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OT: Magic Noodles in Squirrel Hill

recruitsreadtheseboards

recruitsreadtheseboards

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Anyone been yet? I have been once. I have an absolute new obsession for spicy chinese noodle soups. I would take them over a steak. Just so much flavor.

I got the Spicy Pork Rib and greens noodle soup. But a must is the crispy pork appetizer. Got to get that if you go.

Squirrel Hill has become the motherload of great Asia restaurant options,

Everyday Noodles, (soup dumplings the best, noodle soups)
Taiwan Bistro 33 (authentic Taiwanese dishes, also soup dumplings)
Chengdu Gourmet (real mutha bleepin deal sichuan chinese food, don't you dare order American)
Are the tops....in my opinion, Magic Noodles has potential

Sichuan Gourmet (real Sichuan Chinese)
Chaya (sushi)
Bangkok Balcony (Thai)
Ramen Noodles (ramen obviously)
Another Thai
How Lee Chinese (never been)
 
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recruitsreadtheseboards said:
Anyone been yet? I have been once. I have an absolute new obsession for spicy chinese noodle soups. I would take them over a steak. Just so much flavor.

I got the Spicy Pork Rib and greens noodle soup. But a mist is the crispy pork atmosphere.

Squirrel Hill has become the motherload of great Asia restaurant options,

Everyday Noodles, (soup dumplings the best, noodle soups)
Taiwan Bistro 33 (authentic Taiwanese dishes, also soup dumplings)
Chengdu Gourmet (real mutha bleepin deal sichuan chinese food, don't you dare order American)
Are the tops....in my opinion, Magic Noodles has potential

Sichuan Gourmet (real Sichuan Chinese)
Chaya (sushi)
Bangkok Balcony (Thai)
Ramen Noodles (ramen obviously)
Another Thai
How Lee Chinese (never been)
Click to expand...

Man that sound delicious. Wish i live in Pittsburgh so i can get me some!
 
I've always liked How Lee. They have some Sichuan options but if you just want a good old general tsos it's nice to not get mystery meat.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
Anyone been yet? I have been once. I have an absolute new obsession for spicy chinese noodle soups. I would take them over a steak. Just so much flavor.

I got the Spicy Pork Rib and greens noodle soup. But a must is the crispy pork appetizer. Got to get that if you go.

Squirrel Hill has become the motherload of great Asia restaurant options,

Everyday Noodles, (soup dumplings the best, noodle soups)
Taiwan Bistro 33 (authentic Taiwanese dishes, also soup dumplings)
Chengdu Gourmet (real mutha bleepin deal sichuan chinese food, don't you dare order American)
Are the tops....in my opinion, Magic Noodles has potential

Sichuan Gourmet (real Sichuan Chinese)
Chaya (sushi)
Bangkok Balcony (Thai)
Ramen Noodles (ramen obviously)
Another Thai
How Lee Chinese (never been)
Click to expand...
I have been there twice - very good, some dishes that are not found at other Chinese. Also, the Vietnamese on Murray is Tan Lac Vien, fresh and lots of flavor.
 
Franb said:
I have been there twice - very good, some dishes that are not found at other Chinese. Also, the Vietnamese on Murray is Tan Lac Vien, fresh and lots of flavor.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that is one I haven't been to. I got to check it out. Been to the Two Sisters on Highland in Shadyside and it is good.
 
I love Sichuan/Szechuan food. Hainanese food, which is even hotter, is my favorite. It’s the province closest to Vietnam. Lots of fish and seafood dishes, and it almost burns your mouth.

Masha and I went to Chengdu on our trip to China in 1917. It’s the city where the panda refuge is, so it attracts tons of tourists. I didn’t realize until we arrived that it also is the capital of Sichuan Province. For three glorious days, I ate Sichuan food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Masha didn’t have it for breakfast.)

Overall, we didn’t care much for the Chinese food in China. I don’t know why; maybe bad restaurant selections. But, Chengdu was an exception. You pretty much have to have a licensed tourist guide to travel in China. Our guide in Chengdu was married, but her husband worked in Chungking, a city 3 hours away, and only came back on weekends. We were there during the week, so we invited her to join us for our first meal there. She picked the restaurant, and it was so good we kept inviting her, and she kept picking great places. If you haven’t had a Sichuan Hotpot dinner or tried Ants Climbing A Tree or Tea Smoked Duck, you have missed out.

I am very encouraged to read about the variety of foods now available in Pittsburgh. It was not the case when I was growing up. I still remember when the first Mexican restaurant in the City opened...in 1968 in Etna. And, I remember when Pittsburgh’s only Japanese restaurant was Benihana and the few Chinese restaurants around all served very Americanized Cantonese food. I love the fact that there now are restaurants specializing in a wide variety of Chinese cooking styles.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
Anyone been yet? I have been once. I have an absolute new obsession for spicy chinese noodle soups. I would take them over a steak. Just so much flavor.

I got the Spicy Pork Rib and greens noodle soup. But a must is the crispy pork appetizer. Got to get that if you go.

