Ji Be Chuan Brings Popular Chinese Rice Noodle Franchise to CT

At one end of a non-descript strip mall in Orange is a new restaurant called Ji Be Chuan — You could call it a noodle joint or a soup joint, but that’s not an altogether accurate description. Although its roots stem from China, Ji Be Chuan isn’t exactly a Chinese restaurant either. A Chinese franchise which was founded in Shuzhou, China has over 400 locations in China with a growing international presence. There are 50 restaurants in the US including one in New York City, and one here in Orange, Connecticut. 

This franchise is unique in that about 50% of the menu features original Ji Be Chuan recipes, but franchisees are allowed to supplement with their own recipes and dishes. For this reason, the Orange location features a unique blend of Asian influences and  flavors from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and, of course, China. This “flexible franchise,” as owner Jin Lin refers to it, allowed him to incorporate pho and ramen with the traditional Chinese dishes. There is something for everyone, and something familiar to everyone. 

The dishes featured at Ji Be Chuan (which Lin refers to as JBC) is traditional street food, from the classic Chicken Noodle Soup to the spicy mala rice noodle. Ingredients are carefully selected to ensure authenticity and the best flavor profiles.

As I sit down to write this on a bone-chilling day that’s been punctuated by snow and freezing rain, I’m wishing I had a warm bowl of one the amazing soups I had the privilege of trying last week. 

We were rather overwhelmed with all the delicious sounding dishes we saw on the menu and so we deferred to Lin for his recommendations. Naturally, we said yes to them all. Ravenous, we began with a couple of appetizers, a flavorsome shrimp dumpling, a scrumptious pork soup dumpling followed a wonderful BBQ pork Bao (Xiao Long Bao) and the TFC, Taiwanese Fried Chicken, their signature appetizer which was really quite out of this world, as well as a delicious Pork Wonton special with a sweet red chili sauce. I enjoyed them all, but if I could only order two, I would select the TFC and the BBQ bao.

Steaming bowls with an assortment of aromatic broths began arriving from the kitchen.
The first was the Mala Soup with beef brisket. Spicy, tingly mala broth gets its heat from a mix of chiles, Sichuan peppercorns and a host of other aromatic ingredients. Mala literally means spicy and numbing, so if this turns you on, you should order it, if it terrifies you, you may want to skip this completely and try the Chicken Noodle Soup instead. I like a little heat, but it was hot!

As comforting as the Chicken Noodle Soup we’re all familiar with, this version has a depth beyond ours that comes from aromatics and spices like ginger, cumin, and Sichuan peppercorns. This will warm you through and through on a chilly day. Generous portions of chicken and copious amounts of noodles along with fish maw, wood-ear and Inoki mushrooms, bean curd, lettuce, and scallion all contribute to the wonderful flavor. 

Light, refreshing, and vegan friendly, the Mushroom Soup is made from a vegetable broth base and chock-full of assorted mushrooms and rice noodles with a wonderful earthy flavor.

This location is known for its Dry Tossed Rice Noodles. There’s no broth in this dish. Minced pork is blended with crushed peanuts, scallion, cilantro, corn and rice noodles and offers up a lively kick with very definitive Szechuan influence. I really enjoyed this.

I’m saving my favorite for last. A special, The Super Bowl seemed large enough to feed an army. Generously sized, this soup (in my humble opinion) could easily serve 3-4. More like a traditional pho with rice noodles, the broth was delectable and featured beef short rib on the bone, brisket and tripe. Onion, scallion, and cilantro added to the wonderful flavor profile.

Lin and his partner are no strangers to the Connecticut restaurant scene. They’re also the owners of Tomo 68 in Naugatuck, Ramen & Bao in Oxford and Natural Kitchen in Milford. Based on this experience, I think I have a couple of food-related road trips in my near future! 

Ji Bei Chuan, 519D Boston Post RD Orange, CT 06477 203-553-9125/203-553-9126