Cecilia and Steve Yang’s third restaurant features favorites from its Philadelphia and Myrtle Beach eateries, a relaxed atmosphere, and seven-days-a-week service.
By Matt Skoufalos | December 30, 2021
Spice C Haddonfield Dining Room. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Eleven years ago, Cecilia and Steve Yang opened their first hand-drawn noodle restaurant in the 100 block of North 10th Street in Philadelphia.
Its name, Spice C, is both a pun about the heat associated with Szechuan cooking, and a nod to Cecilia, the engine behind the business and the maestro of its menu.
After the success of the Philadelphia location led to a second storefront in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the couple began searching for a third location a little closer to home.
They considered both Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, but ultimately settled on the latter for its walkability and burgeoning restaurant district.
“We’ve always loved this town for many years,” Steve Yang said. “It’s laid-back, and if you walk around the King’s Highway area, it feels like somewhere else. In Cherry Hill, you have to drive everywhere.”
The Haddonfield shop, which opened in the former Two Fish BYOB location at 26 South Haddon Avenue earlier this month, offers a greatest-hits repertoire of the most popular dishes from the other two spots, honed over more than a decade.
Chicken wings at Spice C are all flats, prepared fresh with housemade sauces. Credit: Spice C.
“All three locations have three different menus, [but] we kept the best ones in Haddonfield,” Steve Yang said.
“All the dishes are Philly favorites.”
Szechauan-style noodle soups start with 24-to-48-hour, house-made beef and chicken stocks, and are flavored with 15 to 20 herbs (“not just hot chili oil,” Steve Yang said) prepared daily.
Freshly made ramen and knife-shaved noodles, as well as udon and rice noodles, are prepared in a variety of styles.
“Drunken noodles is more Vietnamese; udon is more Korean-style,” Steve Yang said.
“Our pad thai is more Thai-style, and we have rice so people who like that don’t feel left out.”
Appetizers also include never-frozen potstickers and dumplings, cheesesteak egg rolls, and spicy chicken wings with house-made sauce.
“We use only the middle part,” Steve Yang said, “no drums.”
Cecilia’s hand can be felt in the design of the dining room as well as the menu; it features custom-made benches, chairs, tables, flooring, and ceiling.
Exterior, Spice C in Haddonfield. Credit: Matt Skoufalos,
The Yangs hope patrons will feel welcomed, and will take the time to enjoy a leisurely meal without being rushed.
“In the city, it’s always packed,” Steve Yang said.
“Over here, the reason we picked a small place rather than a bigger place is because we want people to come in, stay as long as you want, and enjoy the food; have that whole experience.”
The Yangs want Spice C to complement the local dining scene with seven-days-a-week lunch and dinner service, no-reservation dining, and delivery from Doordash (coming soon).
“So far, we’ve had tremendous feedback,” Steve Yang said. “We love the people.”
Spice C is located at 26 South Haddon Avenue in Haddonfield. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, visit spicecnoodle.com or call (856) 515-8200.
