TLDR: Food here is always yummy. Portions are a good size. They offer some set noodle soup bowls.. but my preference is to select exactly what I want for my noodle soup. First you select a broth (I don't do spicy, so I always pick their chicken broth; but friends and family enjoy the spicy flavors a lot). Then you pick your style of noodle (the fish noodle was fun to try, but I prefer the ramen or the knife-cut or rice noodles). Then you pick your toppings - a large variety of both meat and veggie options! It comes with a little veggies (spinach, corn, mushroom, bamboo) too. My favorite appetizer is their rice spicy honeycomb tripe - great marinade! Recently tried the Hainan chicken dish and it was good too (though I would prefer more ginger than scallion in the oil and the roasted peanuts, garlic cucumber are yummy too!). In the past we have also had the fried rice, which my kiddos really love. But the true highlight is to get the "large" soup noodles where they serve it in a bowl larger than your whole head. Didn't get it this past visit because we weren't that hungry... but it is always a fun order! I enjoy having the treat of a drink with their combo deal. :) read more

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They have a very busy parking lot. My partner and I circled around once and decided to park on the street nearby. The chef/founder is Teochew and so dishes are influenced by his background. I'm half Teochew but didn't really grow up in the culture. I've brought my Teochew dad before and he thought it wasn't very authentic. I thought it tasted fine though, but my dad is incredibly picky. My second visit was just me and my partner. We heard about the $9.99 Hainan Chicken deal to promote the opening of their new restaurant location. There was a long wait, as you can imagine for a deal like this! We waited maybe 30 minutes before being seated. The waitress immediately clocked that I could speak Cantonese when seating me. That auntie's got a gift! Especially since most Chinese folks my age in the area seem to be Mandarin speakers. I'm still wondering how she knew! We each ordered a dish of the Hainan chicken rice. The soup that comes with it is absolutely delicious! My partner and I got different cuts of chicken. His was very bony and mine was mostly meat, which suited me just fine, but he was not as happy He'll probably order a dish without bones next time we come here. I really liked the ginger scallion sauce as well. Overall, I had a great experience and the portions were huge. Would absolutely come back another time! read more

Special Noodle Soup - Hainan chicken rice - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

TL;DR: Food and service are acceptable. Portion size is quite large but matches the pricing. Opt elsewhere if you're looking for true comfort food. The Hainan chicken itself was very flavorful but everything else - the rice, the wood ear, the side veggies, and even the scallion ginger paste(!) - was bland. very disappointed. The special fish maw noodle soup...where do I begin. The texture of the noodles was very mushy (weird). The whole dish was very bland, which, based on reviews of saltiness, just shows inconsistent quality control coming out of the kitchen. I feel like the mushrooms were good texture (still missing flavor) but that's about it. The rest was 100% forgettable. The best dish was the pig ears. Understandably not for everyone's palette but worth a mention. The service as good but nothing stand out. I added a tea to my order late and the host pressured me into using cash instead of my card...felt very awkward but I was too tired to push back. It was ok. read more

Special Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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I've been coming to this restaurant for years, both dining in and ordering through DoorDash, so it's really disappointing to write this review. Today I came in for dine-in, and the experience was honestly one of the worst I've had. First, after being seated, someone asked what I wanted to drink but didn't explain the options clearly and walked away before I could even answer. During the entire meal, nobody followed up and I didn't even get water. The ordering experience overall felt rushed and unfriendly. After I finished eating, I asked for a to-go box. They just dropped it on the table, and while I was packing my food, someone immediately came over asking for payment, so I had to stop what I was doing. The payment system is now on an iPad with a default 18% tip suggestion. I still selected 15%, even though the service had already been disappointing. Then came the final straw. Since my leftover food had soup in it, I politely asked if I could get a plastic bag because I didn't want it leaking in my car. They told me it would cost 10 cents. After years of coming here and also all restaurants in bay areas I ever had none of them asked money for a plastic bag, after paying for food and tipping, getting charged extra for a simple bag felt ridiculous, especially only finding out after payment was already done. The whole experience felt careless, unfriendly, and frustrating. It completely ruined my mood and honestly ruined my day. After being a customer for years, this experience was enough to make me decide I won't be coming back. I should give 0 tips but worried as I am only myself, they will do something ridiculous. :( read more

