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The Legendary Noodle House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
1074 Denman StVancouver, BC V6G 2M8
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 669-8551
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
62 reviews for The Legendary Noodle House
Review Highlights
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"Their pea shoots, still delicious." In 10 reviews -
"I definitely recommend the Chrysanthemum Tea." In 6 reviews -
"Don't miss the lemon chicken dumplings in spicy peanut..." In 3 reviews
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62 reviews in English
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Review from Chepdao N.
5/24/2012
Dropped by for a quick bite and had the Legendary noodle soup & Chinese broccoli oyster sauce. Both were well executed and fairly fresh.. Not the best I have ever had but for the price and location, I'm glad I went there. Service was friendly and effiecient. Dining area small but nice. (3.5 stars)
Will visit again next time I'm in Vancouver. -
Review from Wendy Y.
5/4/2012
The food is not to die for here. I can only say I had better (aka, Crystal Mall food court).
My partner and I came here for lunch. We ordered a chicken dumpling dish (4 dumplings in peanut sauce) and a bowl of noodle soup with stir-fry pork and preserved Chinese cabbage.
The dumpling skin didn't have the right texture. It was soft and limpy. The stuffing was mediocre. The peanut sauce which I believe was used in their Tan Tan Noodle was again, meh.
The noodle soup we ordered looked promising but it was anything but promising. The soup was soy sauce water and not broth. The noodles were hand made, yes, but they were very inconsistent. Some strands were skinny whereas others were twice as big as the skinny ones. The texture was very dense, hard, and chewy. I had to really work my molars. The pork and preserved cabbage stir-fry was on the oily side. It was just meh.
Thanks to the chili oil which helped me get through the meal.
Will I come back, not a chance. $15 not well wasted. Boo.Listed in: Chinese Food
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Review from Simon K.
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can be a sucker for marketing, hence I walked in here! It's like how people are fooled on packaging, this place looks great, sitting on Denman, looking like an old Chinese restaurant that would be portrayed in a Hollywood movie stereotyping the Chinese, this place would be a great set piece! Something out of a 'Rush Hour' movie with Chris Tucker saying something totally incorrect, trying to mimick a Chinese person would be the correct feel. I had parking around the area, I had my partner with me, and we needed some place new to try, and into the dragon's lair we went.
We sat all the way in the back of this place, the old Chinese smorgasboard look caught our eye, and the open kitchen where they were cooking the noodles was laid out on the right side of the back. The people in the kitchen spoke Mandarin, a good sign I wan't going to get cheated on in a town where faux pas Chinese food would not be accepted unless your name was Man Chu Wok! We were sat, and presented two nicely laid out menus. In our little two person booth there was a spice rack, with a nice stained bottle of soy sauce (a bottle I have seen back in the days my mom worked in Chinese Restaurants!), a big bottle of salt, a big bottle of white pepper, and a nice bottle of chili oil. We both decided to take a sniff of this chili oil, from the fine ground peppers that were all built up on the bottom, to the thick oily goodness of this sauce, we had to wait for our dishes to come before being able to try this.
Our lunch consisted of two items, one of them was the pork dumplings served in peanut sauce, and the other was there hand made noodles served with pickled vegetables and meat. Let's do this in order, when the dumplings came, it was a small bowl, with some dumplings in a thin brown broth. OK, shall not judge from just the look, tasted the sauce, and it was pretty much what you would serve in a bowl of 'tan tan' noodles, the dumplings themselves were nothing special, adding the chili oil I said above assisted in making everything better, oh chili oil you are a savour!
The noodle dish didn't come far too long after our dumplings, and the presentation wasn't bad, a huge bowl, broth that looked like soy sauce mixed with water, meat chunks that were definitely unevenly cut, and pickled vegetables thrown everywhere, under a bed of homemade noodles. When I saw my partner take the first slurp of broth, I knew it was not what she was expecting. I quickly followed suit to try to see what she just tasted, and didn't I say, soy sauce mixed with water is practically what was drank down my throat. I tried many variations of trying to mix this up, drink with some noodles in the spoon, drink with some meat, veggies and noodles in the spoon, etc. etc, thank goodness again for the chili oil which probably was the star of this show. Wherever they are getting this chili oil, I would love to have a bottle for my kitchen!
