Restaurant review: Tyepyedong, noodle bar, Exeter [Vegan options]

Where: Tyepyedong, Sidwell st, Exeter

Between Healthy Pulses (great shop!) & Timpsons.

Style:

Small independently owned noodle bar (Chinese/Asian fusion in style) tucked inbetween the shops of Exeter’s main thoroughfare – quite easy to miss if you don’t know it!

Service:

Always polite, friendly and efficient – a young service team & the owner on duty keeping an eye on things.

Clean simple seating inside.

Food choices:

So easy for Vegans as all Vegan options are labeled V+ (vegetarian are V). Chose from starters, filling noodle soups, strifries with rice and stirfries with noodles. They are also happy to accommodate preferences if you need to change a dish slightly.

Crispy vegetable tempura with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Nom factor:

I love this style of food and I’ve yet to have a dish here that wasn’t good. They don’t use MSG, everything is cooked fresh to order and it arrives steaming to the table in the order it’s cooked. The tempura are crisp, the Hungry monk (garlic/black bean sauce) is very tasty, I love the Yasai Yakisoba noodles and the Sweet and sour is a sticky sweet indulgence. Rice and noodle dishes alike are always perfect and the veg crisp and fresh. I even like their soups which are far better and contain far more ingredients than those served at Wagamamas (for example). [ nb the soups are a very healthy filling option if you’re watching kcals – or want to have tempura as well;) ]

Delicious veg noodle tofu soup.

How much:

The lunchtime special is fabulous value at just £6 for a very filling main stirfry dish and a drink (I always have sparkling water).

Miso soup £1.70

Tempura £4.10

Edamame (soya) beans £4.20

Main dishes and large noodle soups approx £7

Other stuff:

The tiny kitchen is open so you can see in – which is always reassuring. They are open to creating dishes to your specific requirements and have a great understanding of Veganism. Seating is bench style and some small tables for 2 in the window. They will always endeavour to seat you away from other people unless they are very busy, which is lovely. It’s clean, tables always cleared and wiped down quickly and there is one toilet which is clean and spacious.

Other comments:

This is fast becoming my favourite pitstop in Exeter because it’s such good value and consistently good. It can get extremely busy 12-2, but lunch goes on til 3 which is great and the turnover of people having a quick working lunch means that you never need to wait long for a table. You can reserve a table if you need to and people often do. Many Chinese people eat there which is always a good sign in my opinion.

Handy if you’re going to a matinee at the Vue Cinema nearby – for a meal before or a bite to eat after.

Tyepyedong means ‘a place to eat without the fuss’ – and that’s exactly what this fabulous little place offers Vegans!

If you visit Tyepyedong - please let me know what you think!

Much love

Chantal xx