Broths are rich and filled with flavor. Personally, I can never finish my soup – but I know many people who can down this in minutes. The portion is larger than some Vietnamese places around town.
We topped it all off with some noodles which was probably much more than I can handle, but still quite delicious.
The best part about Jubao is that it is open late! You can grab your Asian fix well into the wee hours of the morning and there is almost nowhere else in town that you can do that. Most Asian restaurants in Tampa close by 10PM or 11PM at the latest. Jubao is open til 4AM and sometimes 5AM on the weekends.
Overall, Jubao has a good-sized menu of Chinese and Vietnamese food. There is much more seating space now that they added a whole new wing to it and it was much needed as the place is constantly busy with customers.
Now when you get that late-night craving, you’ll remember this post and go on over for your fix at Jubao Palace Noodle Bar.
Restaurant Name: Jubao Palace Noodle Bar
Address: 5223 N. Orient Rd., Tampa, FL 33610
Cost: $$
Phone Number: (866) 388-4263
Menu: http://bit.ly/2D6ckIK
Website: http://www.seminolehardrocktampa.com/tampa-contemporary-dining.htm
Carlos Eats 