The noodles, you can tell were handmade, but lacked consistency. You would see thick ones, skinny ones, they were dense, there wasn't much bounce. There is no look of amazement, or childish smile that came from the both of us after putting the first bite in our mouths. We even tried to mix the noodles with the dumpling peanut sauce, which made things better. It became just another meal, hurry up, eat due to neccesity and then get the bill, then get out.
Maybe because I am Chinese, and maybe because I have had some real good fresh home made noodles that my standards are higher, or maybe I'm just speaking the truth as to my experience here. I know you make your noodles here, and they are fresh, there is just a whole bunch of things lacking in the finished product. I came, I ate, I left.... but I still remember the chili oil! -
Review from Carol L.
Vancouver, BC
4/20/2012
This is my first time at this noodle house.
How should I say this? Just another one of those fancy little noodle houses that make you pay for more than you're getting. Sure the noodles are under $10, but the portion you're getting is probably worth $5. The noodles and soup are good but not great. I wouldn't want to pay that price so often for a bowl/plate of noodles.
Nothing struck my interest at this place. I won't choose to come back here again, or even if I do, it wouldn't have been my choice. -
Review from Jessica B.
1/17/2012
For once a place that claims greatness ACTUALLY lives up to it (scornful glance toward "Seattle's Best"). Huzzah!
There are several vegetarian options here that are good, but I recommend the hot and sour soup. Seriously the best soup of my life!!! It's got a hot punch to it, but it's probably about a 2-star level of spicy. If you want it hotter, they'll do it! You can change what noodles you get in it, but the house noodles are made there (in front of you!) and are great!!!
To start the vermicelli noodles and spinach with peanut sauce is really good! They have a light peanut sauce that isn't overwhelmingly peanut-buttery like some are. Yum!
Get the tea! I recommend Jasmine Pearls (it's better than the regular jasmine) and the Chrysanthemum is good too. The one thing about the tea though is that it's loose leaf and they don't give you a strainer- ie. drink carefully or your date will be pulling green leaves from your teeth!
It's a little small, so any groups over 6 might not fit well.Listed in: I wish I was here now, Vancouver, BC- I love you
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Review from Carmen C.
3/27/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I've walked past this place a bunch of times and had always meant to stop in... and over the weekend, I finally did.
I've always been a bit skittish when it comes to trying new things but I decided to throw caution to the wind and check out what 'the legend' was all about.
It's this dark little restaurant gets darker, the further back you go. I was greeted by a smiling waitress and a 'noodle master' working behind the grill, stretching out some dough and working his 'noodle magic'.
I was quickly seated and perused through the menu. Most of their dishes are very straight forward and simple - no fluff and no confusion.
I decided on a vegetarian dish of rice noodles, tofu, egg and veggies. As I sat there waiting for my meal, I noticed a steady stream of customers coming in and out. I wouldn't say that this place is always packed, but it's definitely got a regular flow of traffic.
My meal arrived and...... YUM! I loved it! The sauce was simple, the noodles were delicious and I ended up finishing the entire plate (an embarrassing feat considering how large the portions are here).
The meal came out to $10 with tip. Nice
In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger - 'I'll Be back'... to try the Pho. -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2012
Denman Street is an odd place to find a good Chinese restaurant. A good Xian restaurant no less. Their lamb shank is one of the best. Who would have thought curry or lamb from China (unless you are Chinese).
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Review from F B.
1/16/2012
This is a small restaurant that's a fun stop if you're visiting the city. Luckily, when we went there no one else was in the restaurant so it made the dining experience even better. I'm not sure that I'd want to be there when it fills up (as small as that place is I'm sure it happens often).
It was fun watching him make the noodles in front of you. It's like he's playing with some stretchy toy the way he manipulates those noodles! I actually recorded him doing it just so I could show my mom. The fun of watching the food get prepared is really where they get the four stars. The rest is so-so and even bordering bad.
I had the noodles with the peanut sauce and they were great. I also had some kind of flower tea that was pretty interesting looking. I wouldn't drink it at home, but it's uniqueness only added to the fun of being in such a neat restaurant.
I ordered the same meal to go, and that was less than impressive. The food actually had ice chunks in it. Not good. I had to give it away because there was no microwave in my hotel room. I can totally eat cold noodles, but not frozen.
