No dining experience at a Chinese restaurant is complete without a heaping bowl of noodles. It’s a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture, so it’s always present in birthdays and New Year celebrations. But even without special occasions, it’s easily the most ordered item on the menu. Because of this, you might find yourself getting tired of the usual pancit canton or wonton noodles… But what if we told you there are varieties of authentic Chinese noodles that you won’t find at your go-to Chinese restaurant? Here are some that you can try at a restaurant or at home:
Biang Biang Noodles
Biang Biang refers to a type of flat and wide hand-pulled noodles that originated from Shaanxi, typically served with minimal broth or coated with spicy aromatic oil. The word “biáng” describes the sound that the noodles make when they are stretched and whipped against the table. (It is also one of the most complex Chinese characters to write, consisting of 58 strokes in its traditional form). Biang Biang Noodles used to be eaten by blue-collar workers in Xi’an who didn’t have time to cut the noodles into thin strands, but now it has become a popular dish across China and around the world.
Pilya’s Kitchen at The Grid Rockwell has their own version called Mapo Biang, which combines the sauce of Mapo Tofu with Biang Biang Noodles.
Chinese characters of Biang BIang Noodles from A Daily Food
Photo from Food Network
Zhajangmian
You’re probably already familiar with the Korean Jajangmyeon thanks to the Ram-Don dish from Parasite (2019), but it actually originated from Shandong China and is known as Zhajangmian, which translates to “noodles with fried bean paste sauce.” The most popular version is Beijing Zhajiangmian, which consists of thick wheat noodles topped with Tianmian sauce (a type of sweet and salty soybean paste). It typically also contains either diced or ground pork as well as a variety of vegetables such as sliced cucumbers, radish, and scallions.
You can try Zhajangmian at Lao Beijing, with branches at San Juan and Makati.
Photo from Eat Cho Food
Dandanmian
Dandanmian (also known as Dan Dan Noodles) has many different forms. It’s originally a noodle dish from Sichuan China and is made with chili oil, Sichuan peppers, minced pork, and pickled vegetables over thin wheat noodles and garnished with crushed peanuts and scallions. It’s typically a dry noodle dish, but the Hong Kong version, which has become more popular, is served with spicy broth. The Japanese version, on the other hand, closely resembles the Hong Kong version but with a creamier and nuttier broth.
You can try Dan Dan Noodles at Szechuan House at the Aloha Hotel, Roxas Boulevard or Din Tai Fung.
Photo from Delish
Scallion Oil Noodles
Scallion oil noodles are as straightforward as it sounds. It’s made with wheat noodles topped with a sauce made of chopped scallions (also known as green onions) fried in a neutral-tasting oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and a little bit of sugar and sesame oil. It’s such a simple dish that restaurants don’t usually serve it, but you can easily make it at home using Jeeca Uy’s recipe.
Photo from Tara’s Multicultural Table
Shaxian Peanut Sauce Noodles
Shaxian Peanut sauce noodles is another noodle dish that is simple to make but packed with complex flavors. There are four main ingredients: toasted peanut sauce (which you can easily swap out with peanut butter), soy sauce, sugar, and scallion oil. You can easily make Shaxian Peanut Sauce Noodles at home, either following Chinese Cooking Demystified’s recipe for the most authentic version or Jeeca Uy’s recipe if you want a spicy tangy twist.
Photo from The Woks of Life
Tired of your usual noodle orders? Give these a try and tell us which one is your favorite.
