Seven Stars Pepper makes my favorite bowl of dan dan noodles in the city (though it hasn't exactly been the same since chef Cheng Biao Yang left, and my experience is by no means comprehensive). Part of my enjoyment is environmental. The restaurant occupies the second floor in a shopping center on Jackson and 12th. From a big table near the window, you can sip tea and gaze outside at the goings-on of Little Saigon, which feels somehow both urban and homey. But the main attraction here is the Szechuan dan dan noodle with pork, and it all comes down to the hand-shaved noodles. In the morning, the cooks make a big block of dough and then hack hunks off of it with a kitchen knife. The resulting noodle is long, thick, and ragged. The thickness offers the comfort of a steamed dumpling, and the shape makes the noodle more receptive to the sauce—which is my other favorite part of the dish. RICH SMITH