MSG-Loaded Shanghainese

These delicate xiaolongbao are loaded with a really hot soup inside

Yesterday we had a late lunch at Long's Noodle House, a small Shanghainese eatery on Main Street in Vancouver.

When we arrived, we not only got street parking nearby, but also scored an empty table -- soon after a line started forming outside. The owners are a husband and wife team: he mans the kitchen, while his Mrs is the commander-in-chief of the dining area and proficient in both Chinese and English.

This place is well-known for its authentic Shanghainese dishes

We quickly made our order -- drunken chicken, xiaolongbao, zhajiang dan dan noodles, guotie or fried dumplings, and a thin savoury pancake wrapped with beef and fresh coriander.

The xiaolongbao were fantastic. We watched the woman making them right by the cashier. Not only were the wrappers thin, but also held a lot of soup too. We also liked the guotie with its meaty filling and crunchy doughy exterior.

Drunken chicken is another favourite, as the small, thinly sliced poached chicken is thoroughly marinated in Chinese wine, and the meat is hardly fatty.

We liked the noodles too, very hearty and slightly spicy with a minced pork sauce. The noodles were a challenge to wrestle with chopsticks, but we managed in the end.

The husband and wife who own the eatery work long hours

Then we ordered another round of xiaolongbao, along with pea shoots stir-fried with garlic that were delicious and fresh, as well as stir-fried river shrimps. However these were more baby shrimps than the Shanghainese ones; nevertheless they were cooked just right, not quite opaque and were quite crunchy.

Later that evening our dinner consisted of dishes we ordered take out from Long's Noodle House. The braised lion head featured salted egg yolk in the middle, while the short rib was delicious, oh and another round of drunken chicken.

However, in the middle of the night my brother suffered a terrible headache from the MSG in the food; perhaps I managed to dodge that bullet because I drank a lot of water just before going to bed.

The zhajiang dan dan noodles, though laden with MSG

So -- the lesson is eat at Long's Noodle House with caution and perhaps order a Coca-Cola to go with your meal...

Long's Noodle House
4853 Main Street
Vancouver
(604) 879 7879