Noodles through the LENS

I love to eat noodles. On a cold wintery night, nothing satisfies like a piping-hot bowl of noodles in soup. On a crisp spring afternoon, nothing hits the spot like a perfectly seasoned bowl of noodles in soup. On any given occasion in any climate, nothing satisfies like a huge bowl of crisp, tender, and chewy noodles in soup.

In my life, I have had many bowls of noodles in soup. I have had good noodles from restaurants, and bad noodles from cans. I have had noodles from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Szechuan and Malaysia.

I know a good bowl of noodles. I can smell the spices. I can taste the subtle flavors. I can see the steam rising from the bowl. I can feel the textures on my tongue. I can hear the noodle separate between my teeth.

I have eaten my favorite noodles, and I have eaten noodles I would not wish upon an enemy. I wish to share this noodle knowledge with you. In this vein, I now present to you, the LENS.

LENS - Leo's Enjoyment of Noodles in Soup.

The criteria is based on overall experience, with primary consideration based on noodle texture and soup flavor. Other points are rewarded for staff service and restaurant ambiance.

ONE STAR: Every bowl of noodles gets one star for merely existing, so one star indicates the blandest, least delicious noodles possible. Never eat these noodles. Example: Udon noodles at an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant.

TWO STARS: This is your typical bowl of noodles that you forget about within minutes, if not for one or two decent bites. There is neither a horrible or special aspect about these noodles. Only eat these noodles if you are starving, in a rush, and could not care less about taste. Example: Wonton noodles at undisclosed noodle restaurant in Chinatown.

THREE STARS: This is a good bowl of noodles, passable for when you are hungry. Example: Beef noodles at No. 1 Noodle House in Burnaby.

FOUR STARS: This is an elite bowl of noodles, which can entice you to drive a far distance to the restaurant on its own merit. Recommended by LENS. Example: Hanju Hot-Pot in Burnaby.

FIVE STARS: This bowl of noodles happens maybe twice a year, and is a contender for Bowl of Noodles of the Year. In addition to being an exceptional bowl of noodles, it must also excel in the subtleties. A 5* bowl of noodles has something extra that exceeds expectations, and tastes excellent from first noodle to last. A 5* is usually accompanied with excellent staff service and restaurant ambiance.

The first bowl of noodles eaten at a restaurant will almost always taste the best. Repeat visits tend not to have the same culinary punch as the first. A 5* bowl of noodles will taste as good on the tenth bowl, as it did on the first bowl. Example: I reward a tentative 5* bowl of noodles to Lao Shan Dong in Burnaby. The noodles are tender, the soup base is flavorful, and the bowl is steaming until the last noodle is eaten. Further visits will solidify or lower Lao Shan Dong's LENS standing.

Please share your noodle experiences here: good, bad and unique. Let this place become one where we share the good news about noodles in soup.