Nouilles Sauvette : Noodles for Anita

For several months, we were without news from Anita Feng, who had to close down her small Szechuanese counter on Beaubien Street last September and pause all her media projects to focus on her health.

But now the sun is back with some good news: J’ai Feng will be making a comeback this summer in a simplified form, under the name Nouilles Sauvette. We can’t even begin to say how happy we were to see Anita smiling at the window of her shop when we stopped by to chat about her new project!

Back in February, the life of the 35-year-old chef was completely upended. After several weeks of testing, the verdict came in: she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Anita agreed to speak with us openly, hoping others won’t wait as long as she did before seeking medical advice. “Cancers are becoming more common among young people,” she tells us. In fact, according to a recent study conducted among oncologists in 204 countries, cancer cases in adults under 50 increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019 – and mortality is up by 28%.
“I never used to go to the doctor. Now, I remind all my friends to go get checked. Go do your check-ups!” she urges.

Noodles for Anita

The past few months haven’t been easy for Anita. She’s had two surgeries and is still undergoing chemotherapy. “After the surgery, I couldn’t move for a month,” she confides. The extended break started to weigh on the small business’s finances. That’s why, with help from her uncle and sister Amy, she decided to launch a pop-up counter in her shop, which already had a sliding window facing the street.

“We’re doing a condensed version of J’ai Feng. Noodles in a window. I copied the concept from that gnocchi spot on Fairmount [Drogheria Fine],” Anita says with a laugh.

Starting May 19, Nouilles Sauvette will serve noodles Tuesday to Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The menu will stay ultra simple, due to the small team: three noodle options, served in Chinese takeout boxes for the (very) modest price of $8 (with an extra $0.50 for Anita’s famous spicy red oil). For now, Anita offers ginger and scallion, sesame and peanut (our faves!, or spicy noodles. “We might add a cold noodle option for the summer,” she adds.

To quench your thirst, winter melon or chrysanthemum flower flavored teas are also available.

If you’re lucky, you might catch Anita at the window when she feels well enough. During her treatments, her parents, sister, and uncle will take over operations.

Anita’s treatments are expected to end in August, but she’s taking things one step at a time. Will J’ai Feng return in its original format? “We’ll see!” she replies simply. “Nouilles Sauvette is a temporary project, but if it goes really well like this, we might just continue with this format.”

A note for fans of the famous J’ai Feng red oil: Anita is currently looking into the possibility of having it produced by a partner, as making the beloved condiment requires a bit too much from the very small team right now.

Nouilles Sauvette

Hours: Starting May 19, Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: 43 Rue Beaubien Est, Montreal (in the window of the J’ai Feng shop)
Prices: $8 for noodles, $4 for teas

Written by Mikael Lebleu
Photography by Mikael Lebleu