As far as I can tell Chinese Noodle House is pretty much the same restaurant as its doppelgänger, Chinese Noodle Restaurant. There's just a few shops separating these two eateries - but that's about the only thing that seems to separate them. The menu seems the same, as does the decor - inside and out.
The Mapo Tofu is served with rice and is a steal at just $9.50. This dish is excellent. It's my first time trying Mapo Tofu and I'm IN LOVE! The silken, soft tofu that had a really good savoury, salty hit and as I ate each spoonful I was already anticipating the next. I've heard that this Mapo Tofu is often served with mince pork, but I honestly don't know how that could make the dish any better for me.
I would've been happy to continue with the vegetarian theme for the night, but The BFF was in the mood for something meaty - enter the Spring Pancakes with Beef ($8.80 for two rolls). These rolls were beyond ENORMOUS - each being the size of an Indian Dosa and stuffed to overflowing with a filling of beef, beanshoots and other veggies. They were also enormously messy and impossible to eat with chopsticks - definitely finger food. I really enjoyed this dish.
Pork + Chive pan-fried dumplings ($8.80 for a dozen). Sometimes dumplings like this can be quite oily with the filling being a bit...insipid BUT I'm glad to report this was not the case here. Each dumpling had a lovely, crispy bottom and the filling was moist and flavoursome. Two hoofs up from me.
I had a great meal at Chinese Noodle House. Best of all it was filling AND cheap. All up we spent just over $27 for two people (AND I got to take one of the spring pancakes home to have for lunch the next day).
If I had to choose between Chinese Noodle House and Chinese Noodle Restaurant would I? Could I? No way, why choose when I can go to both. What would you choose "dear reader"?
Chinese Noodle House is at 8 Quay Street, TG2 Prince Centre, Haymarket, Chinatown.
