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I've written about the increasing dining variety at South Salt Lake's Chinatown development for a couple of years; if you still haven't been, might I recommend CY Noodles House as another call to action? Honestly, I'm not going to tell you again.

The menu begins safely enough with a trio of solid egg rolls ($3.50) but quickly switches up through more interesting gears. Seasoned corn ($3.50) adds nutty sunflower seeds to stir-fried sweet corn while both of the steamed dumplings on offer — shrimp and scallop ($7.50) or shrimp and chive ($7.50) — are worthy of your time and money. Best of the bunch for me, though, were the sesame balls ($4.99). Glutinous rice flour is rolled into a ball and filled with a sweetened red bean paste. Coated in sesame seeds and deep fried they offer a fun textural mix of crunch and chew, eight to an order.

With the central concept illuminated quite literally in lights inside the restaurant space, the arguable star of the show here is the mix-and-match "Create Your" own noodle bowl menu, offering thousands of potential combinations. Well, at least it sure seems there would be that many permutations; sadly, my math skills don't match the ambition of my OCD. The order process, thankfully carried out tableside, is split into four main choices, each with its own subset of selections.

Diners start by choosing a style of noodle dish. The "methods": noodle soup, dry noodle, dan dan noodle or chow mein. After that, a type of noodle is required; soft noodle, rice noodle, flat noodle, Japanese ramen, la mein, udon, egg white noodle and Vietnamese pho are all options.

Protein comes in the form of eight choices: spicy Angus beef, regular Angus beef, fried chicken leg quarter, braised spare rib, orange chicken, fried shrimp, grilled chicken, spicy ground pork and firm tofu. Finally, would-be noodle bowl builders have a choice of vegetables to round out the dish: broccoli, bok choy, Napa cabbage, bean sprouts and lettuce. If you opted for a soupy rendition, you also have a fifth quandary, a choice of tomato, traditional and hot and sour broth. A standard noodle bowl runs $9.25 and is big enough to satiate the deepest of hungers. Feel free to insert some clichéd truism here about the inversion and noodles being the perfect medicine for the brisk weather.

Your mileage will vary based on the particular mad science you employ in crafting your bowl. Just because you can have something your way doesn't necessarily mean you always should. The core ingredients, though, are fresh and flavorful while the service is speedy and friendly. If you're having trouble choosing an exact assemblage, there are a handful of preconfigured CY specials, of which I'd recommend — hands down — the dan dan noodle with spicy pork, a fiery dish featuring gobs of chile oil and enough garlic to drop Dracula at 100 feet.

If we wrapped proceedings up here, I'd be telling you that CY Noodles House is a decent enough entrant into the world of fast-casual Asian restaurants that are so popular right now. But the story doesn't end here, because wait, what's this, a second menu? Dropped off with little fanfare by our server and packed with Sichuan dishes.

For the uninitiated, that means an avalanche of tien tsin chile peppers and Sichuan peppercorns — the former those devilishly hot, dried red chiles you love to hate and the latter that most enigmatic ingredient providing the characteristic numbing and cooling sensation of many dishes from this part of China.

Szechuan spicy boiled fish ($13.99 or $11.99 with beef instead) is a fantastic example of this style of cooking: a monstrously vivacious bowl packed with all of the above, plus chile oil, garlic, onions and chunks of meaty white fish. Ladled over a side bowl of steaming rice, it can be a revelatory experience for newcomers. It's energizing comfort food that demands the attention of every element of your palate. Preserved cabbage fish fillet ($10.99) is the dish's demure sibling. Gone is the fiery bite of the cascade of chiles, and in their place a funkier, more mellow flavor with preserved cabbage, lending pickle-like acidic bite.

Twice-cooked pork ($8.99) doubles down on the heat. Pork belly is stir fried with cabbage, leeks, onions and in addition to those red chiles, aggressively thick rings of sliced jalapeño. It's not a dish for the faint of heart, but certainly one that rewards. Kung pao chicken ($8.25) is listed on the menu as unlike any you've tried before, and I think that would be a fair description for most folks. The version here switches out bland celery for sharp Chinese cucumber and the driving taste is one of subtle hoisin.

Another standout was the crisp tofu with garlic sauce ($8.25), which arrives stacked like a game of Jenga, the silky smooth tofu almost quivering as the plate hits the table. The exterior fry is wafer thin and provides wonderful contrast, though I could take or leave the sweet and spicy sauce. Instead I'd much prefer to pair with a vegetable dish like the spicy shredded potato ($4.99) or Szechuan spicy Napa cabbage ($4.99). The potato is plated matchstick thin, fried to a pleasing bite and packs plenty of refreshing Sichuan peppercorn zing, whereas the cabbage offers a more sharp and vinegary complement. Neither are timid in portion size, and indeed many of these dishes are all the better when shared.

Ordinarily I'd be somewhat snarky regarding the existential crisis that the two completely distinct menus suggest, but with food this beguiling and engaging, it's hard not to recommend you head on down to Chinatown right now. This is your final reminder, folks.

Stuart Melling also writes at http://www.theutahreview.com and http://www.gastronomicslc.com — he can be found on Twitter @gastronomicslc —

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CY Noodles House

Food • HHhj

Mood • Hhj

Service • HH

Noise • bb

Beyond the build-your-noodle concept lurks sizzling Szechuan cuisine. Recommended dishes: sesame balls, dan dan noodles, crispy tofu with garlic sauce

Location • 3370 State St., South Salt Lake; 801-485-2777

Hours • Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.; closed Wednesday

Children's menu • No

Prices • $$

Liquor • No

Reservations • No

Takeout • Yes

Wheelchair access • Yes

Outdoor dining • No

On-site parking • Yes

Credit cards • Yes