Claire Wang is a “noodleholic” in every sense of the word.
Noodle dishes were just something she couldn’t live without when she moved to Tucson.
“My friends and I love noodles,” she said. “We just thought Tucson needed a Chinese noodle shop.”
The restaurant — which also has an Oro Valley shop — is known for its Guilin dishes, which are served in a myriad of ways ($13.50). The dry Guilin features a meat-based spiced sauce, spicy pickled greens and bamboo, pickled long bean, roasted peanut, bok choy, green onion, cilantro and the choice of two meats, although there is a vegetarian option.
The traditional Guilin sees the sauce replaced with chicken broth, and the Guilin spicy and sour is for those who want a little heat. Available noodle proteins are tofu, chicken, shrimp, barbecue pork, crispy pork, pig intestine and beef shank.
The dishes are named after a city in southern China, where Wang spent her childhood. It’s known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst hills.
“The scenery is beautiful,” Wang said. “Guilin is famous for its rice noodle soup.”
Guilin can be prepared with wheat or rice noodles.
“We have around 10 to 11 different noodle dishes from all over the different cities in China,” she said. “I just love noodles, personally. I like bringing the noodles from different cities in China into one noodle shop.”
Born in Guangzhou, Wang moved from China to Alaska, where she lived for a few years, before transferring to UA. She earned an MA in Chinese linguistics and taught for about 10 years. She decided she wanted to try her hand at the family business: the food of Guangzhou and Guilin.
“I have a little background from my parents,” she said. “They work in a restaurant and have owned a few before. They love cooking and they have their own recipes, which we use.”
Her parents helped her open Noodleholics, which uses their recipes for dishes like beef shank ($13.50); Taiwan beef ($13.50) or house wonton ($13.50). Rice plates ($13 to $13.50), salt and pepper fried wings ($10.50), egg rolls ($3 to $4) and dumplings ($6.50 to $8) are also served.
“The Guilin spicy and sour is really popular, for people who love spicy,” Wang said. “Taiwan beef comes in medium or mild. All the spiciness can be modified. Sizzling garlic is a favorite, too.
Noodleholics
3502 E. Grant Road, Tucson
520-305-4262
7850 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley
520-268-8662
www.noodleholics.com
