Special Noodle Soup has a very un-special English name. But they are a Chiu Chow noodle joint that has some pretty special, to me, noodle dishes. The chinese name reflects a little more accurately (one of) their specialty, which is their chicken broth based noodle soup.
First these guys are Chiu Chow, so as you can see from the first photo, they make their own fish balls, cuttlefish balls, and beef balls etc… And these balls are balling for them. Ok maybe not huge crowds but definitely draws in the aficionados.
Second, these guys make good noodle broth. Slow cooked for 20 hours. You can taste the clean, fresh chicken broth with the unami from the bones, etc.
Mixed house-made meatballs combo: the winner for me. Chef’s recommendation for good reason. Its delicious. The balls are kicking balls.
Laksa fish noodle combo. Definitely try the fish noodle. Don’t see fish noodle much in the bay area. the last time i had something like this was when Wenzhou Noodle place was still open in San Jose. The noodle is made with beam fish paste. Good stuff.
This reminds me of “Noodles and Things” on 3rd in San Mateo. Similar 20 hour broth, build your own soup menu, and generic name. I’m a fan of that place.
Three solid customised bowls: pork seaweed ramen, chicken ramen and fish beef pork balls fish noodles. Not pictured is flat rice noodle which would be my choice after the fish noodle
Apparently Special Noodle now has a branch at San Leandro.
Despite having been at Special Noodle for many times I never had their Hainan Chicken Rice. We fixed this issue in this visit. The chicken was good. The rice was also pretty decent though the chicken was the definite star. Tender, well flavored and used the right kind of chicken.
Same deal with their marinated duck. For some reason we never ordered it in this Chiu Chow joint. The marinade is the gauge of a Chiu Chow marinade chef’s prowess. Special Noodle obviously focuses on noodles and meat balls. Their marinade was a little prominent with the saltiness and sweetness, though a bit short on the subtlety. Some of the marinade in Shantou/ Hong Kong is derived from a master marinade that has been used/ ‘grown’ for decades, giving it layers of complexity. SN’s version was decent.
The chicken soup that came with the rice was a bit like the pork pepper soup in Chiu Chow cuisine, except its a chicken soup with pleasant pepper flavor.
