• EAT: My husband and I walked into an Asian noodle bar named Wagamama in London 12 years ago and fell in love. Sure, we were on our honeymoon, but I'm talking about the noodles and the atmosphere: strangers shoulder-to-shoulder on benches at cafeteria-style tables, slurping steaming bowls of ramen, udon and soba noodles. We returned to Miami Wagamama-less.

Love stayed, but, boy, we missed those noodles -- until we walked into Wok Town in downtown Miami on a recent Friday night. There were long, wooden tables with benches and a simple menu with plenty of noodles. Turns out one of the owners -- who cut his culinary teeth at Miss Yip Chinese Cafe in Miami Beach -- also is a Wagamama fan.

Wok Town is the American fast-food version of an Asian noodle bar. Walk up to the counter and pick a dish from the short list of stir-fries, fried rice bowls, noodle bowls and Asian entrees (over brown or white rice). Choose chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu or just vegetables. Take a seat on a bench, sip free jasmine tea, and in a few minutes your steaming bowl or carryout box will appear.

Order conservatively. One bowl can easily feed two, with room left to try the lettuce wraps or steamed gyoza (pot stickers).

Of the four we tried, our favorite entrees were lo mein with beef and broccoli-ginger beef. Singapore-style curry noodles with chicken was more about the flame than the flavor, and fried rice with chicken, beef and shrimp was bland.

I have high hopes that balance will be achieved once this place gets its bearings. After all, Miami could use a really good noodle.

• DRINK: Pick up a six-pack of Tsingtao Chinese beer at the grocery store.

• WATCH: Tampopo, the 1985 Japanese comedy that bills itself as the first ``noodle Western.''

-- JODI MAILANDER FARRELL

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