Family of Shorty ‘Noodle King’ Tang to Open Restaurant in His Name

James Tang, grandson of the late Shorty Tang, is opening Shorty Tang Noodles in Chelsea later this year, serving the "Noodle King's" famous cold sesame noodles, according to DNAinfo. Chef Shorty Tang cooked the noodles at his Chinatown restaurant Hwa Yuan nearly 50 years ago and is credited by many as having cooked Manhattan’s best version of the dish. According to DNAinfo, the new restaurant at 98 Eighth Avenue will offer dishes like braised beef noodle soup and noodles with pesto sauce, shrimp, calamari, and mussels, in addition to the chef’s original noodles. "The recipes haven’t been changed," James Tang tells DNAinfo. "[Not] since my grandfather got to the states about 50 years ago."

In 2007, prior to becoming the Times restaurant critic, Sam Sifton wrote of the dish: "[Tang’s] sesame noodles were soft and luxurious, bathed in an emulsified mixture of sesame paste and peanut butter, rendered vivid and fiery by chili oil and sweetened by sugar, cut by vinegar, made fantastic by technique." After Shorty died in the '80s, the restaurant closed, and imitations of the dish have continued to surface. Other members of the Tang family have also done pop-ups in the past.

In the kitchen at Shorty Tang Noodle will be chef Chen Lieh Tang, James’ father and Shorty’s son, his first return to the kitchen since leaving during the recession. James Tang and his father also hope to re-open Hwa Yuan at its former East Broadway location, which has been vacant since the Bank of China relocated to Flushing. No word on an opening date for Shorty Tang Noodles, stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

• Family of 'Noodle King' Shorty Tang Opening New Chelsea Eatery [DNA]
• New York Noodletown [NYT]
• A Family History of Shorty Tang's Cold Sesame Noodles [ENY]