eden noodles cafe 四川担担面

this is a tiny little restaurant and like many of the other reviews had noted, it was packed when we arrived. we ended up ordering to go instead, which meant only waited about 10minutes to get our dan dan noodles and spicy beef noodles ($20 altogether).

the noodles had really good texture and weren't overlooked. we got just "small spicy" on both our dishes. it was quite pleasant and worked well with the stronger flavours of the dan dan noodles but really overpowered what was actually a really lovely broth with the beef noodles. i realised half way through that if i held the noodles up and let the chilli oil drop off that i could better taste the beefy flavour.

overall a nice little cheap eat. more a place where you go so you can say "been there, done that" as opposed to a regular go-to dinner spot - mainly because it is just waaaay too busy.

we are currently making our way through metro top 10 cheap eats 2015 - and this is by far the best so far!  i was worried about the queues and being shoved into a pokey corner while everyone gawked at me from outside waiting for their table, but it was not like that at all!  we arrived at "peak time" 7pm on a thursday.  there were two couples before us, and we were wanting a table for three.  we probably waited max ten minutes. we had our order taken and we paid during this time, and when we sat down to eat it came in 5 minutes!  it wasn't long at all.  the staff member who took our order was extremely friendly. there were plenty of english menus.  we weren't rushed out the door. the place isn't one for decor, but it was clean, and it's part of the whole experience as far as i am concerned.  i don't need to go on about how amazing the food is and everyone already can figure that out by reading others' posts, but five quick words to describe would be: spicy, fragrant, generous portions, and cheap!  my partner and i ate for under $30 and i couldn't even finish mine.  we will definitely be back as the menu is huge!  definitely changed my perspective on what i often find to be bland same-same chinese.  this was a flavour explosion!!

one of the best dumpling places in town... the ambience in this place makes you feels like you are in china! some hole-in-wall eatery in chengdu perhaps? the dan dan noodles were the best ones i had outside of china. it was very close to the ones i had in sichuan years ago. the dumplings were to die for! they made it fresh and you can even see them wrapping it behind the cashier ...

i must say i had very high hopes for this place.. and it really didn't live up to my expectations.

we had the dan dan noodles which were.. well.. bland. there was pretty much nothing to it apart from a huge mass of gooey noodles and excessive amounts of sichuan pepper.

there's always a line and that should tell you something about this place. best dumplings i've had in auckland and i usually order either dumplings in chilli sauce (hot) or dan dan noodles. very reasonable prices and great taste. go here now.

pots overboiling, dumplings getting filled and furious frying, it all happens at enc while you're waiting in the long ass line here.

it's busy because the noodles are god damn amazing. people recommend the dan dan noodles, but honestly they're the choice if you're looking for something pure and simple. id recommend something from the handmade menu.

the handmade sichuan style noodles (dry) are what you want. thick, ropey noodles sit on top of a lake of beef mince, chilli oil, sichuan peppercorns and peanuts. it's garnished with pickled cabbage and scallions. make sure you mix it up when you eat it. it's too easy to get carried away with the noodles before you even get started on the sauces!

other recommended ones are the dumplings in spicy sauce. the dumplings are silky and made fresh each day. the sauce is really sweet, so it's a welcome change compared to the heat and savoury of the other dishes.

all in all, start heading there now. call ahead if you don't want to see the show of cooking while you wait 5 minutes to order.

p.s. very spicy or not at all.

went for dinner with my chinese wife and in-laws who picked out far too many dishes for us.
usual sichuan food, in general it was good but not great. it's simple hot, spicy, soupy dishes. the beef wasn't very good though, i've definitely had better outside of china. the place itself is cosy, a few 2 and 4 person tables. not much space to hang around while waiting for a table. basically just like being back in china. worth a look as some of the noodle dishes are pretty good.