FAIRFIELD – Noodle House moved to a new location in 2023, just a stone’s throw north of its former home on the east side of the Fairfield square.

The business’s new location is 111 N. Court St., in the building previously occupied by Play. The restaurant has seating both upstairs and downstairs, and the owners hope to be able to open the bar upstairs soon.

Noodle House is owned by Phouvieng Xayavong and his wife, Khamkong. The two hail from Laos, and they incorporate their native cuisine into their dishes at Noodle House, which they combine with flavors from other culinary traditions such as Chinese, Japanese, Thai and American. Xayavong said he’s learned to adapt his dishes over the years to meet the needs of his customers.

“We do 80 percent vegetarian, and the dishes are not too spicy,” he said. “Real Thai or Laotian food would be too spicy or too salty or too sweet.”

Xayavong took over ownership of Noodle House from his uncle in 2000, and ran it from the east side of the square until November 2023 when he moved into his current location. Xayavong said they moved out of their old building because it had fallen into disrepair with water coming through the roof and the basement having mold. He and Khamkong went looking for a new venue for their restaurant, and luckily they were able to find one close by.

It took about 1.5 months for Xayavong to set up the restaurant’s new home. He said he had to do a little bit of remodeling, estimating he changed only about 10 percent of the building. The new location has the same amount of seating as before with 12 tables in all. He said he had to spend a little bit of money on setting up the air conditioning and plumbing, but it wasn’t like starting a restaurant from scratch since he was able to move his equipment from the old building.

Phouvieng and Kham have three grandsons, two of whom help every day after school. Apart from them, the couple has run the restaurant on their own for the last 24 years. Their daughter Geena runs Asian Pho Bistro on West Burlington Avenue.

Xayavong’s uncle started the business in 1993, when Xayavong and his wife were living in Ottumwa. That’s where they had been living since 1982, and worked various jobs, including 18 years in meat packing.

“That was a very hard job,” Xayavong said. “It was very cold and dangerous, being on the cutting floor all day.”

While Phouvieng worked in meat-packing, Kham spent 11 years working as a chef in a Chinese restaurant in Ottumwa.

The Xayavong family had to leave their native Laos during a period of political upheaval in the late 1970s when Xayavong was 17 years old. They spent a few years in a Thai refugee camp before coming to New Mexico. At the time, Xayavong’s uncle was living in Fairfield, and he convinced the family to get jobs in Southeast Iowa in 1981.

The restaurant is open five days per week for lunch, and for dinner on Monday and Tuesday. Xayavong said they were once open seven days a week, but they couldn’t keep up that grueling pace. He said the extra money from working on the weekend was nice, but it was too hard for two people.

Xayavong said he’s proud to be able to offer great Asian fusion meals for a low price so he can sell to rich and poor alike. He wants to please his customers, and they seem very happy with both the food and the new location.

“Everybody says they like it, and they keep coming,” Xayavong said.