Cui Hua Gui Lin Noodle House: Brisket and Chicken Lo Noodles

Cui Hua Gui Lin Noodle House (10626 97 Street) is a Chinatown restaurant specializing in - as its name suggests - noodle dishes. The menu consists of a variety of soups (which include noodles), vermicelli dishes, and house specialty noodles. The proteins in most of the dishes include beef, pork, and chicken, as well as lamb in a few of them.

Since noodles is the Gui Lin speciality, house noodle dishes are what I ordered: a Chicken Lo Noodle and a Brisket Lo Noodle, to be precise. The noodles were flat and almost clear, with a slightly chewy texture. They mixed in well with the protein, peanuts, and bamboo shoots, and parsley that adorned. Each mouthful resonated with notes of sweet, spicy and sour in different levels of intensity. The flavours were balanced, and as someone who has a low spice tolerance threshold, I was not overwhelmed with heat, but felt my taste buds tingling just enough. While the chicken mostly tasted from the hot and sour flavour soundtrack, the brisket was tender and maintained some of its meaty notes, although it also had the same flavour combination underscoring it. The person who ate the rest of the Brisket Lo Noodle raved about the dish's flavour.

I also ordered one of the restaurant's appetizers, the lemongrass chicken. What looked like the equivalent of two thighs were cut up in bite-sized pieces and cooked in the tangy and mildly spicy lemongrass, served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Definitely flavourful and satisfying.

Overall, after finishing my lunch I felt like I had taken a culinary journey, which I hope to explore again.

Brisket Lo Noodle

 

Noodleholic Creation

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Its a brisket, tofu, vermicelli, beef broth kind of day. #yeg #yegfoodie #yegeats #yegfood #chinatownyeg #noodleholic

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 13, 2018 at 12:51pm PST

Champion Beef Brisket Soup at Chef Hung

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Champion beef brisket soup. The broth was a clear beef stock, while the brisket was quite fatty. I had flat noodles, which held up well. At $17.50 though, it seemed a bit overpriced. #yeg #yegfood #noodles #brisket #yegeats #yegfoodie #whyteave

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 24, 2018 at 4:09pm PST

Fried Noodles with Beef at Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles (10824 97 Street)

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Hand-pulled, fried noodles with beef for lunch. Chewy goodness with cucumber on top (not too sure what was up with that, but it worked). #yeg #yegfoodie #yegeats #yegfood #noodles #chinatownyeg #yegdt

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 4, 2018 at 12:17pm PST

Hand-pulled, fried noodles with beef for lunch. Chewy goodness with cucumber on top (not too sure what was up with that, but it worked).

Seafood Delight at Padmanadi (10740 101 Street)

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Seafood delight and noodle - love that the noodles were tossed with a hint of sauce. #yegfood #yegeats #vegan #padmanadi #plantbased #yegfoodie

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 12, 2018 at 4:00pm PDT

Seafood delight and noodle - love that the noodles were tossed with a hint of sauce.

Beef Noodle Soup at Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles

Really good Fuqing noodles in this soup! (I could not resist!) my first time trying hand-pulled noodles. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 25, 2017 at 4:39pm PDT

I have never had hand-pulled noodles before and finally had the opportunity to try them here at Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles(10824 97 Street). I was the only customer in the restaurant, as I went at an off-hour. The very friendly woman serving made sure I understood that I was in a noodle house, and kept checking to see if I was okay using chopsticks (I indeed am). I ordered a bowl of beef soup, and loved the rich bone broth and tender chunks of beef, but the noodles were definitely the star of the bowl. They are much thicker and chewier than other noodles I have had. The beef literally melted in my mouth. It was filling, reasonably-priced, and I would definitely come back.

Brisket and Vegetable Chow Mein at Garden Bakery

Brisket and vegetable chow mein. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 18, 2017 at 2:46pm PDT

A business lunch last week brought me to the Chinatown location of Garden Bakery. The noodles were crispy, but gave way to softness under the tender brisket and bok choy - which was the only vegetable. The amount of food was enormous and my server was amazed at how much I actually ate. Well, I *was* hungry!

Chicken Vermicelli at Spring Roll Kitchen

Yesterday's pre-conference chicken vermicelli. #yegfashion

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 3, 2017 at 7:06am PDT

I was in the Century Park area for a conference a couple of week ago, so went to Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street) when I got off the LRT for a quick lunch. I ordered the chicken vermicelli. The chicken was diced and did not have the deep, grilled flavour to which I am accustomed at other places. Also, some pineapple seemed to have made its way into the bowl. There was a lot of chicken though, and two large spring rolls that were sliced. It was good value, although I find the pho to be better.

The Pho Files: Tofu Pho at Phobulous

Tofu pho (the broth is beef). #yegfood #yegpho

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on May 29, 2017 at 11:45am PDT

While running errands in the University area, lunch was required, and I stopped in to Phobulous for the first time in ages. I was definitely in the mood for soup, but not for lots of meat, if that makes any sense. So, I went for the tofu pho, which included a plentiful number of fried tofu cubes in a beef broth with loads of rice noodles. Obviously, this was not a purely vegetarian dish, but I did not mind. The tofu picked up the flavour of the broth and also absorbed a lot of it, which forced me to be careful when I bit into each piece, as there would be an explosion of piping hot broth in my mouth. The broth was indeed piping hot and remained so for most of the meal. It also had a deep flavour, if not a little too bitter to my taste, possibly due to an abundance of fish sauce. Next time, I might go for one of the non-soup dishes instead.