If I was in Vancouver again, I would only go there if I was taking someone who hadn't been before. It's really a nice little place. The frozen peanut sauce thing makes me hesitant to go there just for a good meal, but I still think the restaurant is awesome.
Cons:
To go orders - buyer beware!
Small - nice if you're alone but I imagine not so great when it's packed
Pros:
They put on a fun show while they make your food.
Great place to take a date or friend
Nice downtown location close to the water (again, fun date stop)
If the peanut sauce is defrosted, it's yummy! -
Review from Jim T.
11/19/2011
As mentioned in other reviews, this place is physically very tiny. The place fills up fast.
We tried two different kinds of noodles, one a noodle soup (with beef brisket) and one wok fried (Chili, pork and garlic) and they are a world apart considering that they come from the same dough.
The noodles in the soup is stretched in front of you to order and it's fun to watch, but for all the show, the dough makes the noodles into a rather weak udon-style noodle without the bite.
On the other had, the hand cut noodles in the wok fried version was simply terrific. It had this weighty feel to it, much more like a dumpling, and the chili, pork and garlic was just perfect with it.
I would definitely go back for more. -
Review from Trudi C.
Really reeeeeeeeeeally nice! How's that for a review?
The noodles appear to be freshly made - was watching one of the cooks make them, then straight to cooking them! I have *never* tasted noodles like it! My supermarket packet ones will forever pale in comparison. I ordered the creamy peanut sauce with chicken and thick noodles. Was super tasty, though I feel it masked the noodles. Next time I'll go for a beef broth.
Great decor inside, cozy little booths. I already want to eat there again! -
Review from Irena L.
9/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I just gotta say - hit me with Dao Xiao Mian. Whatever that means...it's tasty! I was hit with it, and the prawns, and it felt oh so goooood...
The sauce is really good, and the noodles are amazing! I also poured chili sauce all over it so by the end I was crying and sweating and smacking my lips, and in need of a bib!
I wanted to try dumplings, but my friend is a vegeterian so we decided to go for flavoured tofu and spring rolls (and how can you go wrong with spring rolls?). Flavoured tofu was actually pretty good too.
My faith in chinese cuisine is back because of this place. I haven't had chinese for almost two years now because of some really bad experiences, but anyways, not to whine and cry and spoil the review I'll stop right here.
Also try their chrysanthemum tea, it's on the sweeter side of the scale and it's delicious!
I'll be back!Listed in: Great finds!
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Review from Robert H.
Vancouver, BC
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
The Noodles are good, I have no complaints about the food or service. The place is popular and small and I have ended up going to other places instead because if more then one couple is waiting for a seat then you are waiting outside and when it's cold or rainy, I am not going to wait. I hate the table by the door, when it's cold outside, but the food is worth suffering through that.
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Review from Summy L.
Who would've thought this little tiny place would have some good noodles coming out of it. After all, they don't call this place legendary noodle for nothing right? I ordered the Beef Brisket noodles based on what other yelpers suggested and it was delicious despite being hungry 3 hours later. The portion is a bit smaller than what i'm used to, but I guess, we're not in LA anymore. The soup base was light, and not very spicy, which is good because this gives the eater the ability to add more hot sauce to taste. I've added several spoon full of the hot oil sauce to get it up to my taste level.
My wife ordered the Legendary Noodle - (Sour Soup, Tofu, Carrots, Mushroom, Pork Dices, Chives) because you can't go wrong with ordering something with the restaurant's name in it. I didn't care for that noodle too much because of it's sour taste, but my wife seems to like it.
Did I mention this place is tiny? The table for two has barely enough room to eat your bowl of noodle. All you veteran noodle eaters know that you need elbow space to enjoy a good bowl of noodle. The table we were seated in was so small, the wall now has my elbow marks.Listed in: When in Vancouver
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Review from Allen W.
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to give 3 stars but I just can't do it. The seasoning is too out of whack to go back.
I love the noodles and watching the guy hand pulling them ... when the soup bowl arrives, my eyes widen at the size. So much! The beef brisket soup was good, although a bit skimpy on the beef brisket. Also, about 1/3 into the soup I switched over to eating one of the small plates we ordered. When I flipped back to the soup I almost died ... I hadn't realized how SALTY it was ... OMG.
