Battle of crossing-the-bridge noodles in downtown Toronto

A head-to-head comparison of Dagu, Fudao, Shi Miaodao, and Yunshang Rice Noodle

For some reason, four specialists of crossing-the-bridge noodles have opened withing walking distance of one another in the past few years. They are centred in downtown Chinatown. I don’t quite understand the appeal of this dish but apparently the market is large enough to sustain them all. So, I decided to go on a taste test.

This review was done over the course of a year because of interruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a dish that has to be eaten on-premise for a fair assessment.

The most famous specialty from YunnAN

Crossing-the-bridge noodles (过桥米线; guoqiao mixian) gets its unusual name from a fable about a devoted wife bringing her husband these noodles. She had to cross a bridge to reach him, hence the name. Traditionally, the soup has a thick layer of oil to keep it warm. Restaurants in Toronto (and most in China) don’t bother with that because no one is doing any lengthy bridge crossings.

This dish originates from Yunnan province in Southwest China and is the representative dish. The novelty lies with diners quickly tossing raw ingredients in the boiling soup just after it is served. It’s an interactive affair. Deluxe versions can be an impressive feast. Other than that, it tastes like regular soup noodles.

I was remarkably underwhelmed by the everyday versions sold in Yunnan. It’s as sad as it looks.

Enterprising Chinese from outside Yunnan spiffed up this ancient dish and packaged it for the modern market. It now comes with an earthenware pot and better presented ingredients. This is the style used by Toronto restaurants.

Taste test method

• The same dish was sampled at all restaurants: guoqiao mixian with original soup. This isn’t the best soup for some restaurants but it is a fair baseline test of a restaurant’s calibre.
• All ingredients were added to the soup within minutes of the soup arriving.
• No condiments like chilli oil or soy sauce were added.

All soup noodle dishes can be judged on three components: soup, noodle, and additional ingredients. Different people value each component differently. For me, the soup is the most important and noodles the least. I weigh scores accordingly.

The contenders

The four restaurants in this test are:

1. Dagu Rice Noodle. China chain. It caused a minor sensation when it opened its first Canadian store in Toronto in 2017. Usually packed with Mainland Chinese customers. It is headquartered in Shanghai, which is nowhere near Yunnan.
2. Fudao Noodle House. The only restaurant here that is not a chain. Founded locally. The oldest one downtown. And by oldest, I mean since 2017.
3. Shi Miaodao Yunnan Rice Noodle. China chain. The name literally means “10 seconds to arrive”, which is a lie when it comes to how fast the food is served. More like 5 minutes. It is headquartered in Hangzhou, which is also nowhere near Yunnan.
4. Yunshang Rice Noodle. Local chain. Often housed together with other chain restaurants from the same owner. Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice and Presotea are also in the same unit.

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All 4 are conveniently located at major shopping areas and tourist attractions.

Soup

Since these restaurants don’t make their own noodles, the real test of a chef’s skills is with the soup. All were presented in an earthenware pot and at a roaring boil. Lots of steam and bubbling noises. Fudao’s and Yunshang’s pots looked more traditional while Dagu’s has a contemporary form.

The pot keeps the soup hot for more than 20 minutes. Even so, there is only a short window of a few minutes to dump in ingredients to properly cook them.

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• Dagu Rice Noodle
  Nothing really stood out. Tasted like an instant soup mix. Some attempt was made to create a bone broth but it was on the light side. 5/10.
• Fudao Noodle House
  Full-bodied and flavourful. It tasted like it was simmering for days with bones, cartilage, and other meaty goodies. This was the only soup that was good enough to eat on its own. 8/10.
• Shi Miaodao
  Although it doesn’t have the intense hue of its competitors, its flavour was decent. Moderately rich. 7/10.
• Yunshang Rice Noodle
  Bland. Like it was made on the spot without the hours required to develop flavours. It was little more than water with a few spices. 4/10.

Ingredients

Don’t be surprised if the tray of ingredients arrive much earlier than the soup. This is because caution is needed to bring out the scorching hot vessel. And obviously, it takes time to heat the soup whereas the trays are prepared before service.