The Pho Files: Vegan Pho at XO Bistro

Vegan pho #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 20, 2017 at 12:33pm PDT

I visited XO Bistro on the advice of my brother, who says the vegan pho is excellent. It was. What made the soup was the broth, which is a true vegan broth but has much more flavour than other ones I have encountered. I ordered the small size, which was ample enough for lunch and slightly more expensive than Chinatown (not a surprise, given the location and upscale interior). I especially liked the tofu, which was fried but firm. Definitely deserving of a repeat visit.

The Pho Files: Beef Satay Soup at Hoang Long Fresh Market

After picketing outside for over an hour, I need this. #yegfood #yegpho

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Feb 25, 2017 at 12:35pm PST

I was between events/meetings and needed a bowl of soup after my previous engagement had me outside in the cold for over an hour. So, I ventured into Hoang Long Fresh Market for the first time. The place was very modern and fancy, albeit empty on a Saturday afternoon. I certainly did not mind having the place to myself, and ordered a beef satay soup. I've never had beef satay soup before, so I can honestly say this is the best I have ever had, but it truly was great. The broth was rich and flavourful without being too spicy. There was an abundance of beef, noodles, and cooked carrots, topped with lettuce, red cabbage, and peanuts. Really great flavour. Although it is slightly pricier than other Vietnamese eateries I frequent, I love the look of the place and will be back.

The Pho Files: Saigon Taste

Pho! Medium rare beef. #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 25, 2016 at 10:53am PDT

Although I have passed it many times on my journeys back and forth from downtown, I never set foot in Saigon Taste until a few weeks ago when I was in the area for a while. I found the place clean and bright, with good service, and started off with an onion cake. How was it? It was an onion cake. It didn't really stand out to me one way or the other. The soup was a good portion of meat and noodles (I always try the Pho Tai first whenever I try out a new pho place), but the broth was rather one-note. It wasn't bad, just bland. I would come here again if I was in the area, and perhaps try one of the vermicelli bowls instead.

The Pho File: Spring Roll Kitchen

I am in the deep southeast and found pho! #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 29, 2016 at 3:47pm PDT

A meeting brought me to the Century Park area a few weeks ago, and I wanted to grab some supper first. I discovered Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street) not too far from the LRT station. The place was extremely large and spacious, and decorated very tastefully. My bowl of Pho Tai was huge, with a broth that had some depth to its flavour. The vegetarian spring rolls were among the best I have ever had: large, crispy, and filled with different kinds of vegetables. If I am ever back in this neck of the woods I would try Spring Roll Kitchen again.

Hakka Noodles with Beef at Naanolicious

Hakka noodles with beef #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on May 28, 2016 at 4:40pm PDT

I first had Hakka noodles at Naanolicious a couple of years ago. This Indo-Chinese noodle dish is like a spicy chow mein. This time, I tried beef added to it. The beef was so soft and tender, it practically melted in my mouth. The portion was also incredibly huge - two people could easily share. If you like noodles and want to try a chow mein fusion, these Hakka noodles would be an excellent choice.

The Pho Files: Pho Ga at Pho Huong/Mama Pizza

I've been visiting Pho Huong (also known as Mama Pizza, located at 10531 107 Avenue) quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. I decided to stray from my rare steak/well-done brisket combo soup, and tried the pho ga (chicken pho). The chicken was fresh and plentiful, topped with crispy onions for additional flavour. The broth was rich and strong, with a definite salty taste that penetrated the noodles. If you like chicken soup and don't mine a salty broth, you will love this pho ga.

The Pho Files: Pho Tai at Nha Trang

I have been spending a lot of time in the Kingsway area lately, and finally stopped in to Nha Trang which seems like it has been there forever across the street from the Royal Alex. First, I ordered onion cakes, which were excellent: chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and well-seasoned. Next, came my medium order of Phi Tai - pho with rare sliced steak. The portion was definitely adequate, it was steaming hot, and full of meat and noodles. The broth was a little more one-note than I like, however. It tasted strongly from anise, and little else. Although I certainly would come back here in the future, it would not be my first choice with Chinatown being so close by.

Braised Beef Stew at Vi's for Pies

I haven't been to Via for Pies (13408 Stony Plain Road) in ages, so jumped at the opportunity to go there with my family this week. I had one of the daily specials, which was braised beef stew on egg noodles. The stew had a sweet taste in a rich, tomato sauce, with many chunks of beef, all of which were braised to fork-tenderness. The few chunks of cooked carrots reminded me that I was eating stew and not an overly thick meat pasta sauce. The egg noodles were perfectly al dente and overall I found this to be wonderful comfort food.

The Pho Files: Steak and Brisket at Co Do Hue

Co Do Hue, a local chain of Vietnamese restaurants, recently opened a new location in the west end at 9524 163 Street. It's a dine-in and take-out place where you order at the counter whether you are staying or not. I tried the pho with rare steak and brisket, and was very impressed with the portion size as well as the richness of the broth. The rare steak was cut in perfectly thin, round slices, while the brisket was tender and slightly too fatty in some spots. All in all though it was a satisfying bowl of pho and I look forward to coming again.

The Pho Files: Vietnamese Beef Stew at Pho Rice Pot

Although I have been to Pho Rice Pot numerous times, I have never had one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes: the brisket stew with carrots and rice noodles. The portion was huge, as is typical for Pho Rice Pot, and the amount of reasonably lean cubes of brisket was quite ample. The broth was flavourful but not too spicy. Perfect comfort food for a cooler day.

The Pho Files: Steak and Brisket at Pho Hoang/King Noodle

A late lunch in Chinatown brought me to Pho Hoang/King Noodle for a large bowl of steak and brisket pho. Large, it certainly was, filled to the brim with noodles and meat. The broth was rich and flavourful. Served up by the moustache man himself, I can see why Pho Hoang is considered one of the best places for pho in the city.