Noble Chef Redux

*** Updates on Noble Chef can be found here and here.  

When we last visited Noble Chef, the place had just under-gone a change of Ownership. And though we thought the food to be not quite up to par, well that could be excused due to the natural chaos that ensues whenever places change hands. The "original" Noble Chef was an interesting place; at first glance the menu was full of Chinese Fast food dishes, many of them pretty bad. But after examining the menu, and frankly, just lucking out, we found a few items that were very good, and well worth the price. After that less than stellar visit, I made a mental note to revisit Noble Chef, and fully intended to do so. That was back in November of 2006! My bad. I don't know how many times I drove up Balboa, and muttered to myself(yes, I'm getting old, I'm entering the muttering phase - look out if I start scratching myself all the time), "oh, yes, Noble Chef, that's right, I gotta check them out again." So now after 18 months, I made my way back.

From the outside, not much has changed. There were newer versions of the food photos, but everything looked the same.

And inside there was still the major wok action going on. The jet-like sound of a high-BTU burner is music to my ears. And there are few things better than the fragrance of aromatics sizzling over high heat.

At first glance I thought the interior looked the same; but I was wrong. The interior had been freshened up with a coat of paint, and new tile work. The place looks a lot less cluttered and tired.

One of the nice things about Noble Chef is that they open at 9am on weekend mornings. I noticed that the menu hadn't changed much. I know many people like the turnip cake and eggs, but I can do just as well at home. I decided to get one of my old favorites, the Shrimp and Egg on Rice ($6.55):

This arrived steaming hot. The eggs were "wok'd" just right, with a nice crust. Once past the crisp crust the eggs were nice and moist if not "fluffy" enough. And lest you think there's not much shrimp in this, I counted 10 well cooked shrimp, most of which were hidden from view.

The dish could have used a bit more salt, I ended up adding a good amount of soy sauce to the dish.  Overall, a pretty darn good dish. I remember thinking, "those folks eating at IHOP a few doors down sure have it all wrong." Well worth the price.

I dropped by for lunch a few days later, and got the Shrimp Tomato Rice($6.55).

Again, this was a generous amount of shrimp. I thought the tomatoes weren't cooked enough, the skin was too tough, and a few were still cool. The tomato sauce was much too sour, and lacked the tanginess that I love when this dish is done right. Still, more than enough food to fill me up.

Which led up to us getting our old take favorites one evening. The Chiu Chow Fried Rice($7.55)

The fried rice looked pretty good, you could see that the chef now has better control over the wok. I did notice that there was a bit less pork than before, and most of all, no wok hay(Guo Chi). It lacked that serious smoky-savory flavor of the wok. The gai lan was rubbery, like it was just blanched and mixed in with the rice.

Our old favorite, the Shrimp with XO Sauce Fried Rice($7.55):

The rice had a nice color to it, and the spicy-savory fragrance was nice. But again, no wok-hay, and not enough spice, garlic, or XO sauce. The amount of shrimp was (again) generous, but we were a bit disappointed.

After the meal, I figured out what the problem was...it was us. You see, we had eaten at Noble Chef under the old Ownership, and had taken the Chef's skill for granted. Even though he seemed to move at a pretty slow pace, he was deceptively efficient. He also knew his wok. If we were brand new customers, this would be pretty good. As things stand, it is still a decent value. I'm hoping things keep improving.

The service is passable, if a bit on the "reserved/suspicious" side. The prices are good, and the portions generous. Stay away from the Chinese Fast-food dishes. The noodle soups are not nearly as good as other Chiu Chow/Mi Gia places in San Diego.

The Noble Chef
6159 Balboa Avenue
San Diego, CA 92111
(858)278-8688

Comments

[Dan]

Oh I recommend getting the Egg turnip cake whenever your there. It's so good. And uh, with the new management, I felt the quality of the food isn't quite wonderful as the previous owners even now.

[Kirk]

Hi Dan - Yes, the turnip cake is good....but I can do better at home. It seems like the food is getting better, but it is still not as good as it used to be.

[sharon]

I'm loving the laminated wall o' pictures. All the shrimp dishes look quite yummy. I may have to stop by if I'm in the area. The name alone is reason to go!

[jeffrey c]

Kirk,
these little places are so hit or miss but after reading Jennifer 8 Lee's Fortune Cookie Chronicles, you really learn to appreciate what the owners really go through. The book recounts how the Chinese diaspora (from the southern Canton to the more recent Fujian provinces) effected American cuisine and how these little Chinese fast food joints have become Americana. I would highly recommend this book because it not only gives you background on the whole business of chinese restaurants but a great historical perspective and even a hint at whats to come.
(hint-Chinese owned mexican burrito joints).

[Fred]

I sure do miss the old couple who was running the place! The lady who worked the cash register patiently took the time to teach me the Cantonese names of the two dishes I'd order all the time. I was almost able to order completely in Cantonese before they changed ownership.

[Kirk]

Hi Sharon - If anything, I think you'll get your money's worth.

Hi Jeffrey - I have The Fortune Cookie Chronicles in my to read pile, right along with "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper". Now I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Hi Fred - I miss them too! That lady would always give me a nice hot cup of tea when I had to wait for my take-out. I hope they are doing well.

[foodhoe]

It's funny how differently those scrambled eggs with prawns can be prepared! The tomato prawns sounds good, I'm going to look that one up here. I'm with you about the importance of the wokking techniques, I love that smokiness!

[Chris]

Hey: I am glad to see your comments about wok hay. Glad to see I am not the only one who appreciates this. I don't know how conversant you are with the southern Chinese culture, but have you ever heard that in Hong Kong, it is considered bad luck to receive a stirfry without the "breath of the wok"? I had heard this once, and was wondering if you could confirm/negate/comment on this superstition?

[Kirk]

Hi FH - When done well....shrimp or eggs with tomatoes is an outstanding dish!

Hi Chris - I remember hearing that if you receive a dish devoid of wok hay in Hong Kong, it could be seen as as sign of potential bad luck. It shows the amount of pride and skill devoted to using the wok. I've got some interesting stories....but not enough time to tell them. Perhaps one day we'll sit down and chat.