Thrift Stores and Noodles

Relpo mug

When I die (old and grey, in my sleep, clutching a piece of bacon), I hope my children have fun going through my house staking claim to prized family memorabilia and staring quizzically at my amassed collection of thrift store nick-knacks.  The problem began when I was seven and my grandmother took me to a garage sale where I bought a cherub-faced coffee mug for ten cents.  Most recently was my trip to an Oxford St. West thrift store where I bought my Moby-Dickesque whale...I don't know who made him, but he's magnificent!  My second weakness (third, if you count the bacon): noodles.  From spaghetti to ramen, noodles are where it's at.  Fortunately, just down the street from my whale-harbouring thrift store is Chinese Noodle, an authentic Chinese food restaurant specializing in noodle dishes.

Thrift tore whale (named Baba O'Reilly)

Chinese Noodle is located in the London Mall at Wonderland and Oxford.  Have no recollection of a "mall" there?!  It's where the Sears Outlet Store was, or before that, the KMart.  The big retail location still stands empty but the rest of the mall is a bustle with a thriving Asian community.  There are bubble tea, sushi, and dim sum restaurants as well as an Asian grocery store.  Nestled in the centre of this is Chinese Noodle.  With its bright store front, a flurry of Chinese characters, and a collection of random things for sale out front (where thrift stores and noodles collide?!), the restaurant looks more like a place in Toronto's Chinatown.   So, what does this decidedly non-Chinese person know about Chinese food? Virtually nothing--so I solicited (read: harassed) all of my Chinese Facebook friends (read: my former badminton squad) for help.  I asked them, "who makes the best Chinese food in the city?" Without fail, they all said, "my mom."  And beyond "mom" they told me that wherever you see Chinese people eating, you know it's going to be authentic.  Chinese Noodle passed the badminton test, so it was safe to go inside.

Once in, we had to stand and hover around other tables waiting for a spot.  It was packed and it seemed that one lone server was racing about trying to take care of everything.  Once settled, I placed my order and made that clear I-don't-speak-the-same-language-as-you gesture of pointing to the food I wanted on the menu (note: surprisingly, this Chinese menu did not have a picture of everything beside the description).  Hurriedly, she grabbed both mine and One Reviewer's menu before he could order. Apparently, in Chinese culture, it is customary for one person to order for the table.  After getting a bit more time with the menu, One Reviewer ordered the beef tendon noodles--yes, tendons...like, the tendons on a cow--and I had the hand-pulled noodles.  Unfortunately, our over-worked server didn't bring us any utensils so we had to stare at our food patiently for awhile.  It also gave us time to stare into the open view of the kitchen...which is not necessarily what you want to see.  It's fun (or terrifying) to watch them butcher and portion out an entire chicken (don't worry, it was already dead).  There's a certain appreciation for seeing the stock-pots simmering.  But it's a little worrisome to see how a cramped kitchen operates (imagine some of the things you do in your small kitchen).  As for the food coming out of the busy kitchen,  OR's beef tendon dish was a ramen-style noodle served in a sweet beef broth with carrots, bok choy, and green onions...and BEEF TENDONS. 

Beef Tendon Noodle

OR described them as being like a wobble-less Jello or Turkish delight but beef flavoured--otherwise they were rather bland and unremarkable.  I had the hand-pulled noodles which are just that--made fresh that day from a wheat dough, the dough is pulled from one hand to another until it forms long strands. The badminton squad has great stories of pulling noodles with their parents before family functions.  These noodles are thicker (and therefore better!) and come in an oily garlic sauce.  And the magic of Chinese food persisted here--we ate until we were stuffed but could've easily come back for more an hour later. 

Hand-Pulled Noodles (or lamian)

Overall, Chinese Noodle is definitely worth a visit--it's a bit of a culture shock for anyone who  is not used to having a little China-village in a seemingly abandoned mall.  But getting to have authentic Chinese food rather than the Americanized standard (don't worry chicken balls, I still love you) is well worth the shock.  Besides, unless you have a Chinese friend whose mom is willing to have you over for dinner, this is the best you're going to do!



Location: Chinese Noodle (530 Oxford St.W, London)
Entree Cost: $9
Number of Reviewers: 2
Value: $ $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * *