The Dish: Beef Broth Dumpling Soup at Noodle House

Noodle House is one of those little family-run places that you could drive by a thousand times without thinking to visit. If you ever find yourself on Coit Road, I guarantee you’ve driven by it. You’ve probably seen the simple red letters: Noodle House. If you haven’t visited yet, then here’s your excuse, gift-wrapped.

The modest array of wooden tables sit in quiet rows, content to be left in peace. In fact, everyone there keeps quiet company, from the customers bent over their bowls to the waitstaff who, while friendly, don’t bug you. They hand over the menu and leave you to deliberate. If you ask for a recommendation, you might get a look of surprise, but then you’ll probably get a helpful explanation of the dishes that look most interesting. They won’t push their favorites on you, but rather will trust you to know your own mind—and stomach. Noodle House has a certain je ne sais quoi that introverts and cats will find utterly charming. An introvert myself, I find it homey.

A Taiwanese family owns Noodle House. Their unquestioned specialty is noodle soup. Nothing on the menu is too shocking; it’s authentic Chinese and Taiwanese fare that remains very approachable to all comers, no matter their comfort level.

Across the board the kitchen serves food quickly but with experience and homestyle touches. The nominal noodles are made in-house with a machine that was shipped in from Taiwan. Chef also makes baozi (Chinese buns) by hand, as well as my personal obsession: the dumplings.

Formed, filled and folded in the palm of a real human’s hand, these dumplings are a uniform size and shape, but each has little quirks of difference: a creased fold here, an extra lump of filling there. Each is pleasantly large and doughy, folded softly over the filling of your choice—cabbage or leek—and steamed. They float gently in a bowl of that famous beef broth along with bok choy and a symphony of spices including onion, garlic and cilantro.