Two reasons cover pretty much all the circumstances where I might find myself in a Chinese restaurant: I’m either eating with the office (and Chinese is the boss’ favourite cuisine) or with N (who has periodic cravings for dumplings and noodles). This time N takes me to Chinese Noodle House in Haymarket. It’s one of many dingy Chinese restaurants with similar names in the area. This one featured seating indoors as well as outside – we prefer outside to avoid the cramped dark space inside.
This is the Knife Sliced Noodle with Fragrant Spicy Sauce ($9.80).
N was keen to try these knife-sliced noodles, which are a specialty of the Shanxi Province. Accustomed to the handmade noodles, we’d recently discovered that knife-sliced noodles referred to the technique of holding a large block of dough with one hand at about a 30º angle downwards and shaving the noodles with a sharp knife, which is specifically designed for this purpose, into a pot of boiling water.
We’re delighted by the texture of these noodles, which have the signature thicker-in-middle and thinner-on-sides shape. They have a moreish bite and are perfect vehicles for the fragrant spicy sauce, which is amplified by a generous amount of chopped garlic and chilli flakes.
This is the Special Braised Eggplant ($12.80).
At their best, these chunks of eggplant are delicious with a delectable crispy, caramelised skin before sinking into the softer innards. The sweetness of the sauce pairs well with the eggplant and the coriander. Unfortunately, not all pieces have the same crispy skin, with some rather soft. That said, despite being soft, they’re still tasty and avoid the thick batter of restaurants such as New Shanghai in Ashfield.
These are the Chicken, Onion and Coriander Boiled Dumplings (half size$5.50, also available as full size for $10.80, steamed or pan-fried).
Other than the Cantonese dumplings at yum cha, I’ve never been a fan of dumplings at Chinese restaurants, the main reason being that their dumpling skins are thick like a winter blanket and these were no exception. I enjoy the mix of chicken and coriander innards but the dumplings would taste so much better with skins at half or even a third of the thickness.
These are the Eggplant Dumplings (full size $10.80, also available as half size for $5.80 and steamed).
These dumplings are slightly smaller than the steamed ones, but the skin is just as thick with the pan frying giving them a chewy texture – again, a welcome texture if it were a fraction of the thickness. The innards are a bit unexpected as well – it’s sweet and mushy as if they’d taken the ‘special braised eggplant’ and blitzed it in a blender. A chunkier texture with a more savoury flavour would make all the difference.
This is my Beef Soup Knife Sliced Noodle ($11.00).
I thought I’d try a different knife sliced noodle dish after enjoying the Knife Sliced Noodle with Fragrant Spicy Sauce on an earlier visit. Alas, the thickness of the noodles was not appreciated here as the soup base was very bland and left the noodles tasting doughy and flavourless. A little chilli oil added flavour to the soup and beef (which was tough) but did not improve the texture or flavour of the noodles.
This is T’s Knife Sliced Noodle in Braised Pork Slices ($11.00).
T similarly found the dish rather bland with the soup begging for added flavour from some chilli oil.
N returns for the Knife Sliced Noodle with Fragrant Spicy Sauce ($9.80), which easily remains the highlight of the three noodle dishes. They could’ve shown some restraint with the amount of garlic, though.
We also return for the Special Braised Eggplant ($12.80). This dish fared better than on our previous visit with almost all of the pieces of eggplant having a crispy batter.
Like Albee’s Kitchen, the charm of Chinese Noodle House lies in its affordable and quick meals where one can be assured of the portion size and ingredients in the dish, but it’s not somewhere to be relied upon for consistency of flavour or texture.
Chinese Noodle House is located at Shop TG2 And TG3, 8 Quay St, Haymarket NSW 2000..