So my out of town friends wanted to try out "special noodle". They sent me a link to the restaurant via Google map, but I still somehow navigated to the wrong restaurant when I punched it in the car's navigation system. They're both on the same street...just 6 minutes apart. I didn't realize there'd be two special noodle on same street. Since my husband and I already got seated by the time we realized we were at different restaurants, my friends decided to come to me instead. Luckily, the food did not disappoint. I did 4 add ons (brisket, tendon, wood ear, and pork stomach). The ingredients were all pretty solid. The rice noodle was good. Broth was great. I added the spicy sauce into my broth - their spice is fragrant and flavorful. Overall, it's a solid choice. I'd want to come back and try their Hainan chicken next time. read more

Special Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

Food: the noodles were super disappointing. Stale. No flavor. Tried their special fish maw noodle and got 2 Morchella mushroom and 2 fish maw pieces, and some cordyceps. They were the only two that stood out. The rest felt like all thrown in. The cold yellow chicken was icky and super salty. Do not recommend. Bad quality food. Avoid. Service: neutral. Not good not bad. Ambiance: big, roomy place. Surprisedly lots of people... read more

Special Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

Highly recommend the delicious , tender, and authentic Hainanese chicken. Must order. We had 1/2 chicken. The chicken soup was very tasty soup and costed $1. The stirred fried green bean with minced meat was good texture with flavors. Ordered a whole Hainanese chicken for our Lunar New Year's Eve dinner read more

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Grabbed some takeout for lunch the other day and it was a tasty experience. Attempted to order online and the Chowbus website now features a $1 convenience fee in addition list price on items. Called in and was able to get their hainan chicken noodle combo special for $13.95 without the $1 convenience fee. My order was ready for pickup within ~10 minutes. Parking is plentiful in the private strip mall lot. The hainan chicken noodle combo features 1/4 hainan chicken served with a tasty soup broth and plenty of noodles, perfect for a couple lunches. The restaurant features 3% cash discount except menu items on special. read more

Special Noodle Soup - 3% cash discount - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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We were looking for a place and saw Special Noodle Soup. At first we thought it was the chain restaurant called Special Noodle, but it was completely different. But, I am glad we ended up trying it. The parking lot was decent sized. But can get crowded as it shares the same lot with the Indian Market. The restaurant is fairly decent sized. The decor is simple and humble. It has another area that has plenty of room for larger parties. The have two separate multi-user men and women restrooms. The service is friendly, attentive, and patient. Our friend ordered the Chiu Chow Brined Free Ranged Duck over Rice (3/5). He wished the duck was served hot vs the room temp. My wife ordered the Original Chicken Broth with flat rice noodles (4/5). All soups served with corn, spinach, and mushrooms. It came out and after one sip, she said, "oh, we are coming back!" I ordered the Signature Hainan Chicken over Rice (4/5). The woodear & cucumber salad was so good! The Hainan rice was pretty good. The cold chicken was flavorful and the ginger scallion sauce didn't have the oil as I expected. But still tasty. Oh, the roasted cocktail peanuts were crunchy and toasty. I'd get this again! Honey Citron Drink (no pic) - sure I could get a whole jar myself and make this but I was prepping for our outdoor concert at the Mountain Winery. I'll be back to try their soups. Support your local business. read more

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We have become regulars here and our go-to order is: - Dried Scallops & Olive Fried Rice: A unique but yummy fried rice. Give it a try :) - Chicken special: This is their noodle soup with mushrooms, spinach, and corn, served with Hainan chicken on the side. Their broth is so rich, flavorful, and comforting, and their Hainan chicken is tasty as well. - Chiu Chow Brined Free Range Duck: I've never tried duck like this... braised, juicy, and even the breast meat is not dry. Refreshingly different from the more common roast duck dishes elsewhere. They used to have pan fried noodles which was the only reason we tried this restaurant in the first place. Hopefully they bring it back--that would bump this place up to 5 stars! read more

