I remember when my dad first took my mom and I to Kings Noodle in Chinatown at Dundas and Spadina, over twenty years ago . In the car ride there dad warned us that it wasn't like eating in a western restaurant and that we just needed to approach dinner with an open mind. We were seated around a large round table with four, maybe six other diners. Menus were all in Chinese, and we were the only caucasion diners in the place. Dad ordered swiftly and I can remember the order by heart: House special chow mein, chicken with seven kinds of mushrooms, and a plate of rice with glistening barbequed duck and pork. I remember the food arriving so quickly that we couldn't believe it. I recall looking around the table at our fellow diners who were slurping away happily on congee with intenstines and fish balls, and steaming plates of noodles and sides of gai-lan. My mother, mortified I am sure at having to dine communally in a less than immaculate setting, never let on that anything was less that perfect. I knew that I was hooked at the first bite, and still regularly crave the salty, slightly crunchy, savory noodles. The restaurant was spruced up a number of years ago (including their loos thank god) and the place has a new, almost hip vibe. Prices have increased, and portions have shrunk over the years, but the product has remained consistently good. It is also nice to be able to look in the kitchen at the back and not cringe like I did in the early days. I even saw Susur Lee dining at a nearby table just a month ago. New favs also include their yummy spring rolls and wonton soup. Warnings: Some clientelle over the years have been observed to treat the restaurant like their private quarters. Just tonight we observed a mother clean out her daughter's nasal cavity at the table next to us. Try to keep your eyes on your own table and you should do fine. Four or more people sharing can expect to pay no more than $15 a piece and leave the table stuffed.
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