OVER the years, restaurateur couple Jagmohan and Matinee Singh have owned many different restaurants in the area, each serving Asian cuisine in a distinctly different way. Currently, Aroma in Franklin Park is at the top of its game serving traditional Thai. And on the other end of the spectrum, the Noodle House in North Brunswick walks to the beat of its own drummer, as it creatively presents a culinary compilation of Thai, Indonesian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Indian and Japanese dishes. This catchall Asian restaurant uses signs, window dressings and its menu to market itself as a “trendy Asian bistro” serving “contemporary Asian cuisine with attitude.” Such descriptions are right on the money.

   Despite a theme of uniting multiple cuisines under the same menu, the Noodle House hasn’t gotten much attention in recent years. I last visited the Noodle House for a review five years ago, when the restaurant was still young and fine-tuning its operations. Back then the service was problematic and proved no match for the captivating food. Today it seems the two have come together a bit more; the service has improved tremendously and the food has remained status quo.

   The Noodle House goes for a streamlined, urban styling and hits the mark there. Sharp lines and a few resourceful decorations do the trick to accent the restaurant’s trendy persona. Elevated Buddha statues overlook a dining room full of rectangular glass tables that are neatly arranged in rows and configured into booth seating along the perimeter. A semi-exposed kitchen is abuzz with activity and soothing background music plays at the appropriate level, an irritant that was corrected from years past.

   While the restaurant intentionally lacks warmth in its décor, service seems unintentionally cool. From a functional standpoint, service does just fine. What’s missing is a connection with the customer.

   At the Noodle House, the “warmth” is poured directly into the food. There’s a passion built in. Exotic smells and flavors penetrate the food in many forms including meat, fish, rice dishes and, true to the restaurant’s name, lots of noodles. Presentations are deliberate and quite beautiful, especially for such modest prices.

   The meandering menu takes a bit of navigating, but it’s a vast improvement from the menu design that came before. Appetizers are clear-cut and popular. Entrees are divided into sections. A page devoted to vegetarians is a welcome change of pace. Noodles and rice dishes have their own page and come with a choice of adding lobster, shrimp, beef, chicken or vegetables. The same is true for the stir-fry section. A more traditional entrée page presents selections like halibut, salmon, duck and even lamb chops. Then, from out of nowhere, comes one entrée choice titled “Kobe Stone Grill,” on which you cook your own chicken, beef or lamb.

   Appetizers do well. Crab dumpling shui mai ($6.95) are delicate steamed dumplings wrapped in thin wonton wrappers. Served with sweet soy sauce and mango salsa, these petite mouthfuls go down effortlessly. In contrast, crispy shrimp ($6.95) are hearty bites in which crispy tempura coating is the emphasis. The accompanying mango salsa makes an even better accompaniment here as it serves to pull in some color and a sweet counterpoint.

   The chicken satay ($5.95) is uneventful. Its biggest mark of distinction is the peanut sauce, a chunky version that can sway this dish one way or the other depending on personal preference.

   Japanese beef udon soup (5.95) is flavorful, but the beef was on the tough side and detracted from the pleasure. The same was true of the Singapore noodles ($10) in which we elected to have beef added. Otherwise, this thin rice noodle dish is a winner. Wearing a vibrant yellow color, these noodles glow with the flavors of curry, cumin and ginger. Bean sprouts and cilantro offer a fresh boost to the dish.

   Chow mein with chicken ($10) is a success as is the char kway teaw with chicken ($10). A table favorite, this bountiful tangle of wide, flat rice noodles, flavored with soy oyster sauces, is the Asian answer to comfort food. Thai broccoli woven within the noodles is an agreeable green crunch.

   In typical Noodle House fashion, a traditional dish is often tweaked to be more current. Such is true of the grilled salmon wrapped in banana leaves ($15). This Thai dish is usually prepared with minced fish, not salmon. The salmon is an upscale substitute, but the whole dish comes off as a little too “safe.” While this dish gets an A+ for presentation, the salmon itself is rather humdrum. It is paired with sesame noodles, another safety net, and a tomato garlic sauce. Considering the fanfare of flavors that is typical for a meal at the Noodle House, this dish is an underachiever.

   Roast duck rendang ($15) is an Indonesian derivative. A small portion of duck comes in its own bowl, as does the accompanying coconut-based curry sauce. The duck meat is succulent (although heavy on the fat) and the curry sauce is an addictive highlight. The medley of vegetables served with this dish is lovely and provides another something, anything, to dip in that luscious sauce.

   Desserts (all $6.95) take trendy to the limit. The popular FBI stands for “fried banana and ice cream.” Bananas, embellished with cinnamon, are wrapped in spring roll wrappers and fried to a decadent bite. Corn ice cream is a small disk of vanilla ice cream surrounded by corn meal. The effect is icy and while this may be a more authentic representation of an Asian dessert, it detracts from the success of the banana wraps.

   Apple wontons mimic the concept of an apple pie, but it’s the accompanying lychee fruit sorbet that is the highlight. Coconut custard with caramel sauce is a pleaser as is a spin on the classic sticky rice with mango. The textures, coconut overtones, and sweet subtleties that make this dish so appealing are all present in this unique version that uses black rice instead of white.

   Combining culinary cultures can come off as either a muddle or an inviting prospect. At the Noodle House, it’s the latter. Besides a keen sense of style and an interpretive spin on Asian classics, there’s one common thread that binds all the dishes together: the modest price. For the price, the Noodle House puts out vibrant, exciting flavors and presents them with style and elegance.