Review: Long's Noodle House

Chilli wontons, beef noodles, xialongbao, spicy beef noodles

This afternoon we visited Long's Noodle House for Shanghainese food. It used to be located on Main Street and 33rd Avenue, but in May it was shut down after a terrible fire and we wondered what would happen.

But in October it was reported the mom-and-pop shop would open in the food court at Admiralty Centre in Richmond, and then a few weeks ago someone posted on social media that they had visited the stall in the food court.

This place is the only one with a long queue

Luckily traffic to Richmond was very light and we found the mall just off of Garden City Road. There is a parkade but the parking spots are a narrow fit. Nevertheless parking on the first floor means you're already on the same floor as the food court.

It's easy to find Long's Noodle House because it's the one with the queue. Waiting in line we got very hungry and ordered a lot of food -- two steamers of xiaolongbao, drunken chicken, a bowl of five spice beef noodles, a bowl of spicy beef noodles, chilli wontons, beef roll, panfried dumplings, hot and sour soup, and soy milk.

As a result it took a while for our order to come, as we waited for our buzzer to ring.

After about 15 minutes we went over to wait by the stall and saw a middle-aged woman standing next to the staff and wrapping each xiaolongbao by hand. 

Finally our order was ready, though our second steamer of xiaolongbao was not quite ready so we started eating.

The xiaolongbao seemed bigger, but tasted the same. Bite into the skin and the savoury soup spills into your mouth. It can be very hot! But so good. Also delicious was the beef roll, thin slices of beef and coriander wrapped in a fried bread.

Panfried dumplings were hearty

The panfried dumplings had a thick wrapper with juicy minced pork inside, probably better with vinegar but we were too hungry to bother dipping! Disappointing were the chilli wontons, as the chilli was hardly spicy and felt like an afterthought. 

However, the hot and sour soup hit the spot, not too spicy, and choc full of ingredients, thinly sliced tofu, carrots, wood ear fungus, finely chopped meat, and vinegar. 

The spicy beef noodles looked intimidating but was not too spicy, while the five spice beef noodle was simple and comforting to dig into. Needless to say we were so stuffed that we didn't even touch the drunken chicken, which was in its own sealed plastic container.

Perhaps the only downside of this food court is the amount of waste that is generated, from chopsticks to plastic bowls and spoons, while the bamboo steamers are returned to the stall.

It was so interesting to observe the noise level of this food court wasn't that noisy at all -- perhaps everyone was concentrating on their food? While it's not the most comfortable setting to eat at, we're just relieved to know Long's Noodle House is back in business and the queue is a testament to their loyal fan base. We paid C$91 for three adults and a child. Cash only.

Long's Noodle House

#2113 - 8700 McKim Way

Richmond, BC