I've been craving the beef brisket at Ji Bei Chuan ever since I first tried it last Saturday (in Brooklyn), and well, here I am again, back for more :)
The aesthetic at this location is simply gorgeous, very classy and modern, with grey walls and light wood accents. They utilize a tablet POS system, but the service is still very much there. During our visit, the staff came around to inform us of any changes to our order (e.g., they ran out of passionfruit sparkling water), repeatedly checked in on us, and refilled our water.
My partner and I initially wanted to order from their $17.95 set menu, but since that wasn't available till the afternoon, we ordered à la carte instead.
* Tomato Beef Brisket Rice Noodles $14.00
My partner ordered this at my recommendation (well, he loves tomato beef stew in general, but I'd like to think he took my high praises into consideration). To my surprise, the tomato soup was very rich, much more tomatoey than the one I had at their Brooklyn location.
* Mala Spicy Beef Brisket Rice Noodles $14.00
My partner's rice noodle came out first, and after seeing his, I have to say, I feared for mine. Their mala spicy broths come in three spice levels: mild, regular, and hot. Given my previous experience, I confidently went with hot, and when my rice noodles came out, I thought "It's over. I'm gonna die." Their soup was the reddest I had ever seen, and it looked nothing (NOTHING!) like what my sister and I had in Brooklyn. As expected, it felt like I was inhaling spice with every bite and I had to eat very, very slowly so as not to choke.
Spice aside, the rice noodles were delicious-- the noodles themselves were bouncy and well-cooked, the brisket fall-apart tender, and the ingredients fresh and plentiful.
**They also have loyalty cards, so be sure to get one! Buy 10 rice noodles and get 1 free on the next visit! (According to the staff, these cards work at their Prince St, Flushing; Chrystie St, Chinatown; and 86th St, Brooklyn locations). read more