Gojira
07-23-2007, 12:30 PM
The noodles shop at the corner of Carpenter St. and Bishopgate has long been famous for its "cheng" or clear soup. Basically, what you get is a bowl of broth made from pork bones, salted vegetables and some secret ingredients, together with various pork parts including kidney, liver, tongue, intestine, tripe, as well as fish balls, pork balls, minced pork, slices of fish cake, prawns and squid. You then have choice of either plain noodles, kueh tiaw, mee hoon or rice.
If you intend to eat here, there are a few things you need to know first. Be prepared to wait....and I do mean WAIT. Usual waiting time for your noodles to arrive at your table is around 45 minutes to 1 hour. You also DO NOT ask to order...the shop's taukeh will come and ask you once he is free. Ask to order at your own peril....and then don't complain when you're ignored for the next hour. Yup, this place if the local equivalent of the Soup Nazi (for Seinfeld fans). You come into the store, fight for a table (yes, be prepared to wait for tables too, the place is always full), then sit and just wait with your newspaper, magazine or book. Don't worry about your order, the taukeh has an uncanny ability to know who came before whom so your noodles will definitely not be hijacked by someone else. Make loud exclamations of joy and praise while eating and perhaps the taukeh may recognise you in the future and give you preferential treatment.
So what's so special abt these seemingly normal noodles? The broth has a special meaty flavour that is quite beyond description. It's definitely not the liberal lashings of MSG they use...the flavour is almost sublime and very subtle. Watch regulars sweat away as they slurp up their noodles and soup with gusto, no pretensions here. The long wait is well worth it but it's also the main reason why I rarely come here to eat...it's very good, but nothing is good enough to make me wait that long! :run_away:
4299
4300
If you intend to eat here, there are a few things you need to know first. Be prepared to wait....and I do mean WAIT. Usual waiting time for your noodles to arrive at your table is around 45 minutes to 1 hour. You also DO NOT ask to order...the shop's taukeh will come and ask you once he is free. Ask to order at your own peril....and then don't complain when you're ignored for the next hour. Yup, this place if the local equivalent of the Soup Nazi (for Seinfeld fans). You come into the store, fight for a table (yes, be prepared to wait for tables too, the place is always full), then sit and just wait with your newspaper, magazine or book. Don't worry about your order, the taukeh has an uncanny ability to know who came before whom so your noodles will definitely not be hijacked by someone else. Make loud exclamations of joy and praise while eating and perhaps the taukeh may recognise you in the future and give you preferential treatment.
So what's so special abt these seemingly normal noodles? The broth has a special meaty flavour that is quite beyond description. It's definitely not the liberal lashings of MSG they use...the flavour is almost sublime and very subtle. Watch regulars sweat away as they slurp up their noodles and soup with gusto, no pretensions here. The long wait is well worth it but it's also the main reason why I rarely come here to eat...it's very good, but nothing is good enough to make me wait that long! :run_away:
4299
4300