It was past dinner time, and I was HANGRY. (Enough to justify all caps, as Sam can attest to.) We had just finished watching Point Break, I was feeling physically inadequate, and my belly was scoffing at the suggestion of waiting till we get home.
And hanging out in line wasn’t an option either.
Granny’s Noodle was fairly empty – usually not a good sign for an Asian restaurant – but it smelled good, and the force of my hunger propelled me through their open doorway.
The Order:
Mixed sauce with Pig’s Ears, $5.80
Vinegared Fungus, $4.80
Granny’s Signature Beef and Tripe Soup Noodles, $15.90
Sizzling Intestine with Special Made Sauce, $12.80
The Food:
It may sound weird, but there’s just something so satisfyingly comforting about offal. It reminds me of street food that I loved as a kid with my parents, holidaying in Hong Kong, and since then, I can never go past an offal item on the menu.
Mixed sauce with Pig’s Ears, $5.80
As sides we had the Mixed sauce with Pig’s Ears, $5.80, and Vinegared Fungus, $4.80. Sexy names, I know. The Pig’s Ears here were cooked/pickled a bit too far for my liking, resulting in the thin skin around the crunchy cartilage forming a weird sort of sticky mush.
Vinegared Fungus, $4.80
The Vinegared Fungus fared much better – also known as Woodear Mushrooms, by the way – crunchy, light and tart, and made for a great side to the heavier mains.
Granny’s Signature Beef and Tripe Soup Noodles, $15.90
I suppose you can’t go to Granny’s Noodles without ordering well, noodles, so we got the Granny’s Signature Beef and Tripe Soup Noodles, $15.90. The beef slices and tripe were tender, like the long strands of wheat noodles, and were very easy to down on a cool night. The broth was a bit on the light side for me – I wanted something dark and rich and beefy – but Sam liked it, and it would’ve just been the icing on the cake.
Sizzling Intestine with Special Made Sauce, $12.80
My favourite of the night though? The Sizzling Intestine with Special Made Sauce, $12.80. The cleanliness of something like intestines really tells you everything you know about the thoroughness of the kitchen, and these, I’m happy to report, had no weird smell or aftertaste. Even Sam of the supersensitive nose couldn’t detect anything, which is saying a lot. Maybe it was that crazy about of pepper and spices, but nothing hides bad intestine, and for that, they get the kudos for a good dish.
Food: 1/1
The Service:
Doesn’t it say something for the stereotype when you walk into an Asian restaurant and you’re grateful to not be ignored? They were very quick to respond, and I liked how the waitress who took out order was honest about portion sizes and how much we needed per person. It showed a familiarity with the menu that we take for granted, but doesn’t always happen.
Otherwise it was pretty uneventful, other than the mystery of the missing spoons. There was a canister filled with chopsticks for you to grab as you needed, and it just seemed that our spoons ran out and no one noticed. Fair enough, but especially noticeable in a nearly-empty restaurant.
Service: 0.5/1
Value for money:
The prices fell well within expectations of what you would pay in Sydney, and the portions also weren’t out of the norm. The noodles were quite filling, but not more than what you would get at any other ramen or noodle joint at the same price.
Not bad, but not great either.
Value for money: 0.5/1
The Vibe:
Granny’s Noodles was nice and clean and bright, but not particularly extraordinary in the vibe-department. Eh.
Vibe: 0.5/1
And finally,
It was a little scary walking in, when people online didn’t seem to like Granny’s Noodles too much. I thought it was alright, especially if you’re already in the area and you can’t be bothered to wait in line, like I was. I don’t particularly feel the urge to go back again, but no regrets for having been there either.
Bonus point: 0/1
This meal was independently paid for.
Granny’s Noodle
132 Burwood Road
Burwood, NSW
Phone: 02 8541 4954
Website: http://www.grannysnoodle.com