With biology problem sets and sociology books to deal with, in addition to a pair of grumbling tummies, Joanne and I set out to find something quick and tasty to satisfy our hunger. Our initial plan was to eat at Sha Lin Noodle House… unfortunately, it closed down. But, don’t start crying over lost noodles yet…because they just moved two blocks down to a bigger spot! So, we started walking along Broadway, looking for a place to enjoy a speedy meal. Finally, we settled on what we thought was Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, which had a 88% rating on Urbanspoon. Except… Joanne and I realized (literally, just now) that we actually went to Golden Great Wall Szechuan! No wonder…
We first spotted and ordered the Shanghai Dumplings ($6.99) on the specials menu. This was probably the best dish out of all that we order. Although, that’s not really saying much.
The flavours were standard… really nothing spectacular. I also found the skin to be too thick and thereby doughy. The only positive aspect of this dish was that there was plenty of juice encased in that dumpling.
Next, we got the dumpling’s fried cousin: Pan Fried Pork and Veggie Dumpling ($5.99). For the most part, they had a nice crispy brown colour on the bottom, except for one or two that were slightly burnt on the edges.
Like the first dish, the explosion of bold Szechuan flavours was completely absent! There was, however, a burst of hot juice when I first bit into it… be careful not to squirt your eye!
Because our initial plan was to dine at Sha Lin, I already had my mind firmly set on noodles! Thus, we decided to share a steaming bowl of Great Wall Beef Noodles ($6.99).
The beef was definitely the star of the dish: it was tender, complex in flavour, and not too fatty. Unfortunately, the beef rollercoaster on my palette was dragged down by some very disappointing noodles and soup. The noodles, as we both agreed, were overly soft. If cooked anymore, they could’ve formed back into the mushy dough they were made from! As for the soup, it was just spicy without any other dimensions of flavour.
Finally, here comes the dish that penetrates the Great Wall and causes it to crumble tragically to the ground! The Sliced Beef Pancake ($6.99)! Seriously, is it just me or… does it look like a microwavable burrito from 7-11? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COLOUR?! It’s as pasty white as Edward Cullen! (‘cept less glittery)
Because the pancake was not pan fried, the dough was extremely chewy. Also, it wasn’t even hot. Correction: it wasn’t even WARM! Deciding to not pan fry was a massive mistake because there’s just so much flavour that wasn’t realized. To sum up this dish, it was some cold slices of beef lathered with typical hoisin sauce that were rolled up in a cold Made-in-China tortilla. Absolutely horrible…
On the bright side, they do give you fortune cookies :P Mine taught me to read and pronouce “Teapot” in Chinese. It also had the lucky numbers 54, 25, 48, 39, 7 and 45 (try that with the lottery!). And, of course, some words of wisdom: “Over self-confidence is equal to being blind.” In a nut shell, this is a restaurant that serves mediocre food. Honestly, for these prices, there’s tons of other restaurants nearby that serve way better food, which is probably why they only had 5 tables during dinner time.
Final Bytes
- Lots of seating and really friendly staff.
- Doesn’t match the quality of food typically served on Broadway.
- Still seriously wondering why they didn’t panfry the pancake…
Foodobyte’s Rating
I agree with what you write about our dishes, We will make better food and destroy our competition. I’m planning to change Golden Great Wall into something very different.
That would actually be great to see! I wish you and your restaurant the best of luck! :)
Sha Lin Noodle House has moved one block west. Still open, still the same!
Yeah I love how they have a bigger place! :D Now I’m not knocking elbows with other fellow diners haha