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Sha Lin Noodle House on West Broadway
When my company’s office used to be located near Cambie and Broadway a few years ago, we would wander down the street about once a week to Sha Lin Noodle House. This place has been an old favourite of mine for quite awhile now, with it’s fresh, in-house hand-made noodles.
After reminiscing about it last week, a few of us decided to head over the bridge from downtown yesterday during lunch to have some of the dishes we used to often eat, and also to introduce another couple co-workers who hadn’t been at the old office with us at the time.
We all decided to share and order multiple dishes (well, maybe a couple of us forced it on the others), and I was so happy to be eating some familiar goodness again.
Of course, you have to try the noodles if you are going to a place known for them, my favourite of which are the Cuttings Noodles with Beef and Black Pepper.
After our meal, everyone came to the overwhelming consensus that this was the best dish we ordered, and I smiled with satisfaction for showing them the ropes (note the sarcasm in my tone). These noodles have a great firm texture, and there is an abundance of black pepper, some white onions, red and green peppers, and beef (you can also choose pork or chicken or veggies only).
Something I hadn’t tried before were the Green Beans with Garlic, which lived up to its name and definitely had a lot of garlic! The green beans were cooked slightly more than I usually prefer, but otherwise, it was pretty good. Thanks to this dish, we were all pulling out our gum after the meal, so as not to turn off everyone in our afternoon meetings.
Another menu item that I’ve gotten on several occasions is the Beef with Green Onions. The meat is really tasty and the dish is basically exactly what it’s named. How can you go wrong with that much beef (well, I can think of many ways, but you know what I mean)?
One of my longest standing favourites has got to be the Fried Eggplant and Tomato. I can’t recall it ever having red and green peppers as well before, but it did this time, and I think it tasted even better than when I’ve eaten it before. The eggplant is slightly crispy on the outside and not too soggy on the inside, and the sauce has a lot of delicious ginger in it. Ginger has always been one of my favourite spices to throw into a stirfry.
One new item that I hadn’t tried before that one of my fellow diners suggested was the Sticky Rice Cakes with Pork and Cabbage. The first thing she wanted me to mention in my post was that the veggie in this was not in fact cabbage, but pickled mustard greens, so the description was a bit misleading. This wasn’t too bad either – I’m not sure I would choose to order it again over everything else I’ve already had and loved at Sha Lin, but it was interesting to taste a sticky rice cake nonetheless.
I’ll have to make sure I don’t wait another year before going back again and having a meal at Sha Lin – it’s great for takeout too. The service is straightforward and you can get in and out quickly, even though it’s always busy. It is a bit greasy, as Chinese food tends to be, but if you’re looking for quick, no-nonsense noodles and other good food, you’ll find it here.
Sha Lin Noodle House (no website)
548 West Broadway,
Vancouver, B.C.
604.873.1816
Congee Noodle House – Great Comfort Food
When I feel like I’m coming down with a cold or the weather becomes more rainy in the fall (as you know it always does here in Vancouver), one thing that I always crave is congee (rice soup). It’s one of those great Asian comfort foods that can somehow help you feel better with each and every warm spoonful.
Well, it was just another one of those nights this week – I have been coming down with yet another cold (after a nasty flu a couple of weeks ago), and it also happened to be wet and dreary out. I met up with a co-worker friend of mine, who had to leave her house for the evening so that her cleaning lady could work her magic (let me know if you need a recommendation – she’s awesome!). We were tossing around ideas towards the end of the workday, and I realized what I had been missing lately – Congee Noodle House! It happened to be her favourite congee place in the city as well, and we both hadn’t been there for awhile.
Anyway, we walked in and as usual, it was filled with a large crowd of Asian people (a good sign of authentic Chinese food). No matter what time of day or night (it’s open past 1 am usually) I’ve been to this place, it’s always pretty much full to the brim. To soothe my unwell soul, I ordered the chinese mushroom and scallop congee, and of course, got it with a side of salted Chinese donut. If you’ve never had this before in your congee, you definitely have to try it on your next visit!
We also shared a green onion rice roll, which was a first for me, but also good. Usually I will order the scallop or shrimp rice roll, but really they all are tasty, depending on your mood in terms of type of filling. My co-worker ordered a wonton soup – those wontons looked really tasty as well – large, juicy prawn and pork filling. The best part? After eating our meal and being stuffed to the brim, we managed to only spend $22 between the two of us!
Other past favourites for me include the BBQ Duck on rice, Gai Lan (I prefer the oyster sauce on the side so it’s not too strong), House Special Chow Mein that comes with a variety of chicken and seafood, Salty Spicy Squid (so much garlic you may not be able to talk to anyone for the next day though), and BBQ Pork.
I’ve been coming to this place (on West Broadway near Main Street), for about 10 years now. The first time was actually with my mom, who’s friend of 15 years moved to Vancouver and found this place, which was before I had even moved to the city after university. As you can probably tell – it’s a longstanding favourite via word of mouth – it doesn’t even have a website.
Overall a very unassuming place, and definitely a very low-key atmosphere, but the inexpensive and tasty comfort food will keep me coming back!
Congee Noodle House
141 Broadway East
Vancouver, BC V5T 1W1, Canada
(604) 879-8221
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