Squirrel Hill has become the motherload of great Asia restaurant options,

Everyday Noodles, (soup dumplings the best, noodle soups)
Taiwan Bistro 33 (authentic Taiwanese dishes, also soup dumplings)
Chengdu Gourmet (real mutha bleepin deal sichuan chinese food, don't you dare order American)
Are the tops....in my opinion, Magic Noodles has potential

Sichuan Gourmet (real Sichuan Chinese)
Chaya (sushi)
Bangkok Balcony (Thai)
Ramen Noodles (ramen obviously)
Another Thai
How Lee Chinese (never been)
Click to expand...

I find that claims of authentic at US Asian restaurants never seem to mesh with what I've eaten in those countries, but I'm intrigued enough by your suggestions to put them on my to do list.
 
mike412 said:
I love Sichuan/Szechuan food. Hainanese food, which is even hotter, is my favorite. It’s the province closest to Vietnam. Lots of fish and seafood dishes, and it almost burns your mouth.

Masha and I went to Chengdu on our trip to China in 1917. It’s the city where the panda refuge is, so it attracts tons of tourists. I didn’t realize until we arrived that it also is the capital of Sichuan Province. For three glorious days, I ate Sichuan food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Masha didn’t have it for breakfast.)

Overall, we didn’t care much for the Chinese food in China. I don’t know why; maybe bad restaurant selections. But, Chengdu was an exception. You pretty much have to have a licensed tourist guide to travel in China. Our guide in Chengdu was married, but her husband worked in Chungking, a city 3 hours away, and only came back on weekends. We were there during the week, so we invited her to join us for our first meal there. She picked the restaurant, and it was so good we kept inviting her, and she kept picking great places. If you haven’t had a Sichuan Hotpot dinner or tried Ants Climbing A Tree or Tea Smoked Duck, you have missed out.

I am very encouraged to read about the variety of foods now available in Pittsburgh. It was not the case when I was growing up. I still remember when the first Mexican restaurant in the City opened...in 1968 in Etna. And, I remember when Pittsburgh’s only Japanese restaurant was Benihana and the few Chinese restaurants around all served very Americanized Cantonese food. I love the fact that there now are restaurants specializing in a wide variety of Chinese cooking styles.
Click to expand...
Agree Mike. Yeah, I was lucky when I was in China, had coworkers (natives) who took me. The Hotpot blew me away. I find their noodle soups (I don't even always want to know what is in them) are fantastic. Chengdu Gourmet on Forward Ave has good Tea Smoked Duck, their Chongking Chicken is awesome.
 
Gunga_Galunga said:
I find that claims of authentic at US Asian restaurants never seem to mesh with what I've eaten in those countries, but I'm intrigued enough by your suggestions to put them on my to do list.
Click to expand...
Well I mean, if you go into something like Chengdu Gourmet and order Moo Gai Pan, or General Tso's chicken, then yeah. But most authentic "Chinese" restaurants have a "Chinese menu" and an "American Menu". Another clue? Most of these places don't have a majority of diners being fat white folks, looking for an AYCE buffet. The clientele is largely Asian. So......
 
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recruitsreadtheseboards said:
Well I mean, if you go into something like Chengdu Gourmet and order Moo Gai Pan, or General Tso's chicken, then yeah. But most authentic "Chinese" restaurants have a "Chinese menu" and an "American Menu". Another clue? Most of these places don't have a majority of diners being fat white folks, looking for an AYCE buffet. The clientele is largely Asian. So......
Click to expand...


It can backfire though. When I was in law school, I lived a block away from an Indian/Pakistani restaurant on Connecticut Avenue in DC. My brother, then a junior at Pitt, came to visit me with some of his fraternity brothers. They were on their way to a Pitt football game in North Carolina. None of them ever had had Indian food, so we went there for lunch. The menu had mild, spicy and very spicy curries. I explained to them that the menu was for Westerners, and that they had much hotter food for the embassy employees from the two embassies (both within walking distance) who frequented it.

My brother, despite all warnings, insisted on ordering the “off the menu” very spicy curry.
They brought it, he took one bite and then quickly downed the ice water pitcher for 5 at the table, ice and all. They removed the plate and brought him the mild “on the menu” curry for Western palettes.

I wasn't surprised. This is the same brother who every time we went for Chinese food ordered barbecue spareribs — his idea of Chinese. To this day, he won’t eat sushi. His one attempt at adventurous eating was a bridge too far.

By the way, I often don’t ask and don’t want to know what is in food. I love pintxos — the Basque version of tapas — and eat them as often as possible in Spain. I never have asked what is in one.
 
mike412 said:
I love Sichuan/Szechuan food. Hainanese food, which is even hotter, is my favorite. It’s the province closest to Vietnam. Lots of fish and seafood dishes, and it almost burns your mouth.

Masha and I went to Chengdu on our trip to China in 1917. It’s the city where the panda refuge is, so it attracts tons of tourists. I didn’t realize until we arrived that it also is the capital of Sichuan Province. For three glorious days, I ate Sichuan food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Masha didn’t have it for breakfast.)

