If you find yourself in the west end of Binjiang and fancy something a little different from the usual snack street or Splash, head over to Exclusive Noodles around the corner from the Hangzhou International School and opposite the bus station. When we visited at lunchtime it was pretty busy with local office workers and a few school kids, so we perched on the somewhat tired bench sofa seating.
However, we weren't there for decorative inspiration and instead got on and perused the full English menu. Alongside a load of fried noodle combinations they also serve a number of more standard Chinese dishes such as home-style tofu, which if you’re a tofu fan is a must try, broccoli, sweet and sour pork (recommended) and egg-fried niangao.
We opted for a number of dishes including the chicken fried noodles with homemade curry sauce 咖喱面 (13RMB) and the sweet and sour pork. The noodles were light and well-flavored, definitely not the heavy sauce we were expecting, and the dish as a whole actually benefited for the difference. We also tried their beef noodles 牛肉炒面 (20RMB), which were also pleasing, filling, and packed with tender morsels of fresh beef.
Now, one of our group considers himself a connoisseur of the trusty sweet and sour pork and his taste buds weren't disappointed this time around. With lean pork and a full-flavor sauce the lack of fatty meat will surely be a relief for Western tastes. In fact, while the prices at Exclusive Noodles aren’t high (no dish costs over 30RMB), the level of quality is. The owner put a lot of time and effort into creating her recipes and the proof is in the delicious final product.
Ok, so Exclusive Noodles isn't actually all that exclusive and neither would we want it to be. For respectable food at very respectable prices though will ensure we come back many times to come. And during the winter months it’s nice to know their heaters actually work!
For those who are more permanently Binjiang bound, why not give it a go? They do take out, or exercise your Chinese skills and order delivery. It will definitely be a number you'll use more than once.
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