Love their Hainan chicken, vegetable dishes and coconut jelly. Been here about 5x over 2 years and they are consistent. Probably best Hainan chicken and coconut desert (when they still have it!) I've had in the US. Build your own noodle soup is less than $10 and good, we like the Laksa. Really like the choy sum in soup and squid and bean sprout stir fry. Curry is also surprising solid. read more

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Tried this place twice. Saw their big poster from outside the restaurant about their Fish Maw Chicken noodle soup, I decided to try right away. Came right after store opened so no wait time. My suggestion is to arrive early or late otherwise once you hit lunch hour, it will be a long wait. Fish Maw Chicken Soup: Soup was awesome, very rich in flavor. They not only give you two big piece of fish maw, the fish maw was very thick and flavor was all absorbed to it. They gave a lot of mushrooms and other vegetables to enhance the flavor of the soup. Noodles are all right, not too outstanding when the soup takes all the credit. Chicken is Hainan style, and meat is chewy, not the kind of chewy you cannot eat. It's the fresh meat kind of chewy. Overall, this dish is very tasty, service is great, the restaurant is clean and will come back again if I have a chance. read more

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I picked up the Hanan chicken plate from here. I liked how it came with a salad, pickles and peanuts. They were all very tasty. However, I was not a big fan of the chicken. The issue was there was barely any chicken, it was mostly bones and I was not a fan of the taste either. Perhaps it's an acquired taste and...I don't have it. Ended up junking the meal. read more

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The perfect comfort food spot! I come here too frequently, and every time, I leave feeling satisfied. I usually visit for dinner, and I am always able to find a table, even when there are quite a few customers. The restaurant is unassuming, and the service is efficient. The food is incredibly delicious! I absolutely love the signature hainan chicken. The chicken itself is so tender and pairs well with the accompanying savory ginger-scallion sauce. I also love the vegetable noodle soup, called "Choy Sum in Supreme Broth." The broth is unbelievably umami, and the dish is packed with vegetables. Every time I feel like eating reliably delicious Chinese food, I come here! read more

Special Noodle Soup - Hainan Chicken, Choy Sum in Supreme Broth - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Food was delicious, customer service was quick and on top of checking in, & the ambience was pretty nice !

My friends from out of town were visiting, and the kiddos love Chinese noodle soup. I remember seeing this store with lines out of it every time I would drive by on my way to errands in the area, so we quickly settled on it. We arrived around 11:30 and there were plenty of tables available. They do have a QR code to order, but the waitress kindly gave us menus and the kiddos went to town looking at all their options. The waitress also fielded our questions about the best broths for kids who like spicy (Chiu Chow was the recommendation) as well as what were the ingredients in certain dishes. I read the reviews and remember that the Hainan chicken was praised so we ordered a half Hainan chicken for 3 adults and 3 kiddos to share along with a noodle bowl each. I opted for the Beef Satay Combo. Shortly after the food arrived. The waitress was thoughtful about asking if we needed any sharing bowls or plates and brought that out quickly. We dug in and enjoyed our food which was plentiful. I really enjoyed the broth and the fixings inside were generous. I ended up needing to take half of it home. The chicken was also delicious, and I would definitely come back to do a takeout order of that. During the time we ate, the restaurant quickly filled up. I do want to note that at one point a dog barked very loudly which did startle us as we could not see where the dog was (it appeared to be in the carrier). When we left the restaurant had a huge line, so I am glad we decided to eat an earlier lunch. Would definitely recommend and am looking forward to coming here to fulfill my Hainan chicken and noodle soup craving! read more

Special Noodle Soup - Delicious C11 Beef Satay Combo with meats, mushrooms, and veggies. Quite spicy - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Haven't been for awhile and was craving laksa. Still good. The menu may be a bit challenging for those less adventurous eaters. It all looks good to me tbh! Service is efficient though I would have liked water refill earlier. Basic decor and vibe but it works if you happen to have a craving for laksa! read more