Pea shoots are tasty but pretty oily (a good sized pool of oil when we reached the bottom of the bowl). -
Review from Ryan G.
8/7/2011
This place keeps me coming back, whether it's for take-out or dine in. The noodles are made fresh infront of you, to order. Thick or thin, they have what you need for a noodle soup fix.
Beer is expensive... prob the only thing I don't like about the place...
Make sure to try the rack of sauces and spices @ the table with your soup... they are there for a reason!!
Enjoy! You won't be dissapointed. -
Review from Realtor Darius D.
Vancouver, BC
2/7/2012
I've been here on one occasion. Normally I would go to the one on Main St (Now closed) but we were in the neighbourhood and thought we'd check it out. I was unpleasantly surprised that the flavors from this location were so different. Service was decent but I think I'll need to try it again for clarification.
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Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
When my husband offers to take me out on Friday Night Date Night to an Asian place, I am running out the door before he can even finish his sentence.
So my husband offered to take me to Banana Leaf on Denman, I jumped at the offer. I was so excited because I had never been there before. I found free parking... Ah know, in the West End on a Friday Night... it's Kismet I tell ya. We get to Banana Leaf and there are people jammed into the tiny area just inside the door and are spilling out into the street.
So I still think it's Kismet because I get to eat at Legendary Noodle... there is one last table and it's ours. We are lead through the dim, cramped restaurant to a romantic table in the back. I feel like I've been transported to Asia somewhere.
We wait... we decide what to eat... we wait. I am not sure who works here. I am sure someone is gonna come... oh, no she passed us by... oh wait, she is coming back. Nope, still no. Eventually, our server shows up. She comes bearing glasses of water.
I ask for a coke ($2), my husband gets a Leffe Blonde (I don't remember, I didn't pay). Huh? Well, at least we're eating Asian food tonight. We order the pea shoots ($5) to start (even though I already had them for lunch), the lemongrass chicken dumplings ($5) and the beef brisket noodles ($8.99). We were going to order another dish, but decided to curb our enthusiasm.
My coke is from a bottle. The ice is fresh. It's all still perfect little cubes, still frozen and not sadly melting in a glass for half an hour. Woot woot. I think they just opened the bottle too. I love it.
Our pea shoots are different than the ones I am used to. Normally for me, they are big and tougher. These look like the ones I tried growing in a window with no sunlight. They are delicious. They are perfectly garlic-ed. Gobbled up in no time because they are so good. They make me feel so healthy too.
The dumplings were okay. They came drowning in sauce in a thin satay sauce. At first I thought they were going to be spicy because I saw red oil dancing on the surface, but they weren't even mildly spiced. We got four dumplings in our sauce. I ate one. My husband ate the other three, it was his choice after all.
I loved the noodles. They were thick and kinda dough-y in a great way. They were fried with veggies and littered with the most tender beef brisket. The next time I come here, I am gonna get my own order of this.
Our server was really nice... she came back and checked on us. Food was fast... I loved that there is a rack on the wall holding the sauces; it allowed us to fill the table with food. -
Review from Genre S.
Calgary, AB
11/28/2011
Wow. Steamed pork and chive dumplings. Cris. Same with the Gai lan with oyster sauce, potato chive pancakes, edamame, and doubly so the flavoured tofu. Those were the apps. Next up, flat noodle with minced pork and mushroom, with added chicken. The entree. Chinese lager and basic tea. Best last-Sunday-of-November meal I have ever had. Been here in April, as good as it was then. Trust me. The place is as serious as a binary star system.
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Review from Alvin S.
Burnaby, BC
12/31/2011
Love the atmosphere. Reasonably priced noodles. Had
the Legendary noodle and the cold noodle with peanut sauce.
They were just a ok...Flavor was too strong for me especially the Legendary noodle.
Was okay to try once, but probably won't go back. -
Review from Cait j.
Vancouver, BC
9/7/2010
My experience at Legendary Noodle was.. confusing. At best. Im being nice.
Its sad cause I was so looking forward to this place. I hear the soup is what to get, but we (foolishly?) had other share share-ables, including the lamb.. which was terrifying. The onion cakes.. which were terrifying. And, something else, but it was equally as terrifying, and bland.
The best part about the entire dinner was when we ordered a side of peanut sauce, and received a small dish with melted Skippy pooled inside. It was laughable.
