Restaurant Reviews / Battle of Beef Stew Noodles: Utopia Cafe vs. Spicy Shrimp

Contestants

In a battle between two "beef stew noodle" shops that are across the street in Chinatown, which one will come out ahead?  

Utopia Cafe, 139 Waverly Pl (Google Map) 

Spicy Shimp, 150 Waverly Pl (Google Map)

Category

Beef Stew Noodle and variations

Background

Despite the simple name, it's actually not easy to make a decent bowl of beef stew noodle soup. The beef must not be too chewy, the noodle must be al dente yet not mushy, and the soup must be flavorful. 

Utopia Cafe's Chinese name is 牛緬王, or "beef noodle king", so this is their supposed house specialty. 

Spicy Shrimp, on the other hand, sound like a seafood place. But if you read their menu (in Chinese) their specialty seems to be brunch hand-made rice rolls where you can order them to add eggs, vegetables, and different types of meat or seafood. 

When it comes to beef stew noodles, the advantage would appear to be in favor of the Utopia Cafe. 

Results at Utopia Cafe

Went in, sat down, and ordered beef noodle. Was expecting to be served beef noodle soup, and was surprised by the waiter yelling back from the kitchen, do I want it in lo mein form? I replied, "sure", just to see what it's like. 

What I got was a bowl of a relatively clear "soup" that tastes of salt and MSG, definitely NOT beef broth (vaguely of chicken bullion?), a plate of egg noodles with beef stew poured on the middle, with beef in rather small chunks. Four pieces of gailan were expertly plated along the side. 

Gailan appears to be nicely cooked through. 

Noodles... they felt slightly chewy, as if they need another minute of cooking in broth. 

The same goes for the beef. They feel flavorful enough, but seem to require some effort to chew, esp. the tendons. 

I was served a cup of the house tea, as no other beverage was included. 

Just the entree, nothing else, ended with a bill of $8.80. 

Results at Spicy Shrimp

I went into the Spicy Shrimp, and ordered the beef stew noodle, and was handed a nice sized bowl of beef noodle soup within minutes. 

One thing to note about Spicy Shrimp: they use ONLY disposable utensils and containers, even if you eat in. So your spoon will be a simple plastic spoon, not the Chinese soup spoon. This can be a bit problematic the broth slurping. 

Overall the portion size appears to be roughly the same as Utopia Cafe, but as this is noodle SOUP, and the other is lo mein, direct comparison is not fair. 

What I *can* say for sure is the noodles are better, the beef is better and in larger chunks, and the broth is better as well. Noodle has a little chew, but falls apart as you push them against your teeth with your tongue. Beef almost falls apart in your mouth, and even the tendon is tender.  

What's more, Spicy Shrimp also gave you a small drink for free: choose hot HK style milk and tea, or iced lemon tea, about 8-12 oz worth. That's worth at least a buck. 

Total price: $8. 

Conclusion

While I am aware that it's not fair to directly compare Beef Stew Noodle Soup to Bee Stew Lo Mien, I am quite certain that Spicy Shrimp delivered a much better experience, beating Utopia Cafe in every criterion. It is cheaper. It included a free drink. Everything is cooked better or tastes better with the possible exception of the gailan, and plating, which doesn't really count for much. 

If you walk by Waverly Pl and view the "Street of the Painted Balconies", stop by Spicy Shrimp and you may be pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food and relatively low prices. 

And that's it for this review. Stay tuned for more hidden Chinatown. 

P.S. Utopia Cafe used to be a full restaurant with rice congee and rice clay pot specialty. They used to be known as 參滿意粥 (which is a Cantonese rhyming play on 心滿意足). This was their old look circa 2012. 

P.S. On the other half of Waverly Pl, at 28 Waverly Pl, you will find Michelin-starred Mister Jiu's restaurant.