Snappy Dragon: Oodles Of Scrumptious Noodles

Restaurant review

XX 1/2 Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon, 8917 Roosevelt Way N.E. Chinese. ($$) Lunch ($4.25 to $5.60) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner ($4.75 to $10.75) 4 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; until 9 p.m. Sunday. No Sunday lunch. Full bar (no lounge; service bar only). Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations and takeout: 528-5575. -----------------------------------------------------------------

I remember the first time I met Judy Fu. How could I forget it?

The tall Asian woman drew herself up, military style, said, "How are you, sir?" and snapped me a salute.

Much as I remember that salute, I remembered her noodles better. That was in a small Wedgwood neighborhood eatery with an always crowded counter, elbow to elbow with communal slurp. The place was steamy with nonstop, simmering boils of stockpots and soups.

It was called Panda's back in the sharp winter of 1989, and still is. Judy Fu had acquired the nickname of Mama Noodles. It was in no way intended as disrespect.

The hand-rolled noodles were the stuff of local legend and the noodle soups were the match for any December's chill. It was often hard to find a seat; home deliveries were sometimes backed up for hours.

Judy Fu, who was the head chef at Panda's, but not an owner, helped open another Panda's near Interbay (1625 W. Dravus) but then left.

Hearty homemade noodles

About a year ago, Fu struck out on her own and moved into a small restaurant in the upper Roosevelt district that had gone through a succession of ethnic endeavors, including, I recall, a rather happy Hungarian. She called her new spot the Snappy Dragon.

If you want hearty homemade, fresh-cut Chinese noodles (the way the earlier mobs at Panda's did) check into Fu's Dragon. And don't fail to venture into the rest of the menu.

A must choice for starters is the Jiao-Zi dumplings ($4.75 for 15; $7.25 for 26). Steamed, fragrant and tender, they resemble unfried pot stickers and come with a variety of fillings. Try the pork-shrimp-ginger. If you've arrived with a group, don't make the mistake of ordering too few. The speed with which they disappear is outright embarrassing.

Incidentally, the dumplings are not listed on the menu under appetizers - you'll find them under Snappy Dragon Specialties, with another uncommon item: Green Onion Pancakes ($3.95 for a heaping platter).

The pancakes are layered (almost like a denser phyllo) and I think made from noodle dough laced with chopped onions. Dipped in a little soy sauce and a smoky, potent hot sauce, they're irresistible.

Stews hit the spot

When evenings begin to chill in fall, look over the lineup of Clay Pot Stews ($7.50 to $10.95). The simplest is a thickly marbled sliced beef and Napa Cabbage Stew ($7.50). More elaborate is the Seafood Stew ($8.95), with prawns, scallops, ground shrimp meatballs, baby corn and water chestnuts. The Land and Sea Stew combines all of the above ($10.95 for two brimming quarts of it).

Dry Sauteed String Beans ($6.25) are a grand dish in season - and this is the season. Fu makes them with American pole beans, not the more authentic Chinese long beans, but they are excellent, nevertheless. At my last visit, I found them slightly oversalted. The whole beans are wok-fried briefly in oil, drained, then finished with a spicy brown bean sauce and sliced almonds.

The soups ($6.50 to $8) are sumptuous and wonderful. The White Chicken with Spinach is grand, but my favorite for the past five years has been the Szechwan Noodles, topped with julienned pork and thin slices of pickled Chinese cabbage. It's hotter and spicier than the others.

The other favored noodle application is the soft-noodle chow meins ($5.50 to $6.75 - with a $2 surcharge if cut-to-order noodles are ordered. Order them; they're worth it).

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce with Onions ($7.50) is a grand example of what Asian restraint does for poultry. Sliced thinly, the breast of chicken is briskly tossed with the more assertive complements, emerging soft, white and rare, although fully cooked, in just minutes.

Not on the menu, but usually available, are Salt and Pepper Prawns ($8.95). Large, unpeeled prawns are lightly battered and cooked whole with dry seasonings, garlic and scallions. You can peel them, but purists insist they're better eaten whole - shells and all.

It's an acquired taste, but the contribution to nutritional roughage is undeniable.

"And a great source of calcium," chirped my oily-fingered friend.

"So are Tums," I said. (Copyright, 1994, John Hinterberger. All rights reserved.) John Hinterberger, who writes the weekly restaurant review in Tempo and a Sunday food column in Pacific, visits restaurants anonymously and unannounced. He pays in full for all food, wines and services. Interviews of the restaurants' management and staff are done only after meals and services have been appraised. He does not accept invitations to evaluate restaurants.