The Food

Like most Americans, I grew up with American Chinese food: mostly the type of stuff that you’ll find at Panda Express. Although most of it does have its roots in China, many Chinese menus have been homogenized, simplified, and adapted for local tastes. Don’t get me wrong. I love that stuff, too.  But Szechuan First is something different.

Part of the reason for that is their clientele. On my first visit, a Friday evening crowd filled every table in the place, and mine was the only white face in the joint. I consider that a plus. Another part of the reason is that it specializes in Sichuan cuisine ((Sichuan cuisine is characterized by the use of Sichuan peppercorns, rice rather than noodles)) rather than the more common mix of Cantonese, Hunan, Hong Kong, and other regional Chinese styles.

Their food is authentic and excellent. Among their specialties are whole cooked fishes, such as fried sole (mild and crispy, pictured at the top of the page) and whole braised rock cod, a nice meaty fish with a rich brown sauce. I love their Tea Smoked Duck, which has a wonderfully crispy skin and a texture more like ham than poultry, and their cumin lamb is very nice, as is their Twice Fried Fish.

The Service

Service can range from friendly and moderately good to inattentive, depending on who is working. It’s bare bones service, really: they’ll take your order, bring your food, and bring your check, but we don’t usually get many check-ins in between, which is fine with me. Water or tea generally is kept full. Food preparation is fast, in general. A fifteen minute wait for food is about the average.

The Location

Before I say any more about the food, though, let me explain the location, since it’s a bit hidden. Szechuan first is in a small shopping center off the East Valley Highway in Renton, about a block from the Great Wall, and two blocks from the back-side of IKEA. However, unlike most strip-malls, the one that is home to Szechuan First does not front to the main road. In fact, if you can see the front of Szechuan first across a parking lot from the street, you can’t get to it. To enter, turn into the Harbor Freight parking lot and work your way out the back and to the left. Alternately, if you’re driving East on 180th St (aka SW43rd St, aka S Carr Rd), directly past the 76 Station on the corner, turn into the Great Floors driveway and follow it for 100 yards.

Prices

Considering the quality of the food and the portion sizes, Szechuan First’s prices are excellent. At lunchtime, almost everything is under $7, and at dinner, they’re not a lot more expensive. I’ve already mentioned that their massive containers of steamed rice cost $2, which is fair for rice, but much less than many places charge these days. But their Tea Smoked Duck costs about $9 for a half duck!

The Final Score:

We recommend it! This is how I like to see a final rating come out: a high score for food and value, and no major problems with the rest of it. Service and atmosphere are just fine, just nothing special. There’s a good amount of variety of the menu, but since it’s traditional food, the score is for variety rather than originality.

It’s called a “Chinese Noodle” house, but in fact, the restaurant was established in Vietnam in the 1950s, and has been run by the same family since their move to the USA in 2009, according to their website, so it’s no surprise that their first location was in Little Saigon in the Seattle I.D. However, they do specialize in Chinese noodle soups and chow mein, along with Vietnamese rice-noodle dishes.

Like many of the Great Wall’s establishments, the decor of the Chinese Noodle House is utilitarian. The tables are clean but simple: there are no table clothes or place mats or plastic flowers, which suits me just fine. Instead, you’ll find a stainless steel bin for utensils and several jars and bottles of sauces and condiments.

Service can be a bit hit and miss. This place gets very busy around dinner time, and even if you can get a seat, food service can take a while. Go on a weekday afternoon, though, and service is fast and friendly.

The Food

Let me start with the only appetizer that I’ve had a chance to try: the fried butter garlic chicken wings are amazing! Very crispy, packed with flavor, and of course, nice and tender. I’ve had my fair share of garlic wings, and these are among the best I’ve ever eaten, anywhere.

The main draw for me, though, is of course the noodles. They’re good, and they’re cheap: generally $7.50-$8.50 for a nice sized bowl. I’ve eaten noodles at HKMG three times now, and each time I’ve ordered the soup-style noodles rather than the dry.

The soup broth itself is pretty salty, but with a sweetness that suggests that vegetables are a significant component of the stock in addition to (what I assume is) the chicken. My waiter’s English skills were pretty limited (or perhaps he had a cunning sense of humor), so I can’t be sure. In any case, the surface of the broth glistens with beads of fat, which any ramen enthusiast will tell you is critical in getting the flavor of the soup to stick to the noodles as you pull it from the bowl. If you like a little extra zing, sliced peppers or chili oil (or sriracha) can be added to taste at the table.