Overall, we didn’t care much for the Chinese food in China. I don’t know why; maybe bad restaurant selections. But, Chengdu was an exception. You pretty much have to have a licensed tourist guide to travel in China. Our guide in Chengdu was married, but her husband worked in Chungking, a city 3 hours away, and only came back on weekends. We were there during the week, so we invited her to join us for our first meal there. She picked the restaurant, and it was so good we kept inviting her, and she kept picking great places. If you haven’t had a Sichuan Hotpot dinner or tried Ants Climbing A Tree or Tea Smoked Duck, you have missed out.

I am very encouraged to read about the variety of foods now available in Pittsburgh. It was not the case when I was growing up. I still remember when the first Mexican restaurant in the City opened...in 1968 in Etna. And, I remember when Pittsburgh’s only Japanese restaurant was Benihana and the few Chinese restaurants around all served very Americanized Cantonese food. I love the fact that there now are restaurants specializing in a wide variety of Chinese cooking styles.
Click to expand...
You two went to China in 1917? Judging by what I assume to be a recent photo, married life seems to have had an amazing influence on both of you!
 
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Franb said:
You two went to China in 1917? Judging by what I assume to be a recent photo, married life seems to have had an amazing influence on both of you!
Click to expand...


The photo is from Barcelona in June 2014. Masha looks even better today. I just look older.

I’m retired. Masha is a professional photographer. She does mainly weddings, family portraits and stuff like that. So traveling gives her a chance to have fun with photography. She does great landscapes. For me, traveling is my main hobby.

We went to China for 23 days. In Asia, we also have been to Thailand and, most recently, Bali. In Europe, we have been to Prague, Budapest, Croatia, Venice, Paris, Avignon, the French Riviera, Cinque Terre, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Lake Como, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Bruges, the Costa del Sol in Spain (3 times) and, of course, Barcelona, where we have spent at least a month every year since 2014 (except for 2015 when we only were there for one day). This year, we will miss Barcelona. We are going to South Africa and Lake Victoria in September, then spending a week decompressing on the Costa del Sol.

That African photo safari is the final destination on my original travel bucket wish list, which I created 30 years ago. Of course, I already have prepared a second bucket list, so we have no plans to stop traveling.

Next year, we hope/plan to move to Barcelona.
 
mike412 said:
The photo is from Barcelona in June 2014. Masha looks even better today. I just look older.

I’m retired. Masha is a professional photographer. She does mainly weddings, family portraits and stuff like that. So traveling gives her a chance to have fun with photography. She does great landscapes. For me, traveling is my main hobby.

We went to China for 23 days. In Asia, we also have been to Thailand and, most recently, Bali. In Europe, we have been to Prague, Budapest, Croatia, Venice, Paris, Avignon, the French Riviera, Cinque Terre, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Lake Como, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Bruges, the Costa del Sol in Spain (3 times) and, of course, Barcelona, where we have spent at least a month every year since 2014 (except for 2015 when we only were there for one day). This year, we will miss Barcelona. We are going to South Africa and Lake Victoria in September, then spending a week decompressing on the Costa del Sol.

That African photo safari is the final destination on my original travel bucket wish list, which I created 30 years ago. Of course, I already have prepared a second bucket list, so we have no plans to stop traveling.

Next year, we hope/plan to move to Barcelona.
Click to expand...
I've been to Georgia and California, oh, anywhere I could run, took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun. But I ran out of places and friendly faces because I had to be free I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me.
 
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mike412 said:
I love Sichuan/Szechuan food. Hainanese food, which is even hotter, is my favorite. It’s the province closest to Vietnam. Lots of fish and seafood dishes, and it almost burns your mouth.

Masha and I went to Chengdu on our trip to China in 1917. It’s the city where the panda refuge is, so it attracts tons of tourists. I didn’t realize until we arrived that it also is the capital of Sichuan Province. For three glorious days, I ate Sichuan food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Masha didn’t have it for breakfast.)
Click to expand...

Can I say you look remarkable for your age sir? What is your secret?
 
upj87 said:
I've been to Georgia and California, oh, anywhere I could run, took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun. But I ran out of places and friendly faces because I had to be free I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me.
Click to expand...
Well, I shot a man in Reno. Just to watch. Him. Dieeeee.
 
mike412 said:
The photo is from Barcelona in June 2014. Masha looks even better today. I just look older.

I’m retired. Masha is a professional photographer. She does mainly weddings, family portraits and stuff like that. So traveling gives her a chance to have fun with photography. She does great landscapes. For me, traveling is my main hobby.

We went to China for 23 days. In Asia, we also have been to Thailand and, most recently, Bali. In Europe, we have been to Prague, Budapest, Croatia, Venice, Paris, Avignon, the French Riviera, Cinque Terre, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Lake Como, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Bruges, the Costa del Sol in Spain (3 times) and, of course, Barcelona, where we have spent at least a month every year since 2014 (except for 2015 when we only were there for one day). This year, we will miss Barcelona. We are going to South Africa and Lake Victoria in September, then spending a week decompressing on the Costa del Sol.

That African photo safari is the final destination on my original travel bucket wish list, which I created 30 years ago. Of course, I already have prepared a second bucket list, so we have no plans to stop traveling.

Next year, we hope/plan to move to Barcelona.
Click to expand...
Tell us more.
 
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