Friday, August 20, 2010

Lon Men Noodle House

Everytime I write a restaurant review, I try to write as fair as I can and without being bias about the service a restaurant provides. However some places have the most terrible costumer service and I just have to mention it. I really felt that I've been treated unfairly in Lon Men noodle house, and therefore, they win the price for the lousiest service ever. The Taiwanese Lao ban niang (lady owner) was so snobby and treated me as if I was the stupidest customer she ever have. I only asked her what was her most popular dish and whether they made their noodles themselves.

Regardless, I invited my cousin there to taste their tasty gua bao. Still, their service was so bad that my cousin swore that even though they have tasty food, she will never go there again. What actually happened, was that we ordered three different types of meat and since the waiter didn't take the order down, by the time the food came to our table it was chaotic. When I politely commented that my order was not on the table, the lady owner was mad at us and gave us a cold glare and practically throw our foods on the table. I guess, we should keep our mouth shut and let her have her way and she would be happy. But what's wrong with wanting to eat what you order?

Okay apart from the scary & bitchy lady owner, their foods are authentic and edible.

My favorite is their typical taiwanese sandwich (gua bao). This one is filled with deep fried duck with sweet and spicy sauce and my personal favorite, sweet and sour pickled veggies.


gua bao lon men


Other than deep fried duck, they also offer other fillings such as pork and beef.


gua bao lon men




They also serve beef tripe as appetizer. Their beef tripe is surprisingly one of the best in town. The tripes are soft and tender, and they're soaked in sweet and salty soy sauce with some crunchy and refreshing cukes underneath the beef tripes.


lon men beef tripe


I also tried their beef noodle soup because beef noodle soup is the national dish of Taiwan.


beef noodle soup lon men


The soup is very fragrant and finely seasoned, the beef slices are also tender albeit a bit dry. However the noodle is a no go, it's too soft and over cooked. Well this was when I asked whether they made their noodle themselves. She answered me with her cocky way, that it's impossible to serve hand made noodle with their price (€6,50). Well honestly saying, she just need to cross the road and go to Dodeli and order their beef hand-kneaded noodle soup for €6,90 with bigger portion.

In summary, I like their authentic appetizer and Taiwanese sandwich. The only thing that bothers me is the owner's attitude. Their costumer service was so bad that I lost my appetite, and their tasty food lost their optimal flavor. However, their customer service might be due to the fact that I'm Asian and I asked too much questions. If you are caucasian, she might treat you nicely and politely. So don't be influenced by this incident and visit them and taste their authentic taiwanese sandwich.

Lon Men noodle house
Kantstr. 33
Berlin 10625
S-Savigniy Platz

1 comment:

  1. Ok, Met Chan, so that was your experience. Perhaps it will help (you) if you ask why this is happening to you. I'm Caucasian, but my wife is Chinese and tons of our friends from China and other East Asian countries adore Lon-Men's Noodle House. This explicitly includes the friendly and professional service rendered by the owner, her husband (for many years the dinner maître of one of Berlin's 5-star hotels) and by their son.
    All coincidence....?
    Bon appétit!

    ReplyDelete