TAI WON MEIN NOODLE HOUSE
39-41 Greenwich Church St, London, SE10 9BL
Tel: 020 8858 1668
Average price per person: £5 (including non-alcoholic drinks)
Nearest Tube: Cutty Sark for Greenwich Maritime DLR (1 minute walk)
Well this is certainly a welcomed blast from the past. Back when we were living in Surrey Quays, this used to be a popular haunt. I’m sad to say, that even though Greenwich looks quaint and cute, the restaurants there are terrible. Nothing good to say about any of them except for this one.
We have fond memories for this noodle house. This is where we met The Other Hag and The Man for the first time. Arhhhhhh. Sigh. Yes this is where our culinary adventures blossomed, only later to be documented for your reading pleasure. The Gastro Hag and her partner were also there, but they have since left London’s cloudy shores for sunnier options abroad. Check out Gastro Hag’s website all the way from sunny Perth.
This informal restaurant is based on the concept of huge portions at ultra-low prices. Large benches seat about 8 people, so be prepared to share your table with strangers. I have to say I was a little shocked at how the cleaniness of the place has plumetted. Yes they are extremely busy, but it’s still no excuse. The toilet looks like a drug addict’s shoot-up parlour in some random dodgy park. I only just managed to refrain from taking a photo of it.
The prince consort and myself arrived there about 2pm and the place was hoppping with activity. The place was full of office workers, students and tourists. We were seated to a bench with food-stained paper menus used as mats. No matter. The food is what we came for. The menu is extensive and covers soup noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles and fried rice. Each section has the usual options of beef, chicken, pork, duck and seafood. I haven’t been there for a while and was amazed at the prices. Prices ranged from £3.10 to £3.90 for each dish. Yes, it was that cheap.
My fried duck egg noodles came steaming hot straight from the wok. The portions were gargantuan sumo-wrestler sized portions with generous amounts of tender duck and veges. I highly recommend this dish.
The prince consort had fried rice noodles with pork and chicken. Also good but he wouldn’t go for this dish again.
I can never finish a dish here by myself and asked for a take-away box. They charge 50 pence for this. An expense I reckon is reasonable especially when the price of the dish is so low and is enough to feed two hungry people. I thoroughly recommend any homeless people reading this blog to try this place out. Unbelievable value for money.
Not a place to linger and languish. Get in, scoff it down, then get out. Hope they improve their standards of hygiene though.
HRH
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posted by Culinary Hag at 5/21/2005 10:14:00 am
7 Comments:
I agree. This noodle house is delicious and insanely cheap, though it looks like they clean the floor once a week.
4:42 pm
the serving in this restaurant is the worst in the world. I am the regular customer there but I cant believe that they can get the big plate above my head.It's impolite.Another time I bring my cake to eat together with noodle.That fat man who is staff there ask me not to eat cake in their restaurant.I dont't understand why.It's not fair.They dont respect customer.
9:00 pm
Hi Thuy,
Yes unfortunately customer focus is clearly not a priority with the owners. I guess they are happy with the huge volumes of people they serve everyday and the resultant money they make. This has made commonsense manners and cleaniness practically non-existant.
Most restaurants won't tolerate outside food being brought in. But if it is to complement their own food...I don't see why not. And you are a regular customer after all
2:56 pm
And great if you don't mind a dose of salmonella - ate there Wednesday 25th July, feel ill with confirmed salmonella shortly after and ate no chicken or eggs in between - beware the chicken satay.
1:16 pm
Well I did mention that their hygiene standards have a lot to be desired for. Isn't Salmonella a notifiable disease to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention???
3:44 pm
I disagree. As of 2007 when ive gone there (which is ALOT) its been clean. As soon as you sit down the table is cleaned and fresh menus given. The food is delivered quickly and politely. If they have to go over your head its because there isn't much room for them to move. At the end of the day itsa great cheap and cheerful place.
2:49 pm
i agree with pixiebell. i've been there a lot and i have never had any complaints with the restaurant. in my opinion tai won mein is one of the best restaurants in catford, and even if the service isnt Ritz standard the quality of food, size of servings and prices are great!!! i truly reccomend this restaurant.
8:24 pm
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