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| - The S.U. was out of town, it was cold and rather than wait for a table at the very crowded nearby pho joint, I took the opportunity to stick my nose into VIP. I had heard good things about the quality and they are, as far as I know, the only place in town to serve hand-pulled noodles.
For the uninitiated, hand-pulled noodles ROCK!! Not just fresh, not just hand-cut but hand-pulled. Some places let you watch the chef twist and throw, fold, twist and throw, fold twist and throw until the gluten firms up and you have long thin strands of chewy noodle. You can't watch at VIP (it ain't no noodle joint, ya know!), but it ain't no thing ...the texture is the thing.
They have several bowls with broth to choose from. I went simple. Beef. Plenty of noodles in a nicely flavored, rich broth with a bit of 5-star anise flavor and baby bok-choy. BOOM! Major success! No skimping on the noodles or vegetables. A perfect lunch on a cold day. Next time I'll do the duck.
Others have mentioned the decor. I was skeptical when I first walked in. It felt more at home on the 30th floor of a Tokyo tower than in a west-side Madison mall. Now that I've been there I'm glad it is. The Spousal Unit will love it.
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