Dr.Noodle 珍美捞

A real authentic chinese restaurant, from their signature dish the beef soup noodles to the chili oil and vinegar on the table. The smell of the restaurant brought me back home the moment I stepped in the door. It was so familiar and warm. I’d say the food was really good and particularly comforting to me and my friend, also very affordable. Definitely will come back. Have already made the plans for trying all other dishes on the menu.

Dr. Noodle was *packed* on what must've been its opening night/week three weeks ago and immediately put it on The List. Bolstered by a thorough recommendation by @caffs_not_cafes in his review for the new section of @vittlesmagazine I stopped faffing and got in there. Speciality beef soup noodles with a broth as brawny as it is light on its feet. The tian jin crepe sticky with sweet soy bean paste and complete with a weiner. Spicy braised pork with tomato and egg salad all aiding the limelight for those brilliantly taut but tender noodles. A chilled plate of pickled white cabbage and shredded potato with vinegar and chilli offering sweet, acerbic relief. The thin slices of beef shin that, although a bit knackered, were accompanied with a Xinjiang spice blend that immediately reminded me of the fried chicken at Bristol's maligned Chilli Daddy (inb4 "that's a Szechuan place too, you dummy). Lastly, the 'red tea'- a potent blend of E numbers, fructose and real tea flavour that I would happily accept as a drip replacement. Final image is two of me reacting to anything remotely new that seldom is to others. Couldn't be run by a nicer family, who own a restaurant chain in China and have essentially imported that menu here. Working our way through this spread on a sunny eve watching Zhāocáimāo metronome keep rough time to 'Careless Whispers' — the romantic equivalent of getting Rick Rolled.

As a foodie who saw this place mentioned by various food bloggers online (including Infatuation London) and realised it was local to me, I knew I had to go immediately. When I went for lunch last Friday, the windows were steamed up so I was unsure whether there was space inside. Luckily as soon as I opened the door I spotted an empty table. It’s a small and unassuming place - it’s clean and decorated somewhat, but don’t go here for the atmosphere expecting to spend hours here. They know what they’re good at; serving delicious flavours with large portion sizes at a reasonable price point. It did take a while for them to serve our food, but I chalk that down to the 2-man band running the entire restaurant on the day. I thoroughly enjoyed the beef soup and struggled to finish it. The flavours were rich and the spice level could be increased to your liking with the complimentary chilli oil. The beef tasted almost buttery and I was surprised how generous they were with the meat. Next time I look forward to trying out some of their rice dishes but until then - if you’re in the area and need a quick bite, look no further!