I was given a special treat this year for my birthday–lunch out at the Sha Lin Noodle House in Vancouver, BC. They don’t take reservations so we crowded into the doorway to get out of the rain and hovered hungrily over the nearest table, the wait wasn’t long and we were soon seated with a great view of the glass-enclosed kitchen where noodles were being tossed, cut, pulled and cooked. We ordered noodles in various states as well as cucumbers in a toasted sesame dressing which was fantastic. The helpings were huge, even though we were stuffed we walked out the door with some hefty doggy-bags.