Eugene is often the butt of jokes for having little to no culinary diversity. If you do some digging, however, you will find that there are many delicious spots speckled throughout the city. Noodles and dumplings are some of my favorite foods, so I’ve made it my mission to find the places that do them best. With years of experience under my belt, these three restaurants have exceeded my expectations to win the titles of the best dumpling and noodle spots in Eugene.
Jade Dumpling and Noodle:
2560 Willamette Street, Eugene, OR; open Wednesday-Monday, 12pm-10pm, closed Tuesdays
Order– Spicy Pork Xiao Long Bao and Dan Dan Noodles
Total price: 18.98 before tip
Review– Jade opened just under a year ago and has already become a staple in the Eugene food scene. The owners carefully hand-make the dumplings multiple times a day. Legend of Szechuan, the parent restaurant to Jade, is located near the 5th Street Market. Szechuan’s owners opened Jade earlier this year to focus on their dumpling and noodle dishes. There are no bad choices on the menu, but fan favorites are favorites for a reason. An order of the Xiao Long Bao is $12.99 for eight dumplings. They are filled with a savory, meaty broth and a mouthwateringly spicy pork filling. The wrapper is impeccablysoft and chewy, acting as the perfect barrier between the soup and the chili oil or vinegar you’ll want on your dumpling. The most hidden delight on the menu are the Dan Dan noodles. These noodles are coated in their delicious, house-made chili oil, ground pork, and green onions. I promise that after one bite of these noodles you will be hooked. The noodles are chewy but not too dense. The ground pork topping is flawlessly seasoned, mixed with sesame seeds and green onions. The real star of the show, is the chili oil. Made in-house, the oil is filled with Szechuan peppercorns that give a mouth-numbing tingle, along with garlic and secret ingredients the owners choose to not give away. Jade has never let me down, and for the price you just can’t beat it.
Stretched:
263 Mill Street, Eugene, OR; open Tuesday-Saturday, 5pm-9pm, closed Sunday and Monday
Order– Pork Zhajiang Chili Oil Biang Biang and Crispy Wontons
Total price: 19.98 before tip
Review-
The Stretched Food Truck lives inside the Coldfire Brewery. Though surrounded by some of the most renowned food trucks in Eugene, Stretched has been able to make a name for itself in the year since it opened. Stretched does everything from scratch from the comfort of their tiny kitchen. Basically everything on the menu is first come, first serve. If you want to try some of their best items you had better get there early. They are known for their Biang Biang, a type of noodles from the Chinese Shannxi cuisine, and for good reason. Another fan favorite is the Pork Zhajiang Chili Oil Biang Biang. These thick, chewy, homemade noodles are swimming in a chili oil sauce, bean sprouts, bok choy, and ground pork. The noodles are so good that they could be eaten plain, but they’re undoubtedly elevated by Streched’s fresh-made chili oil. The oil is loaded with sesame seeds, green onions, and garlic. It enhances every part of the dish. These noodles are a constant on the menu, but they often sell out before the end of the night. Stretched’s best-kept secret are their fried wontons. These wontons are only available a few times a week due to the amount of preparation needed to make them. They are filled with a juicy, savory filling and come with a side of light vinegar dipping sauce that cuts the richness of the wonton perfectly. Stretched is so top-tier because of the people behind it. The owners treat every customer like family and have the deepest love for what they do.
Yi Shen:
1915 W 11th Avenue, Eugene, OR; open Monday-Friday, 11 am-8 pm, closed Saturday and Sunday
Order– Basil Chow Fun and BBQ Pork Steam Buns, total price: 15.50 before tip
Review–
Yi Shen is a lunch-counter style restaurant tucked inside of a Vietnamese market in West Eugene. The establishment is entirely family run, contributing to its inviting atmosphere. There is a large menu board of staple dishes and a rotating menu of specials. While the huge, handwritten menu board can seem overwhelming, all the dishes are organized by category with short, helpful descriptions. My first recommendation from this menu would hands down be the BBQ pork steam buns. For $2 each, you get a huge steaming bun filled with pork in a sweet, sticky, smokey sauce. The bun itself is soft and bouncy and the perfect shell for the delicious filling inside. For noodles, the Basil Chow Fun is the way to go. The noodles are thick-cut and just the right vessel for the sweet soy sauce that coats them. With large pieces of basil and veggies and your choice of protein, the Chow Fun is sizable and worth every penny. Yi Shen is the perfect spot if you’re looking for a cozy weekday lunch or a quick dinner!
I hope you give all three of these places a chance, I promise you will not be disappointed. They are all small family-run businesses whose deep love and care for their food and customers translate into unbelievably flavorful dishes.
