Loren P.
Yelp
My husband and I have only done takeout from Chong Qing in the past, and it's been a hot minute since I've visited my hometown. Yesterday we wanted to beat the heat, and decided to come to Alameda for the afternoon. We were set on coming to this place as we wanted to finally experience the food and restaurant in person. It is conveniently on Park St, but away from the main hustle and bustle of the downtown area. As such, parking is not hard to find.
We arrived during the off hours around 3 pm, and were seated immediately. There were only a few people dining in during this time.
I was craving a wood ear salad, and for my entree I chose the braised beef noodle soup, while my husband chose the Taiwan beef brisket noodle soup. We both got the spicy version. As for the noodles we both wanted the knife cut variety.
The wood ear salad came out quickly, and the chili oil was sooo flavorful. However, I did notice that the dish didn't exactly look like the photo on the menu. Regardless, it was delicious and refreshing! We almost finished the wood ear salad before our soups arrived.
As for the soups, mine arrived at our table about 15-20 min after the wood ear salad, and my husband's arrived slightly after. However, for whatever reason, they got my noodle choice incorrect. I asked for the knife cut noodles, but instead I received the thin ones. I am not one to complain about a dish unless it's a food safety issue, so I didn't ask for it to be returned, and simply made a mental note.
My husband's soup came with the correct noodles, so we decided to try each other's noodles and compare. His were bouncy and chewy, while mine were more al dente, but still soaked up the broths very nicely.
I'm glad we both chose the spicy version, as we really enjoyed their chili oil, and it imparted the broth with an amazing depth of flavor.
My only true "complaint" would be that for the price we paid for these noodle soups ($18), I wish they wouldn't be so stingy with the meat. We brought leftovers home mainly because of the amount of noodles in the soups, which was awesome, but I felt like I had to "ration" the amount of meat I was enjoying because there were only three pieces in my bowl. Three delicious and melt-in-your-mouth pieces, but three nonetheless.
For the mix up on the noodle type as well as the meat-to-dish ratio, I am giving this establishment 4.5/5 stars, but rounded up to 5 since we can't give 1/2 stars.
Chong Qing Noodles House is a great, semi-quiet place to enjoy a hearty meal with authentic flavors, and I was intrigued by the BBQ menu. We will need to return to try that out next time!