Anita Feng’s next chapter, Nouilles Sauvette, starts in a Chinese takeout box

People have been standing in front of the noodle shop J’ai Feng on Beaubien Est with concerned expressions for months: A sign on the door said to stay tuned with thanks, but there were minimal details about what happened to the Feng sisters, Anita and Amy, and why the shop was closed.

Over six months have passed since spicy noodles were last slung inside at the high-top counters. J’ai Feng’s unique big bowls of spicy Sichuan-style noodles, as well as the warm welcome of the beloved siblings, has been sorely missed.

The back story is that it’s been a tough time for the Fengs and their loved ones: a few months ago, chef Anita was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she’s now undergoing treatments which will continue into the next months. She’d been thinking of switching up the business anyway, she says, but getting sick was not the impetus for change she expected.

A mission to share authentic Chinese cuisine

Feng has always been committed to sharing her love and knowledge of Chinese food, especially Sichuan’s numbing, spicy cuisine.

From her early days at Trilogie, the tiny dumpling shop which opened in 2014, Feng has been an ambassador for authentic, contemporary Chinese flavours. Three years later, and wanting to learn more, she closed Trilogie and headed to the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in Chengdu.

Upon return a year later, Feng shared her deepening knowledge and joy of Chinese cooking on French language shows Cinq Chefs dans ma Cuisine and Curieux Bégin, to the great delight of many across the province.  All that knowledge—and her gift of rendering Chinese cooking accessible—won Feng the Révélation de l’année award at the Prix Lauriers in 2021.  

When J’ai Feng officially opened the Beaubien premises in the fall of 2021, the formula was simple: Big bowls of rice noodles in spicy sauce for lunch. A neighbourhood favourite for Sichuan peppercorn fans, homesick students, and chef friends alike, those comforting bowls of sweat-inducing goodness saw many through cold winter (and hot summer) days. To round out the options, Feng made cucumber and lotus root cold dishes, cool drinks, and had shelves full of Chinese condiments, dried noodles, and sauces to take home.

Feng’s illness compelled her to think about what’s possible, while still in a noodle mode. “The only thing I want to do is keep cooking,” she says, but standing all day behind the stove isn’t quite in the cards for her.

Takeaway noodles to the rescue

She needed a project simple enough for her family to help out with in the kitchen, but still delicious enough to keep her satisfied that there’s no compromise on quality and taste. And thus, Nouilles Sauvette was born.

Those who loved Feng’s mi xian (米线) round rice noodles won’t be disappointed with the new offering: sauced noodles made to order in a classic Chinese takeout oyster pail with a pair of chopsticks, served through the street-level counter for takeout only.

The menu is comprised of three flavours: ginger-scallion, a Feng family Cantonese-style favourite; sesame-peanut, with sesame paste, sesame oil, and a bit of Sichuan peppercorn; and spicy, a new thicker variation of J’ai Feng’s roasted red chili oil. Customers who like it extra spicy have the option of adding more spice for an additional charge. Each serving is 500 grams—enough to feed someone very hungry—for $8.

The concept works in French and Chinese, Anita says.

“It translates as runaway noodles, noodles that save you, or in Chinese,  快面侠—kuai mian xia—Fast Noodle Hero,” she says.

They’re hoping to make some classic Chinese summer drinks like cool chrysanthemum tea once things get rolling.

The logo, created by Feng’s partner and graphic designer Rock Anctil, features a peppy bird with a wind-up key and a noodle in its mouth, about to take off. Feng’s sister Amy will still be front-of-house; the two have always been an inseparable team since Trilogie days, and that’s not about to change.

 “You grab the noodles and you fly away!” Feng says with a laugh. “I found the name really fun, and it’s very much what I’m living through right now.”

All in

Feng is optimistic and characteristically upbeat about her cancer. Her treatments will be going on for a while, and she’s grateful for the care she’s received and the teams working with her to keep her strong. At the same time, she wants to raise awareness about women taking charge of their reproductive health, something that she hadn’t fully realized until she was diagnosed.

“More and more young women have cancer now, and it’s important that they know of the importance of regular gynecological checkups,” she says, adding that she had no symptoms—until she did.

The family, including her parents, have since rallied around her, and they’re all in with Nouilles Sauvette.

“Do we really need a new J’ai Feng project right now?” Feng says. “It’s good for me to have this and not just focus on my treatments: I’m a fille d’action!”

“If I feel fine, for sure I’ll be there.”