Special Noodle Soup — Restaurant in Cupertino

I came to Special Noodle Soup today and ordered the No. S21 Shrimp Stir Fired Vermicelli with XO sauce($16.50). After waiting over 30 minutes, the dish finally arrived—but it looked nothing like the picture or the description on the menu.

The menu advertised a vibrant dish with shredded carrots, red and green bell peppers, shrimp, egg, scallions, peanuts, corn, garlic, cilantro, and spinach. What I received was a pale, stripped-down version: just 6 shrimp, a few strips of green pepper, some bean sprouts, and scallions. No egg. No peanuts. No spinach. And the so-called “XO sauce” was barely visible—maybe three grains of rice worth, at best.

When I politely asked the server, Connie, why the dish was so different from the menu, I was met with a dismissive response: “That’s just the old picture.” When I asked why even basic ingredients like egg or red peppers were missing, they dodged the question and couldn’t offer a proper explanation.

Two major issues here: False advertising – the dish served did not match the photo or the listed ingredients. It felt like blatant bait-and-switch. Poor service – the staff was dismissive and unapologetic, making no effort to resolve the issue or show concern for customer satisfaction.

This was a frustrating and disappointing dining experience. I won’t be returning, and I can’t recommend this place to anyone expecting honesty or...

Updates 7/25/2025

This updates pertain to the new item 至尊花膠雞米線 only:

This rating is particularly on the new item 至尊花膠雞湯米線.

In short, don't bother. The soup was a disappointment. Nothing like the name describe besides using chicken soup and I tasted the 海南雞飯's soup and it's WAAAAAAAAY better. 花膠 texture like 豬皮. It doesn't taste the same as 花膠. The special mushroom didn't taste good neither. Waste of money.

Having said that, the 海南雞飯 still very good.

I only tried couple of dish and it's already pretty good.

Laksa - I didn't like the fish noodle so I ordered regular rice noodle (thick one 麵線). The soup is quite good. The ingredient as well. I just switch the fish noodle to rice noodle.

Hainan chicken rice - Very tasty rice and not fatty. Original Hainan chicken rice uses the chicken oil that came out from streaming the chicken to stir fry rice from raw till cook. This one doesn't taste oily liked many but also able to have flavor in it. Smart move. The rice texture was great as well as the flavor. The chicken was delicious. Perfect timing, most and tender.

(As usual, I ordered dark meat, but they said I couldn't customize, nonetheless, they gave me dark meat. Yes!)

The fried shrimp ball was also pretty good. They use sweet and spicy sauce instead of the authentic 蜆蚧 which has shrimp paste, chili and clams...

One of my preferred casual dumpling eateries!

A must-order for me is the XLB, or soup dumplings! They're generously sized yet fit snugly on a spoon. Unlike other places that serve them in mini foil pans, here you have to delicately pinch the top with your chopsticks to transfer them to your spoon (or straight into your mouth if you're daring enough to handle the heat). After letting them cool for a moment, I savor the softness of the wrapper, the flavorful meat filling, and the comforting warmth of the broth! I highly recommend trying this dish.

Another favorite of mine is the pan-fried buns! These are reminiscent of XLB but with a bread-like dumpling. The crispy bottom perfectly complements the soft and warm top and filling. If you find XLB filling, these pan-fried buns will prove even more substantial due to their dense yet delicious texture!

I also indulged in the spicy wontons (which had just the right amount of spice). They made for a delightful snack while we awaited the rest of our meal.

To conclude, the sesame seeds provided a delightful touch of sweetness to round off the meal!

The staff was efficient and wasted no time. They promptly took our orders and ensured our food arrived swiftly.

I have a deep affection for this place and will continue to frequent it whenever I crave some...