Go hungry, leave happy at Happy Noodle House

I’ve been to, and ordered from, Peaceful Restaurant more times than I can count. Cheap, cheerful and filling, sometimes that’s all you want with Chinese food.

Sadly for them, I’ve found a new spot. 

Happy Noodle House sits in the heart of Vancouver on Davie Street next to Granville. You’d hardly give it much thought when passing by on your way to Yaletown or Granville. And that would be a mistake.

Because Happy Noodle House should be your go-to for unfussy Chinese food, whether delivery, dining in or any form of eating. Frankly, it should be as popular as Peaceful. It’s a travesty that it’s not.

The restaurant itself is small, but doign brisk business. A few tourists stumbled in off the street, not realizing the meal they were to experience. We were all in for a treat. 

Though they call themselves a Northern-style Chinese restaurant, it’s far more than that. They feature a mix of spicier Sichuan food like Ma Pao tofu, Xinjiang cumin lamb, classic dim sum dishes and Western ones like Kung Po chicken. They have something for everyone, vegetarians included.

While the price may be on the higher side, with main dishes around $20, the volume of food is massive. Two main dishes are easy enough for two people, with leftovers to spare. If you’ve got friends visiting, it’s a perfect order-in opinion that’s sure to impress. Lunch specials are $16, with meat, noodles or rice.

I can see the chef making fresh noodles in the back. Sold. 

I ordered the tan tan (dan dan) noodles. It’s a complex dish to make. I consider myself a good cook, and I’m even unnerved by its complexity.

This is a fine example of the dish, much better than similar places I’ve visited: sweet pork, crunch peanuts, and a chilli sauce with heat. It hits all the right notes. The multitude of textures and flavours is what makes the dish so good, and Happy Noodle knocks it out of the park. 

The noodles themselves are well done, with a nice bite and are cooked to a consistency that screams “we-know-what-we’re-doing.” It’s a big dish and I barely get through half. Be sure to stir it to coat everything with the sauce hidden underneath. 

Eggplant can easily be overcooked, reducing it to a smooshy texture. This was not one of those. The Japanese eggplant held together nicely, accompanied by a lip-smacking vinegar sauce and well cooked. It’s a dish that will only get better after soaking in the sauce in your fridge.

I finished off the meal with cumin lamb on flatbread. It didn’t work as well as the other dishes, with a little too much salt for my taste. But the cumin was strong, which is exactly what you want in that dish. And at $9, it’s a steal for the size. 

Happy Noodle House won’t get the attention of viral headlines. They’ve got 240 followers on Instagram. And they won’t make any best-of lists.

But if you’re looking for a quality weekday meal, of unfussy but high-quality food that tastes as good as leftovers, then Happy Noodle House is your place.