CHEF CHEN NOODLE SAN JOSE FULL

Seafood figures significantly in the cuisine, most notably the Knocked Fish Soups that are a signature dish here. Knocked fish noodle soup photographed at Wenzhou restaurant in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Dec. Many of the dishes are inspired by Chen’s early life growing up in Wenzhou, and to her knowledge, there are no other restaurants in Northern California - or perhaps the entire state - doing typical dishes from this city in the Zhejiang Province on China’s east coast. While we waited, we nibbled at the complementary dish of cabbage delivered to each table that with its lightly sweet, vinegar dressing is reminiscent of a Southern coleslaw. Endearing and eager to please, he answered our questions with enthusiasm and put in our orders with almost a sense of urgency so that we wouldn’t be without food on our table for any length of time. We were greeted warmly by the same server on both visits. So is the chile sauce, a lightly spiced, deeply savory condiment on every table that’s so tasty I found myself wanting to sneak some into my purse to take home. The wheat noodles - three sizes - are all homemade. The interior is bright and light, save for the gleaming dark wood tables and bar stools and the auspicious red accent wall at the back of the restaurant.Ī similar amount of energy has been put into the food.

They’ve done important work returning this piece of 1890s San Jose history back to its former glory with its distinct arched canopy over the second-floor outdoor balcony. Many of the dishes served at the restaurant are Chi’s recipes and she still prepares fresh ingredients every morning. Co-owner Carol Chen, left, and her mother Jinfeng Chi, right, are photographed at Wenzhou restaurant in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Dec.

CHEF CHEN NOODLE SAN JOSE FULL

First they bought a rundown building destined for the wrecking ball, then doubled down with a menu full of dishes from Chen’s hometown, some of which are unfamiliar to many diners.Īs detailed in an earlier story in the Mercury News after Wenzhou first opened, Chen and Soloviev spent many years and much money painstakingly researching and restoring the Sixth Street building in what was once Chinatown and most famously housed the Ken Ying Low Chop Suey restaurant. Opening a restaurant is risky business, but Carol Chen and Max Soloviev, the husband-and-wife team behind Wenzhou Fish, Noodles & More in San Jose’s Japantown, have taken what seems to be a bigger risk than usual.

Chef chen noodle san jose