Is It Better Over at Shanghai Hand-Pulled Noodles?

I love noodles.  I’m not sure if it’s just the Chinese in me or if it’s the simplicity of it, but I’m guessing it’s a bit of both.  This is precisely why Kanzhu‘s become one of my go-to places whenever I work late¹, whenever I having nothing to eat at home², or when I just need a quickie³.  That’s what she said.

Recently⁴, Mom brought me to this place that serves the same shit, she says.  She swears by this.  It’s apparently cheaper, serves more, and apparently just as good, if not better.  Who am I to argue?  Moms know best, right?

First came the Fried Lamb Dumplings.  Loved this.  Taste-wise, they don’t differ much from Kanzhu and it’s a lot better-valued for your money.

Like Kanzhu, it’s all about the noodles.  I had the Dry Shanghai Beef Noodle, while I had hers with tendon⁵.  Let’s break it down into parts.

Portion Size: You’ll notice that each serving is fairly huge.  One person can definitely finish it, but can take maybe 2 light-eating girls.

Beef / stock: It’s nicely braised but not as tender as I hoped.  Some pieces seemed a bit dried out, but there was definitely a lot of spices put into the braise but still a certain lightness to it.

Noodle: Nice and al dente but there might have been too much stock for it to be dry.  The proportion of the portion and the amount of stock wasn’t great because the noodles tend to absorb the stock.  While it flavors the noodle, it also softens the noodle that kills that bite to it in the long-run.

Overall, I liked it… but not as much as Kanzhu.  It’s definitely a lot cheaper and a lot more in terms of serving.  Kanzhu’s beef has more fat⁶, moisture, and is a bit more tender.  The stock is also more pungent, which I personally prefer.  Noodle-wise, I’d still go with Kanzhu because it has that chewiness that I didn’t get here as the meal went along.

I would say this is a very, very good alternative, though and I’d probably be here every month if I lived a little closer.  I’d just be at Kanzhu twice a month.  Cheaper?  Yes.  Better value for money?  Yes.  Better tasting? No.  Sorry, Mom.

Is It Better Over at Shanghai Hand-Pulled Noodles? 2013-12-26

love noodles.  I’m not sure if it’s just the Chinese in me or if it’s the simplicity of it, but I’m guessing it’s a bit of both.  This is precisely why Kanzhu‘s become one of my go-to places whenever I work late, whenever I having nothing to eat at home, or when I just need …