A Bowl of Warm Welcome in Philly (by way of China)

Now that I live in Philadelphia, I am a line cook at Bistrot La Minette, making A LOT less money than I used to.   Even with the diminished income, I am enjoying life more than ever, but fancy meals are becoming few and far between.  I will certainly have my share of celebratory dinners and occasional culinary splurges, but more than likely will be on the prowl for cheaper eats.

The key to cheap eats, in my opinion, is not about finding the best of the greasy spoons, which lots of people focus on.  My idea of what makes for a great, pocket friendly option is authenticity, quality and portioning.  The perfect way to explain this concept is to tell you about my newest cheap eats find, in the middle of Philadelphia's Chinatown, Nanzhou Hand Drawn Noodle House.

Authenticity is important in any restaurant, but especially in an ethnic restaurant.  Which is better, a taco from Taco Bell or a great authentic taco from your best local taqueria?  Not many people are lucky enough to taste authentic Chinese cuisine, like someone's Chinese grandmother might make?    At Nanzhou, the art of noodle making is at its most authentic and best.  As my friend Mike and I were waiting to be seated, I saw a man in the back of the kitchen.   A great man indeed, he was nonchalantly stringing noodles by hand, waving them back and forth in the air, pounding them onto the counter, building the delicate texture of these noodles, making sure to knead them just enough to give them a nice chewy bite.

Quality is always a necessity in a good restaurant.  Why would anyone want a burger from McDonald's when they can have a juicy home made burger from any number of gastro pubs in their neighborhood?  The quality of all the ingredients was very obvious from the start at Nanzhou.  Our food came to us as it was ready.  This is always a sign of a place that wants to make sure that you get your food as fresh and hot as possible.  The roasted duck noodle soup that I ordered was piled high with fresh Peking Duck, so fresh that the piece on top still had crispy skin.  Topped with fresh cilantro, the light yet flavorful broth accentuated the silky texture of the noodles.  In a surprising twist, the vegetables, celery and cabbage, were slightly pickled, adding a nice acidic note to the soup.  While the soup did not need it, I added some red chili sesame oil to mine, giving it a little earthiness and kick.

Mike decided to have the Pork Soy Sauce Noodles.  This dish was not soup, but more of a spaghetti- style dish, with the noodles covered in a sauce.   The noodles were tossed in a flavorful mix of ground pork, with a black bean sauce/soy sauce combination and just a slight hint of five spice.  Topped with a tad of cilantro and scallions, it was served over a small bed of lettuce.  This move was genius, as the lettuce collected all of the delicious juices from the noodles, creating a little treat at the bottom of the plate.  Unfortunately for Mike, he did not get to enjoy this treat, because the helpings at Nanzhou are overflowing.  I took home half of my soup, with a big chunk of duck and plenty of noodles, enough to make for a great late night snack.  Mike was ravenous, but still did not manage to clear his plate.

Nanzhou's noodles are so good that I would recommend any noodle lover to make a trip to this little restaurant as soon as possible.  But even if you are just looking for a cheap eats place, Nanzhou mets my criteria, giving every customer an overflowing plate, full of authentic chinese noodles, and at a quality level that is unheard of.  Not to mention a small check, only twelve dollars for both Mike and I.  Thanks Philly, I think I might stay a while.