Special Noodle Soup - Laksa - spicy good - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Friend wanted to try this place. We headed over for lunch. It was empty. We grabbed a seat and ordered two of the c04 soup Hainan chicken combo $13.50. It came out quick. The soup looked a bit unappealing, like it was thrown together. The broth was light and good. Lots of noodles. Chicken was nicely presented and was a tad salty but tasty. Ps 3% cash discount doesn't apply to items that are specials. read more

Special Noodle Soup - C04 Chicken Combo - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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The decor of this place is basic. The food is authentic Chiu-Chow cuisine. Been here a few times. Brought friends over and they like it too. They have "Design your own soup", meaning you can pick your soup base, types of noodles, protein and veggies. This is good if you want everything customized for your own choice. The Brined Tofu is delicious. It's served hot. The outside (skin) is crunchy and inside is soft. I recommend eat the tofu as soon as this dish arrives while they're so still crunchy and hot. If you wait later, the tofu will soak up the sauce and no longer crunchy. The Signature Hainan Chicken Rice and the Chicken Combo are similar, except one is with rice on a plate and the other one is with rice noodles. It's nice they serve the Hainan chicken on the side. Both dishes are excellent. The Chiu Chow Brined Free Range Duck is one of their signature dishes and it's excellent. The Beef Combo Noodles is good. The soup is very flavorful. Noodles are cooked well and the various beef items (meat, beef balls...etc) taste good. The Braised Beef Briskets and Tendon combo over rice is ok. The tendons are soft and nice but the briskets are a bit chewy. The Five-Spiced beef tripes is just ok, except it's on the salty side. For vegetables, we ordered the Seasoned Woodear Mushroom Salad which is good. However, the steamed lettuce in soy-garlic sauce is disappointing. The soy garlic sauce isn't that good. read more

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Mediocre Mala noodle soup, watery Laksa, and water was never refilled until I outright went to the front to ask. In this town, you can do so much better than this if you want noodle soup. read more

This rating is particularly on the new item 至尊花膠雞湯米線. In short, don't bother. The soup was a disappointment. Nothing like the name describe besides using chicken soup and I tasted the 海南雞飯's soup and it's WAAAAAAAAY better. 花膠 texture like 豬皮. It doesn't taste the same as 花膠. The special mushroom didn't taste good neither. Waste of money. Having said that, the 海南雞飯 still very good. read more

Special Noodle Soup - 至尊花膠雞湯米線 - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

I have been here a few times during lunchtime because it's a great choice whenever I am around the library! This time, I tried their Chicken Combo, and honestly, it is so worth the price. For $13.50, I get a quarter of chicken along with a large bowl of rice noodles, topped with king oyster mushrooms and spinach. Broth is good not too salty! The chicken is tender, just what I'd expect from white-cut chicken. It pairs well with the light, crispy peanuts and their ginger scallion sauce. This feels like a great bargain and a solid option overall. The service is okay, pretty much what you'd expect at a typical Chinese restaurant. read more

Special Noodle Soup - C04 Chicken Combo - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

At the corner of the plaza on de Anza blvd, the restaurant is big with two sections, left and right: left with table seating, and right with bench seatings. The service is good enough to get what we need. Inside lighting was dimmed and outdated decorations. You can order by phone or with menu. Kids prefer the physical menu and marker to make his own noodle soup. The noodle soup were good with its default vegetable and addons. But the curry fried rice lacks of flavor. Overall the taste is good enough for an empty stomach in a cold night. If you are not looking for something delicate, this can be a good choice. read more

If you guys like DIY Chinese soup, then this is the place to go I got a satay soup with knife cut noodles with honeycomb tripe and the beef brisket. The portion was huge and the honeycomb trap was so soft as well as the beef brisket. The soup was very heavy on the peanut side, which is expected since it is satay. Service was quick and easy you circle the items that you want on your DIY bowl and then they will bring it out to you. It isn't too quiet or loud and it's easy to have a conversation when you go. Additionally parking is very easy to find here. Would highly recommend read more

Special Noodle Soup - Satay - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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I was craving hainanese chicken and I came across this restaurant on Yelp. Located in a plaza with plenty of parking. This restaurant was pretty empty when I came around 3pm but lots of people were ordering take out. The service was quick! I got my food in less than 5 minutes. I ordered the chicken combo which came with noodle soup in their special chicken broth and hainanese chicken. The broth was so rich and had a great flavor. The soup came with some white thin noodles, corn, spinach, and mushrooms. When you eat the hainanese chicken, you have to load it up with the ginger scallion sauce. It brings the dish over the top! read more

