My first foray into Chinese Food was as a child at the local food fair in Orchard Park Mall in my hometown, Kelowna. I’d order up a some sweet and sour chicken, mostly consisting of batter and topped with a bright red overly sticky and sickly sweet sauce, and maybe some soggy chicken chow mein, a mess of overcooked noodles and a few sad looking veggies. I was a kid and it seemed more exotic than the other limited choices the mall offered, and the deep fried, sweet mess, somehow did the trick back in those days.
When I moved to Vancouver, I was invited out to eat proper Chinese cuisine and was insanely pleased to try un-battered prawns, lightly tossed in a mild curry sauce, freshly sauteed beans and veggies, hand pulled noodles and all sorts of “strange” dishes with intense spice. I had ventured into Chinatown and Richmond with people in the know and would never return to food fair “Chinese” cuisine again.
There’s nothing better than an evening out with my Chinese-speaking friends who order “off menu” and I eagerly await the still novel dishes arrival. Dim sum is something I now enjoy regularly, although I favour the Shumai and Har Gow over the chicken feet and duck tongues.
When it comes to grabbing a quick bite though, I’ve been checking out some less formal places of late for a quick bite of freshly pulled noodles, a bowl of noodle soup or a non-neon chicken dish. As such, I stumbled across Kung Fu Noodle, a rather non-nondescript spot on the 600 block of Seymour, hidden amongst the English as a second language skills across from The Bay, should you need a non food fair option for a shopping break.
They had a $15 Social Shopper special on for dinner for two people, including two entrees and two drinks (s value up to $27). Includes a choice of crispy ginger beef with rice, General Tso chicken with rice, and either Kung Fu beef chow mein or Kung Fu chicken chow mein plus any two soft drinks. Look for it again soon.
The room itself is very plain, with spacious seating and a view to the kitchen and noodle pulling, as they do make own noodles, which is added entertainment. I asked to take a picture, but was distinctly told no.
Fortunately the servers were friendlier than the anti-photo chef and were helpful in deciphering some of the dishes and didn’t lose patience with me as I asked for a bit of elaboration. I ordered up the Kung Fu Beef Chow Mein and General Tso Chicken (check out some fun history of the dish on Wikipedia) and got some giggles as I was dining solo, but I assured the server I’d wouldn’t burst as I was packing up the remains dinner to go.
The Beef Chow Mein noodles where nicely done with a flavourful sauce and tender beef, as a nice scattering of cabbage, broccoli and sprouts.
The chicken was a tad greasy, but came with a welcoming dose of spicy peppers and some fresh broccoli, sweet peppers and onions and once combined with the rice, was addictive. There’s no alcohol here, but the tea flows freely.
Good place for a quick bite, I think I’ll return for what seemed to be the most popular order from observing the adjacent tables, the noodle soup. Maybe next time I’ll catch the noodle making!
Kung Fu Noodle 682 Seymour St Vancouver,
BC V6B 3K4
