Max Noodle House — Restaurant in Richmond

I came with my grandmother and we ordered more than the average for two people. The beef brisket and tendon were my favourite. It had a very savoury taste, not being too salty and it came apart easily. The shrimp wontons weren’t my favourite, but they were small and tender. My grandmother ordered rice noodles with pork and mushroom wontons and that tasted much better in my opinion. The stewed pork hock was quite tender and held a gelatinous texture. The dace fish balls were soft and flavourful especially when you dip it in the soy sauce green onion and oil dish. The beef liver was alright, I’m usually not a fan of the metallic taste, but my grandmother said it was really good. The claypot rice were decent, nothing stood out and probably wouldn’t order it again. However, the rice on one claypot was more scorched and crunchy than the other. The dishes are more for individual portion sizes, which is great for trying more foods and not taking so much home.

It is a CASH only restaurant and quite the hole in the wall that’s been around for ages. The service is great if you know Cantonese, otherwise be expected to wait awhile. The food came out quickly, and steamy hot. The servers answered quickly to orders in Chinese but forgot my English requests of iced water. We went around closing time, so it was relatively busy and it quickly died down when it was last call. I will definitely come back knowing when I crave some beef brisket and tendon...

Max Noodle House serves one of the most authentic bowls of Cantonese wonton noodles in North America. A simple dish, yes, but executed with such precision and quiet pride that it puts many more expensive establishments to shame.

Some reviews are unintentionally hilarious. One self-proclaimed foodie lamented the size of the wontons, as though quantity were the defining trait of quality. Traditional wontons are meant to be small. Each one is a refined parcel of flavour, not a grotesque meatball in disguise. Wonton noodles, historically, are a light street food, not a lumberjack’s brunch. Complaining about portion size is like criticising espresso for not coming in a soup bowl.

Others grumble about the price and suggest getting sushi instead. Presumably, they mean the North American kind, smothered in mayonnaise and confusion. True craftsmanship in food costs money, especially when it’s done right. The broth here is clear and rich, the noodles perfectly al dente, the wontons silky and fragrant. There’s skill involved, and it shows.

Most patrons are older Hong Kong locals. The staff know many by name. Service is warm, unhurried, and genuine. There is no pretence. Just good food made by people who know exactly what they’re doing.

Max Noodle House does not pander. It preserves. It serves a dish the way it should be served, without compromise. In a world of shortcuts and sriracha-laced chaos, that’s worth...

I dunno if it's because we didn't stop by Mike's Noodle House in Seattle this time, but I thought the broth improved when we ate here recently. It had a more pungent seafood flavor during this trip, and I added some white pepper to give it a highlighting kick. The noodles and wontons were still as good as ever, so it's hard for me to criticize anything now. Maybe more yellow chives?

Just as important, the hot milk tea was still excellent compared to anything in California.

There's a couple things that I learned from eating here again.

First, the Chinese donuts (yow tiew) were inconsistent. When we ate here on Friday, they were great - crispy on the outside, airy and slightly chewy on the inside. On Monday, they were stale and gross. Hopefully, we'll figure out their system so we know when the donuts are the freshest.

Also, for the clear broth beef brisket noodles (ching tong ngau lam mein), they take slices of braised brisket and put them on top of noodles in wonton noodle broth instead of the broth the beef was braised in. The wonton noodle broth is great, but using the beef broth for this would be better like what Kau Kee in HK does. I get the feeling their beef broth must be good because the brisket was tasty and tender. They used the right combination of spices and herbs to flavor the beef. Plus, what do they even do with all that broth that's left after braising...