Same Happy

There's been a bit of stagnation on the Asian food front in Belfast for quite some time. Happy Angel's tenure on the Belmont Road was cut tragically short, Zen's late 90's decor is so stale it's starting to come back into fashion and the much heralded Wagamama's has been stuck in an unremarkable corner two stories up an undersubscribed shopping centre. It's also very dear.

So you'll need to show a bit of savvy when it comes to sourcing your umami hit. There's an unassuming room on the Donegal Pass with half a dozen tables and a small banquette. There's framed bible verse on the wall, in Mandarin, naturally and plastic cups on the table. There's a tiny, spotless kitchen, complete with a rack of whole duck, pork bellies and other sundries dripping with flavour.

This is Same Happy, the best Chinese restaurant in town and is so busy it doesn't open on a Saturday. The menu is in Mandarin first, then English and you'd struggle to find any of the MSG ridden staples so familiar to us all. There's an array of soup noodle dishes, Chinese BBQ and for those who want a walk on the wild side, such sundries as chicken claws and sea urchin.

It's bare and uncompromising, with brusque but efficient service from the motherly waiting staff and a bare bones approach to dining. Yet this throws the excellence of the food into focus. Soup noodle is served with a broth so flavourful it would have many a Jewish matriarch crying into her Motza, while the meat options that come with the dish are extremely substantial - think a whole duck breast diced into the bowl.

Char Siu pork is tender and packed with the sort of punch only careful and prolonged marinating can provide while the steamed vegetables in house sauce snap al dente, with sauce you could drink on its own. Spring rolls are packed as tightly as a Monte Cristo #4 and have never seen the inside of the freezer. Chilli and Basil Leaf prawns practically jump off the plate with spice, slowly building in intensity as you scrape the pattern off the plate.

It's the very opposite of fine dining, service stops at eight and you'll practically be sitting in someone's lap, but at the super-keen prices it's Belfast's best keep secret.

Shane Horan

Re: the above images - We couldn't find a single image of the restaurant or any connected to it. So, enjoy the above stock image of a happy couple sharing some delicious food...

Recent Restaurants Reviews