There’s never been any mucking around at the Chinese Noodle Restaurant. That should be clear from the place’s utterly uninventive name. It’s a Restaurant where you can eat Chinese Noodles. And you should, because with food this excellent at what’s usually less than $20 a head, they don’t really need any name at all.
The Restaurant’s location tucked behind an escalator at a daggy 80s mall in Haymarket might lead you to suspect that fine dining isn’t on offer. You'd be right. Instead, hungry customers queue to be ushered onto a stool that’s been squashed into the restaurant’s tiny dining area with the skill of a Tetris champion. Sharing tables is mandatory – in peak periods, no chair remains vacant for more than 60 seconds. And don’t even think about lingering after you finish.
The walls feature cosy patterned rugs that evoke a closing down sale at a carpet warehouse, and the ceiling has plastic grape vines coiled around the fluorescent light fittings. This might seem randomly idiosyncratic, but is surprisingly common in Xinjiang-style restaurants – perhaps because the province produces carpets and wine? But you won’t pay attention to the decor for long, because you’ll be too busy trying to decide what to order.
The grapevined ceiling is an unexpected touch.
It’s not an easy decision, because despite the establishment’s name, there’s a lot more than noodles on offer. There’s an abundance of northern and western Chinese delights – think BBQ lamb ribs ($14.80), stir-fried eggplant chunks drenched in a potent chilli sauce ($11.80) and a hearty Xinjiang chili chicken stew ($14.80) which is perfect winter fare.
The spring pancakes ($8.80) are a particular highlight no matter what the season, with grilled chicken or beef that’s served wrapped in a warm, doughy pancake with bean sprouts and glass noodles – perfect when dipped in the vinegar chili sauce provided. One serve will leave you utterly stuffed.
Among the other highlights are perfectly deep-fried salt and pepper squid ($14.80), the pan-roasted buns stuffed with lamb and chili oil ($9.80), and the hearty, spicy ‘Ma Po’ tofu hotpot ($10.80).
Despite the name, it's not just noodles on offer at the Chinese Noodle Restaurant.
There's a reason the word Noodle is in the name – the establishment is justifiably proud of its hand-made noodles, so much so that there’s a window into their tiny kitchen that allows you to watch the latest batch being stretched out like a concertina of stringy flour. They’re 5mm thick and come out slightly gnarled because a skilled pair of hands, rather than any machine, has extruded them into being.
My first love here was the Beijing combination noodles ($9.50), which are oddly reminiscent of spaghetti bolognese, with a flavoursome meat ragù garnished with cucumber. Recently I’ve graduated to the Xinjiang stir-fried noodles ($9.80), which come with a soy-based sauce and chopped vegetables – a classic noodle dish that showcases just how delicious the freshly-made noodles are.
But we haven’t even mentioned the most popular option – the dumplings ($8.80-$9.50 for a dozen). They come boiled, steamed or pan-fried – the latter’s probably the best, but it’s worth ordering a few types. All come dripping with fillings such as pork and chives, lamb and carrots and beef with shallots; there’s egg and chives for the vegetarians, too. Indeed, there are a good number of vego and vegan-friendly options on the menu.
You can wash down your meal with a free cup of jasmine tea or a can of soft drink – and that’s it. But if you’re really lucky, the dapper noodle maestro who owns the place will serenade you with his violin.
It’s all good at Chinese Noodle Restaurant, with two exceptions – the very high chance of splashing some kind of delicious sauce on yourself, and the queueing. Fortunately, the place is so popular that the kindly violinist has opened two other adjoining branches in the same mall, around the back on Quay St. I’ve almost never had to wait when I approach the less atmospheric – a relative term – but more comfortable newer branches.
And in researching this article, I’ve discovered there’s yet another branch on Bathurst St near the Town Hall, known as either Chinatown Noodle Restaurant or Chinese Noodle Restaurant No 2. Because it seem that making noodles is good business. Chinese Noodles. At the Chinese Noodle Restaurant.
Chinese Noodle Restaurant - Three branches in Burlington Centre, 8 Quay St Haymarket, Sydney, open for lunch and dinner 7 days. Also 77 Bathurst Street, Sydney. Lead image by Alpha via Flickr.
Throughout August, SBS Food is celebrating Asia's love of the noodle. Oodles of Noodles includes delicious new recipes, stories and tips for buying, cooking and storing noodles. Find out more here.
