This is an old restaurant located next to Bank of America and behind TS Emporium. There's plenty of…read moreparking in the back lot, just be mindful not to park in the BOA parking spots.
As soon as we arrived, the owner lady came out to greet us and asked if we would like to sit inside or outside. The space is older and gives that old Chinese restaurant vibe, but it's still clean enough to dine at.
The owner lady's service was friendly & timely. She was the sole person running the whole show - seating us, taking our orders, cooking, and then bringing our dishes out when they were ready. I could tell she cooked in an efficient way starting with serving us our drinks, followed by the cold dish appetizers, then she batched the noodle orders together, then the next batch were the fried items (bread, egg flat bread, chicken wings), and lastly the fishy/seafood item.
1. House Special Guilin Rice Noodles (5/5)
You have a choice between dry versus soup based. We opted for the dry version. I really loved this dish. The Guilin rice noodles were super bouncy, yet soft. The spices were super flavorful and fragrant. I especially love the peanuts they put in, which adds additional flavor and texture. The beef was super tender and absorbed the spice seasoning well. You can adjust the spice level according to your preference.
2. Fish Filet Rice Noodle Soup (4.5/5)
This is a lighter dish and good for those who don't l like spicy food. The soup was light, but not too salty. The fish filets were fresh and tender. And of course, it is served with their special Gulin noodles.
3. 3-Plate Side Cold Dish
We ended up getting the pickled edamame, hot & spicy shredded bean curd, and pickled spicy shredded potato
They use the same spice mix as they do with the #1 house special noodles. The bean curd was my favorite as it was refreshing, yet satisfying, as it absorbed the spicy sauce well. The shredded potato had an off taste. It had this sweetness and vinegary-ness taste to it, which is probably from the way it was pickled. The edamame was just ok as it did not have a lot of flavor/didn't hold the spicy seasoning well.
4. BBQ Beltfish with Rice (1/5)
This was our least favorite dish as it had a very strong fishy (Xing wei) smell and taste. Despite it being "BBQ'd," the stinky fish smell wreaked. The fish was also too salty to eat on its own, but eating it with rice helped. The fish itself was tender though.
5. Pan-seared Sesame Flat Bread (3/5)
Simple bread dish. It's dough that's covered with sesame seeds. The dough was soft and the bread was seared to perfection. It's good as a palate cleanser between dishes.
6. Pan-Fried Chicken Wings with House-Blend Herb & Spices (4/5)
The House-blend herb and spices were strong in fragrance - it definitely contains cumin as that was smelled by the whole party as soon as the dish arrived at the table. The wings were cooked well and the spices were decent in flavor, but could be too salty for many.
7. Pan-seared Egg Infused Flatbread (3/5)
It's basically dan (Egg) wrapped in a thin layer of flour like the ones served by Taiwanese. However, here, they fry it afterwards, so there is a crispy batter coating on the outside. I prefer it non-fried.
8. Red Dates with Logan Tea (5/5)
A super refreshing drink that paired well with the rich, spicy foods served here. It's herbally, but slightly sweet.
Overall, I personally liked the food here. I'd say it's good for those who like spicy foods and don't mind the higher sodium content. Use caution for those who have high blood pressure or salt restriction for health reasons.