Unlike your neighborhood Chinese restaurant, though, your noodles can be served with some unusual, authentic Asian toppings. In addition to the more common (but really wonderful) roast duck, braised duck, pork and chicken, you’ll find pork intestine, pork liver, chicken & giblets, fish balls, and sui kau (Chinese dumplings), for example.

The roast chicken and duck are served Chinese style, which means that they’re on the bone and the bones may be cut and splintered. For that reason, the chicken isn’t worth the hassle for me, but the duck most definitely is! It’s rich and tender, with the crispy skin covering a layer of fat… it’s really like duck bacon!

Unlike the hand-pulled noodles found at the King Noodle House in Everett, HKMG soups are served with very firm noodles that will take a little time to fully cook after they’re served. This gives you some time to work the duck off of its bones and enjoy your first cup of tea; by the time you get down to the noodles, they’ll be ready for you. The noodles themselves are not particularly remarkable, though they’re good quality noodles: more firm and dense than ramen but similar in appearance.

In addition to egg noodles, HKMG serves Vietnamese style rice noodles and chow mein, as well as stir fries and fried rice dishes, though I may never make it to the rest of the menu.

Location

Though the address is in Kent, the Great Wall is about three blocks away from the (Seattle!) IKEA in Renton. If you want to GPS it, the address is:

18230 E Valley Highway, Ste 152
Kent, WA 98032

The original Hue Ky Mi Gia Chinese Noodle House has been on Jackson Street in Seattle’s “Little Saigon” since 2009. It’s at:

1207 S Jackson Street, Ste 101
(between S 12th Ave & S Boren Ave)
Seattle, WA 98144

From the outside, the restaurant is not particularly distinctive; it occupies the northernmost space in a strip-mall shared with an Asian grocery store,  and a furniture rental shop, a paint store and Lanna Thai Restaurant. Inside, the decor is just a step above the a typical strip mall Pho joint: it’s clean but utilitarian, with lacquered topped tables, a wood-grain vinyl floor, wood and steel chairs,  and a few Asian prints and statuettes scattered around the periphery.

Once you’re seated, though, the fun begins. About half of the tables have at least a partial view of the noodle-master through the kitchen window. With the banging of the noodle dough against the counter during the stretching process, he can be hard to ignore. Each guest is handed a menu and a noodle-soup card. If you’re in the mood for noodles, you can simply mark the check-boxes on the card, choosing between different types of noodles,  broths, a dozen or so proteins, and several vegetables. If you don’t want noodles, you can order from their menu of more common Chinese fare.

The current selection card contains the following items, but it has changed a few times since over the past several months, so we expect that it will continue to do so:

All three broths can be quite good. In general, the chicken broth and the beef broth are flavorful but light, salty enough to be tasty but light enough not to overpower the flavor of the noodles and other ingredients. The 3rd soup option is a spicy Sichuan broth, and we’ve experienced some inconsistency here (this is a Smack favorite). Sometimes the Sichuan broth is a rich, brown, spicy broth… but other visits we’re served something like the chicken broth with a dash of chili oil floating on top, which is a little disappointing.

I would be remiss if didn’t mention the single dessert option that I’ve tried: Chinese doughnuts. These come piled on a plate, fresh from the deep fryer and coated with a layer of sugar. Unlike American doughnuts, these have no hole and the dough is more bready than sweet, balancing nicely with the sugar coating. I suppose they’re reminiscent of the funnel-cakes or elephant ears that you’d find at a carnival booth, but not quite as sweet, and of course, much smaller.

Before each visit, I tell myself that I’m going to branch out and order something from the full menu, but each time I visit, I order noodles.

It’s hard not to, they’re so good. The hand-pulled noodles have the wonderful firmness and flavor of fresh noodles. The hand-shaved noodles, also fresh, are almost as good but slippery and hard to eat with the plastic chop-sticks that are provided: opt for the pulled instead. I like the standard and spinach noodles equally, but usually prefer the spinach with the beef broth, and plain noodles with the chicken (though there isn’t really much difference in flavor between the noodles… it may just be aesthetic).

The duck option in the noodles seems like a great idea, but it’s served Chinese style (ie, cut up with the bones still in it), and I find that it’s too much work to be worth it, though I normally love duck.

Questions? Comments?

We’re always curious to hear about your experiences, too! If you have something to share, or would like some further information, just let us know in the comment section below! And don’t forget to ADD YOUR RATING of the restaurant in the box below, too!

The King Noodle House is at 7815 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98203. They also have a pretty decent website, at http://www.kingnoodlehouse.com