Ah geez. -
Review from Cara P.
I really liked this location of Legendary Noodle when it first opened but the quality has gone down a bit since then. It's still delicious but remembering how it used to be makes me sad.
I love the lemon chicken dumplings and usually always have a bowl of soup. Chinese noodles and dumplings are my cure all when I'm feeling under the weather and they always make me feel better. Hot, steaming, flavourful... I couldn't do without it.
The noodles are hand made, on site, in front of everyone if you get there at the right time. The decor is very warm and cozy with lots of traditional knick knacks here and there, on the walls, on the floor, hanging from the ceiling. It's very small-village-China-quaint if that even exists. Great on a cold, rainy Vancouver afternoon/evening. And not so bad on the wallet either. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
Over the past year, I've given Legendary Noodle a few chances to wow me. Their pea shoots, still delicious. Their xiao bao long, respectable. But even the sauciest sauce lover out there (ah hem, that's me I'm referring to) can't help but say WTF when a noodle dish arrives SWIMMING in salty sauce. I expect more out of a black bean sauce than what I can buy at a store. No scratch that, I expected less, less sauce. Thicker sauce. Tastier sauce. Less salt, more flavour. Could it hurt to add a black bean or two? Even just one on top for show?
Yes, their hand pulled noodles are chewy and delicious, but when the sauce, topped with a bit of ground pork and some diced mushroom is all that is floating in the "broth" I can't help but shake my head at myself. What am I doing here in the first place? Right, pea shoots to go please!Listed in: Favourite Vancouver…, Casual Dining in Vancouver, A Halfer's Guide to Asian…, Noodling it up in Vancouver, Chinese Cuisinery
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/14/2009
Fatten, roll, smooth, cut, smack, smack, smack. I was in awe watching my noodles come to life. So… Read more »
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Review from Tee D.
8/23/2009
We've walked by this place many times, but have never noticed it before until we actually sought it out.
The weather had turned wet and gloomy, and of course, on a day like that, we wanted some hot, yummy noodle soup.
The restaurant is pretty tiny: there are maybe 6-7 tables there, and I think the largest booth probably holds about 6 comfortably.
I ordered the thin noodles with Lemon Garlic Green Onion sauce. Man, it was so flavorful and good.
We got to watch the guy make our noodles, and it is truly an art. -
Review from tee a.
6/27/2010
Looove Legendary Noodle.
Took my mom here and she approves. Authentic, fresh, chewy noodles in a delicious broth or pan fried with vegetables and meat. We also ordered the dumplings as well as the pea shoots. Cooked perfectly and the dumplings were so juicy.
I tried the skinny noodles with the peanut sauce. HEART! Even though my mom complained about the lack of parking around the area, she will take her friends here... trust. -
Review from Tracy P.
Vancouver, BC
5/27/2009
Legendary Noodle is a sort-of hole in the wall type restaurant on Denman Street. I say sort-of, because when you think about it, most of the restaurants on Denman are "hole-in-the wall", so it kind of defeats the purpose of calling them such.
Regardless, Legendary Noodle is incredibly tiny, not able to fit more than 6 or 7 tables, and single-file walking room. It's beautifully decorated, in a very eclectic way. My boyfriend mentioned it had the appearance of what one would stereotypically think a chinese restaurant in the 1920s would look like. It's dark, full of bamboo things and richly scented with the smell of homecooked asian food.
It's also adorable to note that remnants of the old diner it used to be, still peeks out from the mish-mash of Asian decor, adding even more character to the place.
But onto the food! After visiting the website, I pretty much knew what I wanted to order.
To drink, the special House mixed Chrysanthemum tea, which is lightly sweetened chrysanthemum tea, topped with flowers, and dried fruits which I only recognize in chinese herbal soups. And a lone longan. Served in a large glass with a cardboard sleeve, I knew that this place didn't waste money on fancy schmancy dishware. It's nice to note you can also get this iced.
We started with the pea shoots sauteed in garlic, and they were delicious. Fresh, piping hot (I watched them plate it right in front of me, as we were sitting right next to the kitchen, not more than a couple arms' lengths away). Coated lightly with oil and garlic, they were tender, flavourful and simple. I love pea shoots cooked this way.
