It's embarrassing, but I love Panda Express.
I'm embarrassed to admit this, but Panda Express has become my go-to spot when I have a craving for Chinese food.
I don't know why, but there's something about their orange chicken and lo mein that has captivated me for years, and whenever I had a craving for Chinese food, I would hop in the car, head to the nearest drive-thru, and eat there.
As I sat in my apartment earlier this month, I finally realized. “I have better qualifications than Panda Express.”
With that in mind, I've been asking friends about their favorite local Chinese food spots, and of course I've heard of Tucson favorites like Chef Wang and Noodleholics, but during lunch last week, a friend mentioned a place I'd never heard of.
Between the Big Five Sporting Goods Store and the spa is Jewel's Noodle Kitchen, a small restaurant that has been serving a variety of dishes including meat pies and noodles since 2019.
Although it lacks the glitz and glamor of PF Chang's chain restaurants, Jewel's Noodle Kitchen makes up for it with juicy dumplings.
Jewel's Noodle Kitchen has been serving dumplings and noodles since 2019.
When you first walk into the building at 5683 E. Speedway, you'll immediately notice the photos of the food inside. The counter is lined with pictures of gyoza, pork buns, various noodle dishes, and fried dumplings, so you can point to exactly what you want.
As for the decor, it's a little drab, but if this restaurant taught me anything, it's that you should never judge a book by its cover.
The menu at Jewel's Noodle Kitchen is quite extensive, making it difficult to decide which dishes to choose. I had to hold back. Because I could easily order the entire feast.
The menu includes eight types of dumplings, meat pies, several noodle dishes, pork buns, fried dumplings, green onion pancakes, salads, and soups. While thinking about what I wanted to eat, I decided to try my friend's recommendation of green onion pancakes and pork and Chinese cabbage dumplings.
Of course, I couldn't leave without eating the noodles. As the name suggests. I also ordered additional noodles with pork bean sauce.
Jewel's Noodle Kitchen's Pork and Bean Sauce Noodles are topped with minced pork and cucumber.
About 20 minutes later, I headed home with a bag full of delicious smelling food, proud of myself for kicking my Panda Express habit.
As soon as I got home, I opened the bag and took a bite of the gyoza. The dough was soft, tender and slightly chewy, the perfect texture. It wasn't mushy or soggy at all.
Then, take a bite of the ingredients. This stuffing is just like a dream. The pork and cabbage work well together, creating an explosion of flavor and a bit reminiscent of sausage.
The best part is that each dumpling has the perfect amount of filling. There's nothing worse than biting into a dumpling and finding out you can barely eat the delicious filling. Thankfully, that wasn't an issue at Jewel's Noodle Kitchen.
Jewel's Noodle Kitchen's scallion pancakes are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Next, I moved on to the green onion pancake. The outside of the pancake was crispy and delicious, but the inside was chewy and chewy. The green onion flavor was subtle, and I liked how it tasted more like a flatbread than a thick, fluffy pancake. I also liked that it wasn't too oily or sticky.
Finally, I tried the pork noodle soup. In this dish, the noodles are topped with chili bean paste, minced pork, and cucumber. The sauce has a salty taste similar to soy sauce. The minced pork mellowed out the saltiness and gave it a nice flavor.
My favorite part of this dish was the cucumber. All the flavors blended together perfectly and it added a refreshing kick to the noodles. I definitely preferred cucumber over other vegetables commonly used in noodles, such as carrots and cabbage.
Jewel's Noodle Kitchen makes you feel like you're eating home-cooked Chinese food. This hidden gem may be overlooked, but its flavor and finish are worth noting. Pork buns and pot stickers are next on my list.
