I hesitate between two and three stars here.
I used to frequent Chez Van to get my Chinese noodle soup fix. The 12€ dinner menu (only 10€ at lunch) was copious: a beef- or pork-filled Chinese pancake (galette) that arrives steaming hot and incredibly juicy, then a round of pork or beef dumplings (slightly too thick but extremely delicious--particularly the pork ones, as the beef variety tends to be dry). Both of these are best dipped in the sauce you mix yourself: dark soy sauce, vinegar, and some homemade chili oil if you want to add fire. Then a full bowl of noodles in soup (beef, chicken, pork or vegetarian) that is easy to down without the aforementioned accoutrements, with an al dente udon texture and homey broth. You could also choose sautéed noodles, or their special pork noodle dish that's served dry and tepid with cucumbers--slightly sweet and just as filling. All dishes go well with their giant 3.80€ pitcher of unsweetened iced tea.
Thing is, I came to Chez Van in the first place just for these homemade chewy noodles...and now they're gone.
My partner and I sat down and ordered the menu, surprised to see that they had added spring rolls to the mix (two each), but had kept the same price. Perhaps this was because they charge for any food left on your plate (noted in bold on the menu). Then came the galettes, then the dozen dumplings (just as good, just as many). And then the noodles. Homemade? Yeah right. These are the same cheap, uniform noodles you can pick up at Carrefour. No wonder they didn't have to raise their prices--the quality went from "made with love" to freeze-dried. The sauce and soup is still excellent, I'll give them that. But if you go, go for the galettes and dumplings. Don't waste your time on the noodles. read more