We followed with Ground Pork & Black Bean Sauce w/ Minced Mushroom, on thin noodles. You have a choice of thin, thick or flat freshly handmade noodles. Much akin to Sha-Lin on Broadway, they make a show of making the noodles in front of their patrons. Always awesome to see.
Loved the dish, the noodles were indeed, fresh, with that perfect chew, and the sauce was not too thick, not too thin. Very comfort food-y. Maybe a little salty, but I tend to be very sensitive to that kind of thing. 1 dish at around 8ish dollars, was more than enough for the two of us.
We made the mistake of ordering a 3rd dish, thinking the noodles and shoots wouldn't be enough, and we decided on the xiao long bao or Juicy buns. We LOVE juicy buns, but unfortunately, these were pretty standard. Nothing special. They certainly weren't frozen ones, but they were pretty ok, compared to the other two dishes.
All in all, for about 30 dollars, this was a great, cheap-eats kinda dinner, and perfect for walking off on the now warmer days.Listed in: My Neighborhood, Top Restaurants
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Review from J. C.
7/26/2009
WOW! This restaurant is DEFINITELY a MUST! First of, the decor is so awesome! It's like you are eating in China during the 1920s! My friend actually said that it feels like he was in a movie set. I LOVE IT! A great escape and a complete stop of time. The music was so hip and add to the amazing dining atmosphere.
Now lets talk noodles! The noodles are so fresh. I love the texture. You can see the chef pulling the noodles and cutting them into the boiling pot of water. The cool thing about this place is that it is not a show like some other restaurants. This is actually the process of how they cook their noodles. They are actually doing it made to order, handmade not frozen.
We had...Peanut Sauce noodles, Stir Fried Noodles with beef, and the Legendary Noodle Soup and Fried Dumplings. The Dumplings were okay and way too expensive for its own good.
This is definitely my new favorite restaurant. However, two main complaints. First, the price. It's a bit too expensive for Chinese noodles, but I guess you pay a tad more for the atmosphere. If the price was any higher, I would not want to go again. Second, I feel that they should offer complimentary tea like other Chinese restaurants do. -
Review from Namit M.
12/25/2009 2 Check-ins Here
Ate here on a recommendation from a friend. Ordered the Cumin Lamb Shanks with Dao Xiao Mian and the house tea (hot).
The tea was very good,but was disappointed that it was sweet - will try to see if an unsweetened version exists next time.
The noodles was very good particularly the lamb shanks - but overcooked. Not sure I would have them again and may try the soup noodles next time.
Obviously I am in a minority on this board, but I just think the place is OK and not great. I would rather do something more authentic in China Town or even do crispy noodles at Hon's. -
Review from Paula P.
Vancouver, BC
1/27/2011
We ordered the green Onion Pancakes, Xiao Long Bao, and shared the Fat Noodles with Cumin Lamb. Absolutely worst Onion pancakes and XLB we've ever had!!! The Onion Pancakes were crunchy (???), and super dry. Even in the seediest of nasty chinese restaurants I've had better onion pancakes. Then the XLB- what a HUGE disappointment. The XLB were hardly soupy. Rather, inside was a huge pork meatball and a tiny squirt of lubricating broth.
The Cumin Lamb tasted OK, and if the meal had any redeeming qualities it was from the thick cut noodles.
read on for our impression of the restaurant, which was actually good...too bad that experience wasn't the same for the meal.
first off the bat, i loved the entrance to the restaurant, and i loved how tiny the place was. its hard to find quaint, tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Vancouver! thoroughly enjoyed the initial experiences. Interior is pretty cozy, wood bench seats/booths, and the waitress was friendly but not in our faces...all good good.
then we get to the food...
the menu was small, but seemed specialized enough for northern Chinese noodles and dumplings. it was a little pricey compared to most of the very authentic Chinese food in Van. But we went with it, perhaps it would be stellar...NOT SO MUCH -
Review from Jenny Y.
11/20/2008
Legendary Noodle House seems to specialize in food from China's Xinjiang province so it's heavy on the lamb spiced with cumin but they do have a few vegetarian options. You can't go wrong with their knife-sliced noodles (dao shao mian) or freshly pulled noodles which are slightly chewy and firm like good fresh noodles are supposed to be but be sure to ask for the thick noodles. Popular Xinjiang dishes are stir fried noodles in lamb and vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Most dishes were around $10.
