Tongdexing

Tongdexing is a noodle house recognizable by its traditional wooden facade and the steady crowd gathered at its door. This shop serves Suzhou-style noodles, a local staple defined by clear, simmered broth and precise toppings. In the nineteen nineties, the owner insisted on using old-fashioned copper stoves and charcoal fires to keep the temperature consistent for the bowls. The city eventually modernized, yet Tongdexing kept these specific cooking methods in use long after other restaurants switched to gas and electricity.