3 Lanes and 7 Alleys, Haymarket and Emperor's Puffs

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(Oooh look, I learned how to make the pictures bigger!)

Nestled in China Town on Dixon Street is this little eatery that specialises in noodle dishes - and in particular, what is known as 'cross-bridge rice noodles'. 

Cross Bridge Rice Noodle (Wagyu Beef)

I ORIGINS

The origins of cross bridge rice noodles is unknown, however the most popular story goes like this: more than 100 years ago, there was a young man studying in order to pass the tests to become a government official. His wife wanted to ensure that he got a nutritious meal, so she prepared a bowl of soup with rice noodles (which are easy to make) and other ingredients on the side. That way, the oil film forming on the surface of the soup locks in the heat and the noodles would not go soggy and gross from being soaked in soup for too long. 

As for the name 'cross-bridge', there are several stories regarding why the soup was named thus. 
  1. When the wife was delivering the noodles, she had to cross a bridge. The husband asked her what this new fangled dish is called, and she said 'cross-bridge rice noodle' off the top of her head. 
  2. The wife had a fall on a bridge on her way to deliver the noodles, and thus she named it 'cross-bridge rice noodles'. 

II VERDICT ON THE CROSS-BRIDGE RICE NOODLES

I wish I could label the above picture for you, but that would be one step beyond my current technical capabilities. I just worked out how to make the pictures big, so baby steps please. 

The components of our chosen dish is wagyu beef strips, pork (the same type as you get in a Vietnamese bahn mi), mushrooms, sprouts, quail egg, pickled vegetables and seaweed. You can also add chilli oil into your dish, but please, look who's writing here. I cried real tears when I bit into a bahn mi on campus and hit the chilli. Real tears. 

As exciting as the fact that my meal required some assembly is, unfortunately it was a little bland. I loved the quail egg though - the soup cooked it perfectly, solid on the outside and just a tiny bit runny in the middle. The noodled itself is delicious and bouncy, but does not lend itself well to absorbing flavours. 


III OTHER ITEMS 

Fujian Noodles in peanut sauce

A Fujian Noodles in Peanut Sauce
 This is a delicious dish. The noodles are drenched in a light soy peanut sauce. My very snarky dining companion described it as 'the highlight of the meal'. He proceeded to tell his friend how I blew it with the dinner spot-spotting, but that's another story.


Osmanthus Drink
B Osmanthus Drink
Osmanthus is a staple in Chinese dessert. It adds a light, sweet, fragrant touch to many a Chinese dessert. This one tastes mildly of artificial sweetener, and there was a dramatic moment in the kitchen when the waiter dropped and broke the first glass jar.

IV REDEMPTION

Ah, Emperor's Puff. The Chinese mini snack you must line up for. Believe me (as my dining companion almost did not), it's well worth the wait. These soft, freshly made, custard-filled little balls of joy are delicious. Be careful though - when freshly made, they really can burn your mouth.

Custard filled joy

Look at them, nestled happiness
Score： Emperor's Puffs get 4.5 / 5; 3 Lanes & 7 Alleys get 2 / 5
You know what, I was disappointed by 3 Lanes & 7 Alleys. Interesting dish, cute shop, friendly service - but in a city where there are so much good food, they just need to pick up their game!
Cost: Emperor's Puffs: 30c each; 3 Lanes & 7 Alleys: approx $25
Address: 50 Dixon St, Haymarket NSW 2000

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