'I ate noodles at a restaurant recommended by a famous local chef for just over £10'

As winter is just around the corner, people are getting inventive with ways to stay warm. From heated blankets to wearing coats indoors, we go to extreme lengths to avoid shivering for three months straight.

Maybe it is time to go back to the basics by eating a large bowl of noodle soup to thaw our frosty hearts. At Zhonghua on Norfolk Street, you can get a generous portion of noodles or soup dumplings for a very reasonable price that are sure to heat you up in winter.

The CamBites series is on a mission to find the most affordable places to eat across the county. Whether you are a student who is pinching the pennies or someone that just wants to eat well for less, we are making it easy for you to save a bit of money but still enjoy good food.

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My colleague Siobhan Middleton, who usually writes this column, is on holiday for a fortnight. So I decided to try my hand at finding the best cheap eats in Cambridge.

As this restaurant had been recommended to me by Alex Rushmer, the chef and owner of Vanderlyle, I had no doubt that this would be an experience. Zhonghua is about a 15 minute walk from Mill Road and as someone that loves taking a stroll around the area, I had no idea what this restaurant existed owing to its inconspicuous location.

Norfolk Street is a student's idea of heaven with the vintage clothes store and quaint coffee shops you can find on the road. But Zhonghua is easily missed as the outside of the restaurant blends into the other buildings around it.

The restaurant is also tiny inside with only six tables squashed into the limited space. However, this isn't a bad thing as the open kitchen and wooden chairs make you feel as if you are eating in someone's kitchen giving the place a homely feel.

When I walked into the restaurant, I was quickly greeted by the welcoming staff who showed me to a table. The menu I was given was overflowing with choices such as steamed buns, a range of dumplings, and some starters and sides.

As the weather was cold out, I decided to order the noodles with braised tender beef in soup, which cost £10.80. I knew this would help to keep me warm and also satisfied for the rest of the day.

The restaurant was decorated with a variety of red and white prints hanging on the walls and a handy chart that allowed you to work out your Chinese Zodiac Sign. I was born in the year of the snake if you are interested.

It wasn't long before I was handed a steaming bowl of noodles in a broth topped with coriander, spring onions, carrots, and pak choi. The slices of braised beef where delicately placed around the noodles.

The soup was wonderfully salty with small pools of oil glistening on top of it and it paired well with the generous amount of spring onion ladled into the bowl. On the table, there were a few pots of garlic, chillies, vinegar, and soy sauce that you could add to your meal but my dish was tasty enough without it.

The noodles were just chewy enough and the slices of beef melted in my mouth. I would have liked a few more vegetables to go alongside the soup but the meal left me fulfilled.

By the end of my meal, people started trickling into the restaurant and ordering multiple plates of food. It is no shock that Zhonghua is so popular considering its low prices and high quality dishes.

Even though I knew the restaurant would be good after it being recommended to me by a famous local chef, I was still surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience. I will almost definitely be returning to Zhonghua thanks to its warm hospitality and cheap food.