Could the next noodle trend be for freshly made products? There
has certainly been a rise in restaurants offering hand pulled (la mein) and knife shaved noodles,
complete with opened kitchens so you can watch the chef at work.
The Bowl Noodle Bar, is a relatively new entrant, with a
huge dining room that’s more modern compared to competing establishments. Prestotea,
a bubble tea company, is also located there so diners are welcomed to stay and
have a drink after slurping down the noodles.
Also catering to the younger crowd are their iPad menus,
simple to use and includes photos that were surprisingly not far off from the
final product. The traditional hand pulled noodle with beef ($7.99) consisted
of sliced lightly marinated beef flank with little fat. The thin noodles are
delicate and soft; thankfully not over cooked so they retain some elasticity. Meanwhile,
the stock appeared to be chicken based, not amazing but held enough flavour.
Although the grilled chicken didn’t photograph, there was a
fair amount of it within the knife shaved noodles ($7.99). Watching the chef
make the dish, I was impressed by how even the width of the noodles were –
there was an element of control and fluidity from the chef cutting through the
dough compared to the quick moves I’ve previously seen.
The thickness of the noodles still varied, which is
understandable considering the lack of machinery used. The nice long ribbons
stayed separated within the soup, silky and slightly chewy.
My new favourite way of having the knife shaved noodles is
in the stir fried form. Tossed with seafood (squid and shrimp) in a savoury
chili sauce ($9.99), I loved the flavour you get from the sauce covering the
neutral noodles and the slight wok aroma permeating the dish.
Shall I make a prediction that eventually one of these
artisan shops will make its way south of Bloor and invoke line-ups? But for
now, Downtowners, you may have to get on a subway (and bus) to enjoy these
traditional dishes.
Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 633 Silverstar Boulevard
Address: 633 Silverstar Boulevard
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