Special Noodle Soup - Chicken combo - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

Came for late lunch and lucky they open even for a 3pm lunch! Simple interior inside and their 13.99 promotion of hainan chicken with rice noodle soup is still on! I tried the 19.99 special of fish maw noodle soup set and it was good! Loaded with ingredients and good portions! Only thing is that it's tastier to eat it when it's fresh for better soup flavor. Service is cordial. They used to have the Yelp promotion of checking in for a free appetizer, but the promo is now gone. read more

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I've seen Special Noodles open in the East Bay, but haven't tried it until they opened in Cupertino. I got their House-made Meatball Combo Noodle, which was a mix of fish balls, squid balls, shrimp balls, beef balls...you name it. The broth was clear, portions were reasonable for the price, and it was nice to be able to try all the different sorts of meatballs they had. They also throw in some lettuce in there to make it a balanced meal. They also do a Build Your Own noodle option if you prefer that too. It was quiet when I went on a weekend morning, but service was decent and seating was comfortable. I would recommend trying them out for a quick meal. read more

Special Noodle Soup - Beef combo noodles - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Great food overall. Ingredients were fresh. Flavors were on point. Probably some of the best Southern Chinese food in the Bay Area. Service was excellent and prompt. The space is a little smaller but great for groups of 4-5. I would recommend coming here and this will likely become a go to for me. read more

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I lost count of how many take out orders we've had from here over the years. Tried many other nearby restaurants using the monthly Uber eat credit and always ended up coming back to Special Noodle Soup. Our dinner tonight consists of the following : Hainan chicken rice, the container was packed full of tender tasty chicken, flavored rice, pickles, peanuts, etc. Shrimp fried rice, generous portion with lots of shrimps, not greasy, a little too dry this time. Fried tofu is always good We also rotate with other favorites like the Curry beef stew, meat balls with rice noodles etc. etc. We appreciate SNS for it's high standard of quality, flavors, portions, value and consistency. It will continue to be on top of our go to list. read more

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On our most recent visit, we tried: 1. Chiu Chow Brined Free Range Duck over Rice. I assumed this is normally served cold and the duck meat was good, not too salty. There is a dipping sauce for the duck meat which zi can't really describe at the moment, not very sweet or sour. I don't think it was hoisin sauce but it could have been version of another Chinese sauce you'd find at a Chinese supermarket or a different bean paste? (I haven't tried them all.) The duck meat didn't need the sauce, or maybe I should write that I don't think the sauce enhanced the flavor of the duck meat in any way. I would try this again. 2. Mala spicy chicken appetizer; spicy, definitely spicier in comparison to the last "spicy" won ton appetizer I had at a different place, despite having a similar chili oil coloring. I thought this was ok but would probably prefer to just have a few bites because of the spiciness and to share it with others. 3. The beef chow fun. It was made with thin rice noodles; perhaps it is more convenient to use that than to keep the typical wide rice noodles in stock in the kitchen. Though I prefer the wide noodles, I thought this was decent and not too oily. 4. I also ordered the Chiu Chow beef ball soup, which is definitely different from a Vietnamese beef ball soup. The Chiu Chow beef balls were harder in texture; in maybe two (out of the 8 or 9) you could see and taste whatever was used as an additional filler in addition to the beef mix. The soup broth was fine; maybe a bit too much cilantro. I probably wouldn't order this again. I do note that the tap water tasted funny, like it had some chemical in it. This was a concern since this restaurant specializes in noodle soup, but we didn't taste anything similar in the beef ball soup broth, and I think there was also a side bowl of broth served with the duck. read more

There's a good amount of seating here but it was a bit harder for us to get seating with a larger party. Food I would say is okay. I was craving hainanese chicken but it didn't quite quench what I was looking for. There were also chipped bones throughout the chicken. I had the original chicken soup. You can add on to your noodle soup but it was just okay for me. Flavorful but not overwhelming. read more

