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.