I ordered the lamb shank and noodles and one bite of that slightly gamey lamb transported me back to hot summer night markets in Urumqi. The smell of barbeque coals filling the air, big mugs of kvas or honey beer washing down lamb kabobs, and hawkers calling me over to try their wares. Okay, maybe it didn't take me back quite that far but the noodles are still good. The restaurant is dreamily lit and decorated in dark woods and the service is considerate. And you can view the chefs through a rear window furiously pulling fresh noodles so you know it's the real deal. -
Review from Peter S.
4/13/2009
Where else would I go for Easter Dinner?
I sat down at Legendary noticing that one of the chefs at a back table was repeatedly bopping himself on the neck and back with a wooden mallot.
Hmmmm?
We exchanged smiles and "nods", and I knew I had made the right choice.
What a sight watching the other chef fling around a huge glob of fresh pre-noodle while listening to Aerosmith and Sum 41!
I turned away for a split second to gulp my Tsingtao, and HELLO, he's already got a Cats Cradle handful of stringy noodles. I watched another chef cook a stir fry dish in under a minute and a half, and did it ever look good as it sailed past my table.
Big fan of the pea shoots too.
Definitely the weirdest Easter Dinner of my life, but, sooooo yum.Listed in: West Ender, Post game bites, Good things come in little…
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Review from Sam E.
8/17/2009
Great spot for a late lunch! For a foodie, Denman St. can be both heaven and hell because of the MASSIVE amounts eateries that line the sidewalks. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers I was able to pick my spots and this place was in my top 5 must tries!
First, this place is the real deal. How fresh are the noodles? Well you can literally watch them being made! You pick the type of noodle, sauce or soup, and meat and not too long afterwards a massive bowl of carbs in served up in front of you.
Second, this place is small. Avoid long lines by picking off peak times or doing take out.
Finally, a word to the wise: Avoid the "spicy" peanut sauce. It is too creamy and not spice enough to give it the depth you'd want in that kind of dish. The beef broth is nothing short of amazing and the dumplings (while I never had the chance to try one) look good enough to inspire jealously in my bitter heart. -
Review from Jim H.
12/31/2009
Ate there with the kids tonight. Ordered a thick noodle with beef brisket and the noodles with Szechuan sauce with chicken. The noodles themselves were very good! I love an excellent hand-made noodle. However, the sauces were subpar. Both noodle dishes were too salty and the sauces were too watery, IMO. The kids and I shared them both and basically they didn't love it because of the sauces. We also ordered a pan fried pork dumpling. Took way too long to come to us at the table. Were generally "ok".
I might go back and try a noodle soup. Those looked pretty good as I was peering at other tables. Probably weren't too salty either (hopefully). -
Review from Mark C.
7/15/2010
This place is hard to rate. Some things are fantastic. Other things a bit dreadful. Others, middle of the road, leaning toward below average. Details below.
Handmade, hand-pulled noodles! Outstanding! Get the thick ones! Fresh noodles make a world of difference. But, they could have served more noodles in our order of beef noodle soup. I think, given the price, that I'm not getting enough of the delicious noodles that I'm paying a good amount for.
Now, on the bad side is the beef soup the noodles come in. The main flavouring in the soup is SALT. Yah, other reviewers noted this problem also -- I'm thinking that, in general, they must be using too much salt if other reviewers commented about this for other dishes. The beef broth was severely lacking in depth of flavour too. Adding tons of salt doesn't compensate. Sure, I slurped up all the noodles that were in the bowl and wished there were more noodles. But, a good bowl of Chinese beef noodle soup has me downing the soup too and I wouldn't do that at this place. Not enough beef either. They could throw in a leaf or two of Chinese greens (or some sort) to help balance the flavour profile too. Overall: lacking, except for the noodles.
Chrysanthemum tea: delightful!
Garlic pea shoots: very, very tasty. They were the first thing to be served and we were super hungry that afternoon for a late lunch, so we scarfed these down quickly. A tad salty, perhaps.
Green onion pancakes: mediocre-to-poor.
Xiaolong baos: ok, but they are a far cry from what you get at other places. These had a "buy them frozen from T&T and steam them at home" quality to them (i.e. they were like previously frozen ones as opposed to freshly made). Several dumplings were broken (soup leaked out). This doesn't happen at good Northern Chinese-style places.
