Daily Noodle Fastfood

Daily Noodle Fastfood is a penny pincher’s paradise. There’s not much in the way of decor, and seating is a bit of a squeeze, but when everything on the menu costs $8.50 or less, who’s complaining? This narrow slip of an eatery is a huge hit with local university students, happily crowding around poky tables for one of the cheapest feeds you can find in Chinatown. For only $2.80 you can score a shallot pancake – a multi-layered disc of crisp pastry studded with shallots that is even better dipped in chilli sauce. The Peking pie with pork mince ($3.80) is a ripper: a triangular pocket of flaky pastry stuffed with pan-fried pork mince and onion. Handmade noodles are the main drawcard here – thick ropes of nobbly noodle that are satisfyingly chewy. Slurp them up in bowls of soup topped with cubes of slow-cooked braised beef ($6.50 for small) or order them fried with mushroom and pork ($7.50). A huddle of cold noodles with chicken and refreshing strips of cool cucumber (($6.50 for small) is perfect on long hot summer nights. Most dishes are available in a large size for only a dollar more – you won’t need to eat again for at least a week.