Alleyway Gourmet: No Soup For You!

Tom O’Malley | Jan 6, 2010 5:00 pm | 9 comments | 2440 reads

Spoons will get you nowhere with these soupless noodles. Grab your chopsticks and get ready to mix it up.

Youpo Pulled Noodles
(youpo chemian 油泼扯面, Shaanxi province)

Like all the “dry” dishes listed here, simplicity is key – let the texture and flavor of the noodles sing. Youpo chemian is a delicious ode to the belt-like flat noodles popular throughout China’s northwest.

The proofed dough (made on-site, see below) is rolled flat, cut into long pieces, then stretched by hand. Chilli paste, imported from Shaanxi, is invigorated with a splash (po) of hot oil (you), which tops the noodles along with bean sprouts, seasonal greens and braised pork. RMB 10.

Try it: Qishan Mian 西安岐山面. 32 Yonghegong Dajie (just south of Lama Temple), Dongcheng District (no tel) 东城区雍和宫大街32号

Hot Dry Noodles
(regan mian 热干面, Hubei province)

These noodles, mustard-yellow in color with a shape and bite akin to thick spaghetti cooked al dente, are robust and nourishing. Served with sesame sauce, spring onion, dried chilli, crushed peanuts, pickles and black pepper, it’s a much-loved breakfast dish in its native Wuhan, though scarce in Beijing.

The two fundamental constituents are the noodles and the sesame paste – this tiny restaurant (see below) makes both to a closely guarded recipe. RMB 7.

Try it: Wuhan Regan Mian 武汉热干卖弄. 82-4 Dongsi Sitiao, Dongcheng District (no tel) 东城区东四四条82-4号

Zhajiang Noodles
(zhajiang mian 炸酱面, Beijing)

Hand-pulled, thick wheat noodles straight out of the pot, served the lao Beijing way, with a mouth-coating sauce of pork stir-fried in fermented bean paste. Usually accompanied by little dishes of cucumber, celery, bean sprouts, and yellow soybeans, added (often theatrically) by your fuwuyuan.

Sweet, salty and filling, this noodle dish is so ubiquitous that the Chinese translation for spaghetti bolognaise literally means “Western Zhajiang Noodles.” RMB 8.

Try it: Fu Jia Lou 福家楼. Daily 11am-2pm, 5-10pm. 23 Dongsi Shitiao, Dongcheng District (8403 7831) 东城区东四十条23号

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Emily Young's picture Emily Young Submitted by Guest on Tue, 01/12/2010 - 20:04

Dear nanama, you are welcome~
Seriously, are you really afraid of MSG? Next time pls try to ask for a NO-MSG edition, and you may realize most flavors come from those comparatively natual comdiments other than this chemical product. Good luck!

nanama's picture nanama Submitted by Guest on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 15:59

Hehehe,
Great to see this debate stretching like a lamian...
Actually it was the photo in the article that reminded me of biangbiang mian. Combined with the hunger in my belly, the result is a comment that triggered some fiery replies. Smile As long as we're all happy with our msg filled dry noodles, i am happy.
And thanks for explaining the youpuo mian and biangbiang mian difference to me.

Phil's picture Phil Submitted by Guest on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 12:39

So you're saying biangbiangmian is a subset of youpo chemian, specifically only youpo chemian that uses "flat belt" kudaimian?

So, by extension, all biangbiangmian could also legitimately be called youpo chemian, but not all youpo chemian can be labelled biangbiangmian.

Is that right?

Emily Young's picture Emily Young Submitted by Guest on Fri, 01/08/2010 - 15:48

Quote:
If there is a difference between the youpo chemian in the above photo and biangbiangmian, please enlighten me.

In most cases especially in Beijing， the two share the same form. But in Shaanxi province, the pulled noodles(扯面) could be streched into various shapes, and in the first photograph is a most popular form of youpo chemian, using the widest belt-like flat noodle——kudai mian （裤带面）other than thinner ones. As to biangbiangmian, kudai mian is used in default, and biangbiang refers to some sounds related to preparing and eating the noodles, which I've explained above.

Emily Young's picture Emily Young Submitted by Guest on Fri, 01/08/2010 - 15:20

nanama wrote:
You obviously haven't tried the ultimate dry noodles named: biangbiang mian.
The Character biang is one of the most complicated Chinese characters ever, but the noodles are just amazing. I used to eat them at the Parkson Department store food court (5th floor) on the East 4th Ring road, but haven't managed to find any decent restaurant serving them in CBD yet.
They do come with a so called soup (the water they were boiled in) on the side, so there actually is some "soup" for you as well. :)

Actually biangbiangmian is generally the same as youpo chemian when you order them in Beijing. The complicated character biang imitates sounds in these situations: the sound of the elastic dough hitting down on the table and immediately bouncing up, the sound of raw dough dropping into boiling water, and the sound of eating the chewy flat noodles.

Phil's picture Phil Submitted by Guest on Thu, 01/07/2010 - 16:50

nanama wrote:
You obviously haven't tried the ultimate dry noodles named: biangbiang mian.

Not sure if I'd agree with you there.

The first photograph of noodles looks a lot like biangbiangmian to me, although it's not described as such in the article.

The bean sprouts, the shape and size of the pork bits, shape of the noodles and the combination of condiments (lajiao and MSG) look identical to biangbiangmian, at least to my eyes, and in comparison with the biangbiangmian I eat at a mall in Wangjing.

If there is a difference between the youpo chemian in the above photo and biangbiangmian, please enlighten me.

nanama's picture nanama Submitted by Guest on Thu, 01/07/2010 - 15:47

You obviously haven't tried the ultimate dry noodles named: biangbiang mian.
The Character biang is one of the most complicated Chinese characters ever, but the noodles are just amazing. I used to eat them at the Parkson Department store food court (5th floor) on the East 4th Ring road, but haven't managed to find any decent restaurant serving them in CBD yet.
They do come with a so called soup (the water they were boiled in) on the side, so there actually is some "soup" for you as well. Smile

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