My closing comment: not a place I would return to, when I'm back in Vancouver. -
Review from Minnie K.
10/16/2010
I loved the beef broth noodles, other ppl at my table ordered szhechawan chicken & a lemon chicken noodle something with only so-so reviews.
Guess I was the lucky one! -
Review from Sasha R.
6/5/2011
fun to watch the noodle pulling and cooking, but otherwise, this place is no hong kong.
- Pork ChaShaoBao -- pretty good. not as good as hong kong/nyc/SF, but acceptable.
- Dao Xiao Mian Tofu Vegetarian -- fabulous. the star of the meal. and this is from a group of committed meat eaters.
- Legendary Noodle, Gan-Ban-Mian with pork and black bean sauce -- holy salt-a-rrificus, batman! make sure you drink plenty of water or you will never pee again.
- Gan-Ban-Mian -- pretty good, esp if you luuuuuuurv peanut sauce. -
Review from Vanessa G.
6/3/2010
I would actually give this place 3.5 stars, because it was not bad at all. I perhaps have become accustomed to Sha Lin noodles on Broadway, and felt like the noodles were not that satisfying. I like big thick noodles (i didn't see it as an option on the menu?), and these were skinny spaghetti like noodles.. which is fine, but i feel like i should be eating Italian. A nice selection of flavors and sauces. We ordered 2 different dishes (peanut sauce, and a lemony one) and shared. I felt there wasn't that much vegetables either.
I do like the location since this area is known for high turn over of restaurants, it is nice to see someone doing well in this spot. Inside is really dark and romantic. A great place for a date really.
Service was great, but they really seemed to want to up sell and get us in and out fast since there was a line up. -
Review from Alex D.
Vancouver, BC
4/26/2010
I have been working on my noodle slurp for sometime now and tonight I went out for some more practise. What better place to flex my slurping muscle than the "LEGENDARY NOODLE HOUSE". You have to love a restaurant that declares its own self created reputation in its title.
Great canoodling indeed. I went for some big flat suckers and really there is no substitute for freshly made noodles. They were soft and tender and I would have happily had them on their own. I had them with Szechuan chicken and to be honest the Szechuan chicken part was quite mediocre and took away from the tasty strands of noodley goodness. My tip would be to stick to an unobtrusive dish so you can enjoy those oodles. Also you should definitely get the Chrysanthemum tea, delicious.Listed in: Denman Street
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Review from Gina I.
Updated - 12/17/2010
Oh Legendary, your noodles I love. However, your prices I don't.. I still love you though. I mean we were able to feed 3 adults and 2 children with 3 noodle dishes, a pan fried onion pancake, some dumplings.. but alas.. you are the crack in my back. The grand in my marnier and I love you so (damnit, I just wish your noodles were 2 bucks cheaper;)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2009
I am not a big 'chinese' food fan. But these noodles, oh these noodles, they are wonderful. I had… Read more »
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Review from Richard K.
1/22/2010
This place was fairly decent. The ambiance is a little off in my opinion. At first, it seems like a hip fusion type of place with it's dark lighting and Asian inspired decor. The music was definitely off...it was a sort of mix between some kind of hip hop on one track and funky worldly music on another.
I was a bit disappointed at the menu; they didn't have very authentic Chinese food. The bamboo, mushroom, shrimp noodle soup was lacking in flavor, but sure wasn't lacking in MSG (my tongue was cringing after). I had to add some white pepper and hot oil to flavor it up.
The xiao lum bao was good (pork dumplings), but not spectacular nor noteworthy. It would have been nice if there was more juice inside. The green onion pancake was another disappointment. It was way too oily and a little stale, definitely short on green onions. The peanut butter sauce it came with tasted like watered down, runny peanut butter. I opted to use hot oil and soy sauce.
Another shock was the waitress didn't understand any Mandarin, although I heard the chefs in the back speaking.
All in all, I'd rate it as average; a "good enough" meal, but I'm sure there's definitely better out there. -
Review from Poope R.
1/21/2010
My Girlfriend and I stumbled into this place while on vacation. I have never had better noodles in my life! Nor, did I know that noodles could taste so amazingly good!
I think about this place all the time, and can't wait to go back.
