So Sietsema turned me onto this place, and Trillin turned him onto it, and I, in turn, pass the buck to you my friends. Which means you only need a few more bucks to feast on a world class bowl of hand-pulled noodles.
At Super Taste, you don't come for the show. Harsh fluorescent lighting, tables with cracked plastic veneer, plastic tubs of pickled greens and big office plants don't exactly put you in the mood for romance. The dough slapping is not as nicely proscenium-framed as it is in the Elmhurst hand-pulled noodle joint Sietsema also turned me onto. The hand-pulling happens off on the side, where a dough dominatrix in flour-dusted jeans whacks and whips a long rope of noodle dough against a stainless steel counter. I missed having a front row seat for the culinary burlesque show to whet my appetite, but I'll trade the pre-dining titillation for the convenience of Manhattan.
A big bowl of hot and spicy beef soup comes with a sizable skep of those wheat flour mobius bands, wilted green leaf lettuce, and thinly sliced stewed beef shot through with chewy, gelatinous tendon. ("What cut of beef is this? It's such an Asian cut," said my friend Winnie.) I love the spice level -- it's just enough to make you break a gentle sweat on your upper lip, but not enough that you have to stop sipping the savory soup. (It's still got MSG, though, so if you're like me, the more soup you drink, the worse your cottonmouth gets.) The steamed pork dumplings -- a dozen fatties enrobed in white -- are pleasant, with thin skins and plenty of garlic chives, but they're a bit sweet for my taste. And the grand total for this meal, which I shared with Winnie and still felt like unbuttoning my pants? $7. $7! Slurpy goodness! I can't wait to go back and try more. I fucking love Chinatown.
Now I see that the irrepressible Sietsema's moved on to the new Fujianese kid on the block. It's probably going to take me another year to catch up with him.
Super Taste
26N Eldridge St. just below Canal St.
D, B to Grand St. or F to East Broadway
I love your description of "a dozen fatties enrobed in white" - hahaha. Makes me really want noodles. What IS it about cold weather that makes me crave noodles in soup. Mm, the yum.
On your recommendation, I got the beef soup noodles this weekend and loved them. I could eat those noodles several times a week and be happy, I think. You weren't exaggerating about the lackluster atmosphere, either... But still, what a find. Thanks!