My Frenetic but Satisfying Trip to Chelsea Market
Big decisions were made today as I walked into Chelsea Market. As I roamed into the crowded and hectic environment I was convinced that I was stepping out of my comfort zone. The adventurous Ethiopian food from Gorsha was screaming my name. Well, at least I thought it was. Until I eyed the Asian noodles at Very Fresh Noodles. Though it had felt like the day to try something unfamiliar, the big neon sign in the front of the Asian restaurant lured me in.
If you have encountered Chelsea Market, you know. It doesn’t matter if you’re there on the weekend or weekdays, it’s busy. Through the craze of the market, everywhere I looked I saw men and women shoveling thick noodles into their mouths. One man was tipping his head back in order to slurp up the last bits of his broth. I was convinced. I was dining at Very Fresh Noodles. Although, when I sauntered up to grab a menu, I felt intimidated.
On that beautiful Monday, there were dozens of hungry customers and one of the only places to sit was at the bar. With limited seating around it, every spot was taken. Other than the bar, four medium sized rectangular tapas-like tables were placed to stand around. My body was struck with inescapable stress when thinking about seeking out a spot for my group.
On top of the chaos of seating, I couldn’t help but notice the American classic songs blasting through the speakers. “Footloose,” then “My Girl,” then “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” playing one after the other as I waited in line. I swayed back in forth, bobbing my head, and sang along. Although, when walking up to order I found myself thinking about how off-putting it was that I was ordering Asian food but listening to my favorite American artist. This threw me off.
The music became less of a burden once I heard my order number being called. For the amount of people there, my meal came out surprisingly fast. After two minutes of waiting, I received my mild beef noodles and coffee bubble tea. I scavenged for a table and finally found one in the corner just big enough to fit five.
I then looked down at my noodles. The unnecessary amount of cilantro and chives sitting on top of the almost black broth was distasteful. Nevertheless, I went in with an open mind.
The next thing I knew, steam poured out as I mixed the beef and noodles within the broth. Then it hit me. My interest sparked when the unique smell creeped up my nostrils when I least expected it.
At that point, I couldn’t bear to wait any longer. I took out my chopsticks and began digging into the mixture.
The noodles were unlike any other and made up for the perplexing music choices. The anomalous noodles were called “Baingbaing”, hand pulled and homemade. The thick strings of dough reminded me of lasagna noodles, rather than Asian ones but I wasn’t mad at it. This reduced the worry of either; looking like a slob when biting the noodles in half and letting it splash back into the bowl, or, stuffing too big of a bite in my mouth and looking like an idiot. To say the least, the fare was hearty and filling. Definitely worth my nineteen dollars.
I was so shockingly surprised by the delectable noodles that I omitted my bubble tea. The trendy drink is wildly popular and has made its mark throughout the country. Although, I knew that my coffee infused tea was going to be refreshing. The thick milky tea was the perfect drink to wash down my food and clear my palette. The noodles and tea went together like puzzle pieces, it fit just right.
Although the atmosphere was disruptive and confounding at times, the food overruled. The bursting flavors, delicate beef, prodigious noodles, balmy broth, and savory bubble tea made it easy to fall in love with Very Fresh Noodles.