Interview with SC Noodle House Owner, Christian Conte

SC Noodle House burst onto the San Carlos scene in November 2023 with five-star reviews and drawing customers from far and wide. We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Christian Conte, the brains behind both SC Noodle House and the iconic Drakes of San Carlos. A hometown hero, Conte envisioned the Noodle House as a hub for bringing the community together in this beloved town – a mission deeply rooted in his love for it and its people.

But brace yourself before stepping through those doors. Entering SC Noodle House is akin to stepping onto the set of a classic Kung Fu film, minus the martial arts prowess. However, you might just get challenged to a Karaoke showdown by the awesome bartender.

With walls adorned in Chinese cloud graffiti, bamboo accents, traditional artwork, and the warm glow of red and yellow lanterns drifting overhead, SC Noodle House is a veritable feast for the eyes and the Instagram feed.

Beyond its delectable Asian fare, SC Noodle House is poised to become San Carlos’s ultimate melting pot of fun, where the quirky, the elegant, the wild, and the whimsical all can happen at the same time. It’s a space where you can revel in the essence of San Carlos, forging new connections and rekindling old flames.

So, keep your eyes peeled for their next move! From Karaoke Nights to Jeopardy showdowns, Sip and Paint sessions, and the infamous 10 Pound Noodle Challenge, there’s something for everyone. Bring along your furry friends, gather around the firepit with pals, and unwind in style. What better way to kick off the weekend?

Interview about the SC Noodle House

So I’m just going to shoot away with the questions! In a place where pizza and pasta abound, the SC Noodle House is a much awaited addition to the roster of restaurants in San Carlos. What can you say about this?

So the Noodle House is an Asian Fusion restaurant. We’re happy to serve all the different types of Asian culture. I grew up in San Carlos, I was born and raised here, and I’m really just trying to do something different and I thought we really needed some more yummy Asian food. I’m a huge fan of Pho and other Asian Cuisine. We have really good chicken wings – salt and pepper chicken wings – and Korean-style tacos.

It’s a really dark vibe in there. Yummy cocktails. We have an outdoor patio. Just trying to be unique and separate ourselves from the other establishments in San Carlos.

Well it’s not that dark, it’s really nice with the neon lights and all, it’s like that “Pirates of the Caribbean” Vibe, you know, classic and modern at the same! The next question, since you opened, what are your best-selling menu items so far, and which would you recommend?

Ooh, well, I’m biased. I like the whole menu. I think it’s all delicious. Our top sellers right now are the Pho, our New York Pho. We’re big on high-end quality types of food, so our meat inside the Pho is New York, which is different from traditional Pho. We also sell a lot of Garlic Truffle Noodles, which are super addicting, you’ll be craving those for days to come. And then our next, we have Bahn-Mi Sandwiches.

And then I would say our Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings are very popular as well. We have a lot of vegetarian options too. So if you wanted Crispy Tofu or Burmese Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad… just really trying to hit all sectors.

I’ve been watching your Instagram and I saw the events you’ve been doing at the place – like Mario Kart Challenge? Can you tell us more about it?

Yes, so we do a few events. We do Karaoke Nights regularly every Saturday from about 9:00 PM till 12:00 MD, and then we just try to make it fun. We had a Mario Kart tournament at the back patio. We have other events where you can sign up to join, and the winner gets a prize. We’re going to do Jeopardy Night soon, and we’ll just keep trying to put up games and (just do our part in) making San Carlos a strong community. Bring people together. We thought that games are a fun way to do that.

I’ve heard about the 10 Pound Pho Challenge! When are you going to do that?

We’ll probably roll that out in the next couple weeks here. The Pho Challenge is a fun food competition and we’re just trying to do something different; draw these competitive eaters, and you know – put yourself to the test if you can finish the 10 pounds of Pho. It’s a lot of food!

We’re also going to have our first ever wine “Sip and Paint”. Basically, we’re going to have an artist, a local artist, her name is “Joyce” and she will be teaching painting classes at the back. We’re excited about that. (It’ll be a) fun spot to come, enjoy some yummy cocktails and appetizers, and make some fun drawings.

Wow, that’s interesting! I think this is the first restaurant I’ve heard in San Carlos that really does all these things in one place!

Yes, I’m trying to make it a fun spot! I mean, the Noodle House is supposed to be, you know, “everybody’s welcome no matter what”, and just a fun place to be in.

We even love our furry friends. We have the back patio, which is a dog-friendly spot. And we’re just trying to make it into a fun hangout: Asian fusion bites with Craft Cocktails. So, really trying to hit that as a home run.

Well, this is another question here. I understand you have Karaoke Night. So, what do you think, are the people in San Carlos good singers? And have you met anyone surprisingly talented so far?

Good question, funny. I would say so far it’s been great. Everybody’s been singing and having a fun time. I had this one gentleman who was a really good singer. I’m trying to think of a song he sang. But it’s really everybody! What’s fun about karaoke is that everybody gets to sing their favorite song. So it’s a wide range of different types of songs, which is always fun. So you get to hear all these different types of genres of songs that are maybe new or could be old classics, which are great too.

On an ending note, well, do you have any message for the readers of this blog?

Just come check out the SC Noodle House. It’s a fun spot for everybody. We have the dog-friendly back patio, TV’s out there with the fire pit… The next couple weeks we’re going to do our first ever painting class in the back. So please give yourself a hand. Sign up and come sing some Karaoke and don’t be shy.

Christian, thank you so much for your time here. We’re happy to support everything you’re doing in the restaurant. 

I appreciate you putting together the articles and publishing others, not just me, in San Carlos and really trying to build a community because that’s very important in making everybody feel welcome. So I appreciate you guys doing what you do too.

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About Christian

Christian Conte has been working in restaurants since he was 17, filling most positions eateries have to offer, including working as a busser, bartender and manager. As a student, he started bussing tables and then worked as a host, server, barback, bartender, shift leader, manager and general manager. “First, it was an after school job, after baseball and football,” Conte says. “Then I thought, ‘Wow. I could do this for a living.’” Opening a restaurant has always been a dream of his.

“I always say I’m not in the restaurant business. I consider myself in the people business, and it’s all about the experience,” said Conte. “I’m a very hands-on guy and very family-oriented. I feel God is blessing me with a family that supports me, and I want to share that with the city and make a welcoming spot in the city for people to come and feel love,” said Conte.

Christian’s cousin, Nathan, also runs a café in town called Groovy Goose, come visit them too!

About San Carlos Real Estate and Homes for Sale

 In addition to SC Noodle House and Groovy Goose, San Carlos is host to an array of restaurants famous across the Bay Area. Rightly called the “City of Good Living”, it is a wonderful place to live in! As per San Carlos Real Estate, homes are in the mid-price range for the Peninsula, but still not as expensive as areas like Palo Alto or Menlo Park; a desirable community to live in due to its overall well-performing school system – in fact, top in the whole of California.

As a resident, you’ll find here a mix of quiet neighborhoods and nearby city perks, with beautiful nature parks, and lots of things to do. Whether you enjoy shopping in boutique stores or exploring nature trails, there’s something for everyone. Being very close to Silicon Valley, San Carlos Real Estate is a smart choice for buying a home or investing in property. If you need help navigating through town for beautiful homes for sale, contact us today and we’ll be happy to be of service.

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Resources:

• SC Noodle House Official Website
• SC Noodle House Instagram
• “Restaurateur Behind Drake’s San Carlos Is Debuting a New Concept in the City”, Article by What Now SF, July 25, 2023
• “Drakes San Carlos owner opens neighboring SC Noodle House”, Article by  Palo Alto Online