The presentation is the same at all 4 restaurants. Marbled meat, thinly sliced and rolled, is the centrepiece. The amount of meat is deceptive because they are held up by layers of cabbage beneath.

Some ingredients are common to all: corn, fish tofu, tofu sheets, quail egg, wood ear fungus (木耳) and fermented soybean paste (黄豆酱). I was surprised that most of the ingredients were pre-cooked or didn’t require cooking. For example, in Yunnan, raw quail eggs are used whereas the ones here are already hard-boiled. Oh well, I guess that reduces the pressure to get everything in the soup quickly.

The quality and taste aren’t that different for these restaurants, so I am judging on type and compatibility of the ingredients.

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• Dagu Rice Noodle
  The selection was ordinary and cheap. Meat rolls were shorter than the others. Some green or vibrantly coloured vegetables would be nice. 5/10.
• Fudao Noodle House
  They used Chinese sausage instead of Chinese ham, which had more flavour. They were also the only ones that had squid. And a bowl of roasted peanuts (not shown in picture) which could be an appetizer or noodle ingredient. Lacks colourful vegetables. 6.5/10.
• Shi Miaodao
  Goji berries! Along with shiitake mushrooms and edamame, this tray differentiates itself from its competitors. This was definitely the most colourful tray too. 7/10.
• Yunshang Rice Noodle
  Similar selection as Dagu. Has both Chinese ham and Chinese sausage. It also has shrimp, which makes it rank just a bit higher than Dagu. 6/10.

Noodles

Attention starving students: you can get unlimited refills of noodles at all 4 restaurants. But you have to pay for extra soup.

There isn’t much to say about the noodles because they are almost identical at these restaurants. They have similar thickness. They are almost tasteless. They are pre-blanched and the diner is responsible for the final cooking. So, the chewiness of the noodle is up to one’s personal preference and cooking skill.

Ambience

Decor is the only area where there are noticeable differences. They reflect the target market and branding of these restaurants.

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• Dagu Rice Noodle
  It screams Chinese fast food chain. The giant wall poster featuring a Chinese celebrity endorsement didn’t help. Furnishings don’t draw attention. 6/10.
• Fudao Noodle House
  For cheap, late night dinners. Not glamorous but serviceable. Has a family-run feel to it. 5/10.
• Shi Miaodao
  This is the most elegant of the lot. A casual restaurant towards the higher end. Decor and furnishings are quietly understated, like the paintings of flamingoes and elephants. 7.5/10.
• Yunshang Rice Noodle
  Contemporary furnishings and warm colours. I liked the wall mural done as a traditional Chinese painting. A mid-range casual restaurant. 7/10.

Verdict

1. Fudao Noodle House
   Robust soup and excellent value. I don’t mind the working class interiors. 7.5/10.
2. Shi Miaodao
   Unique and well-curated ingredient mix, contemporary interior design, decent soup. 6.5/10.
3. Dagu Rice Noodle
   The Tim Hortons of guoqiao mixian. Everything is exceedingly average. 5.5/10.
4. Yunshang Rice Noodle
   OK ingredient selection, pleasant environment, but bland soup. 5/10.

Practical information

Dagu Rice Noodle

Rating

5.5/10

Prices

Original guoqiao mixian: $11.85 ($10.49 excluding tax)

Address

115 Dundas Street West

Hours

Daily 1100h – 2100h

Date of visit

March 2020

Fudao Noodle House

Rating

7.5/10

Prices

Original guoqiao mixian: $10.16 ($8.99 excluding tax)

Address

358 Spadina Avenue

Hours

Daily 1100h – 2100h

Date of visit

December 2019

Shi Miaodao

Rating

7/10

Prices

Original guoqiao mixian: $11.29 ($9.99 excluding tax)

Address

318 Spadina Avenue

Hours

Monday to Friday 1030h – 2200h
Saturday to Sunday 1030h – 2400h

Date of visit

March 2020

Yunshang Rice Noodle

Rating

5/10

Prices

Original guoqiao mixian: $11.16 ($9.88 excluding tax)

Address

414 Dundas Street West

Hours

Monday to Thursday 1100h – 2230h
Friday to Saturday 1100h – 2300h
Sunday 1100h – 2230h

Date of visit

September 2020