Zheng's Family Garden

Order "fish mein with soup" at this walk-down Fujianese restaurant, and you'll look in vain for slices of fish.

As noted on Chowhound, it's the noodles themselves that incorporate fish. Eel, in this instance, said the counterman, who added that the noodles are hand-pulled, though not made in-house. "Elastic crunch," in the words of the original Chowhound poster, is a fair assessment of the texture.

Previously: Some knowledge of Chinese characters helped me determine whether "ribbet in Foo Chow style" once hopped on land or into the water. (The former; I skipped it.) I did discover that twin pandas, placidly chewing bamboo on the cover of the menu, don't necessarily signal Americanized food. One taste of the strongly flavored meat, or even the broth, in the mutton noodle soup (below, $5), and you'll know it's no spring lamb.

Zheng's Family Garden
151 East Broadway (Pike-Rutgers Sts., downstairs), Manhattan
212-385-8520

Comments

[Jenn's personalized ice cream bowls]

I have been craving for this kind of heavy soup. I love soup with lots of vegetables and meat.

[German translator perth]

WOW!! you are truly Amazing!!! keep up the Great Work!Nice vegetables and meat soup here.