The Hidden Chinatown of San Francisco

Had to escort a group to Pena Pachamama and decided to try this Pho place. Do NOT recommend.  Looked through their menu and could not find any beef stew noodles. The closest they have is "curry beef stew noodle soup", and it was barely edible. There wasn't much beef, and I barely tasted any curry. What's more, the noodles taste as if it's not quite cooked through... It's chewy. The vegetables like carrots are waffle cut, as if they are using pre-cut frozen ingredients from a supermarket.  I was hungry, so I did finish the whole bowl, but I'm definitely not going back. 

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,...