Special Noodle Soup - Half Signature Hainan Chicken (Half) with rice, C13 Braised Beef Brisket & Tendons Combo, Design Your Own Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

We love the Laksa soup noodle here! The only thing is if we add a lot of items they do not give you extra soup. Perhaps the portion is just fixed. They cannot add any more soup because all the ingredients are fixed. If they give me extra soup, it is white fish soup. So the total of a bowl for add on would be over $30. Beef stomach and spicy shredded chicken - Small dishes taste is OK but the portion is very small, and with the small portion there isn't much actual chicken but mostly onion! So that is a bit disappointing. I hope the owner leads us and just make these minor changes. It will make the restaurant a lot more popular because you will keep the customer happy. read more

Special Noodle Soup - Laksa noodles with 4 additional items added - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Family came here at the recommendation of my uncle. This is just my opinion on what I ordered. Parking is plenty as it shares a lot with other stores/restaurants but it can be a bit tight. The way the restaurant looks on the outside is a bit decieving but it is pretty spacious. When you enter, there's a section for small parties of 1-3 and then there's another room that holds a bigger party of 4+ . The way food is ordered is by marking on the menu and letting the waiters/waitresses know what you marked. Service was okay and decent. I got the salt & pepper calamari ($10.95) as an appetizer. I wouldn't get it again as was overbattered and the oil had a weird taste. My main dish was their C01 - Signature Hainanese Chicken over Rice ($15.50) It came with yellow chicken, chicken rice, woodear mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, pickled ginger, ginger scallion oil sauce, salted peanuts and small bowl of miso chicken broth. The chicken and chicken rice is really good. The chicken had some gelatinous parts that made it juicy and delicious. The chicken rice is fragrant. The pickled cucumber and woodear mushrooms were good additions to balance out the oiliness and fattyness. The ginger scallion oil sauce started off good but then it got a bit too salty and it didn't taste good. The soup that came with it was okay. It was like a concentrated chicken broth. Did help clear the saltiness a little bit. read more

Food: 4/5 Hot soup and big portion. Couldn't finish my own bowl. Chicken was very nice. Love the peanuts snacks on the side. Service: came on thanksgiving day so they were very busy given not many places were open. Service was a bit slow because of it. But the staff always made sure to serve the food hot. Ambiance: many tables inside. Causal place :) read more

Special Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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my go to spot for great delicious home style noodles with large portions abd customizability

Super yummy! Good variety on the menu. Ordering is through QR code at the table. Watch out because peanut allergies are not marked on the menu. Service was pretty fast, though it was hard to flag down the waiter for the bill (restaurant wasnt busy) read more

Special Noodle Soup - Braised pork belly with noodles, pan fried bun, pork xlb, boiled dumplings in chili oil; 10/10 everything! - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

Large space with decent seating. Communication was bit tough and difficult to get queries answered about the food. Noodle soup was okay - the bokchoy was too chewy. Few mushroom pieces tasted rotten. Even the ramen noodle did not taste fresh and lacked flavor. However, the hainan chicken with rice was very flavorful and well done. I just wish the dish was warm and not cold. read more

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Services 5/5 Ambience 5/5 Food 4/5 - Their knife cut noodle is very good. The soup is a bit bland but good. The portion they added is pretty big read more

Special Noodle Soup - Laska soup + chicken + seaweed + fried tofu 4/5 - Noodles Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Don't be fooled by a "dingy" business signage when you drive pass Steven Creek Boulevard. It is the biggest hidden gem that I have missed for many years! The steamed chicken is absolutely legit, reminding me of my mom's home cooking back in Asia. The portion is huge enough to last me for another meal. Totally a worthy experience if you crave for authentic Cantonese food. read more

Overall food and environment was good. The service just ok. The waiter didn't come refill water once so don't expect much service. The food was good and it didn't take too long except for the beef roll. We ordered two but only 1 came out then had to wait another 15minutes for the next beef roll. Parking can be difficult as there is a market in the same plaza. Did heard from friends at that this location's is better than another special noodle in S. Bay. We like the dumplings, lamb and black sauce noodles most. read more

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