Where to Get Fresh Noodles in Seattle
Hsiao-Ching Chou
Noodles drying on racks. In the background: my daughter's classmates listen to the tour guide at the Tsue Chong noodle and fortune cookie factory.
Author's Note: For the month of November, I am participating in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month) and pledge to post once a day.
The language of noodles has as many dialects as regions in China. Hand-pulled, hand-shaved, hand-plucked, machine-made, wheat with egg, wheat without egg, rice, mung mean, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, fried – and on it goes. If I need some comfort, I usually crave a piping-hot bowl of noodle soup. Braised beef noodle soup is my favorite.
Making rice noodle sheets.
Back in June, I helped chaperone my daughter's class field trip to Tsue Chong Co. in the International District/Chinatown. The company makes the Rose Brand wheat noodles (pictured above), he fen (also called chow fun) rice noodles, and fortune cookies. The wheat noodles are a great all-purpose noodle for stir fries and soups. The rice noodles are great for steaming or stir frying. The factory address is 800 S. Weller St., but the retail shop is located on the corner of South King St. and 8th Ave. S. Because the storefront is covered in bars, you might think you're in the wrong place. Look for the bags of fortune cookies on the shelves. It's the right place. If you don't see what you're looking for, ask the person behind the counter. Sometimes, they store items under the counter.
One the easy dinners I make for my kids is what we call zha jiang mian or "Chinese spaghetti." It's basically a meat sauce.
We affectionately call this "Chinese spaghetti."
ZHA JIANG MIAN (Version 1)
Serves 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sweet bean sauce
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)
3/4 pound Chinese wheat noodles, cooked according to the package
Optional toppings: julienned cucumber, carrots, green onions
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat in the wok. When the oil just begins to smoke, turn down the heat to medium. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking up the pieces as you go. Once browned, add the ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Turn the heat up a little, if it seems like it's cooking too slowly. Stir-fry the pork mixture until the tomatoes cook down and render the juice.
Add the soy sauce, water and sweet bean sauce. Stir to combine. Then stir in the peas and carrots. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Taste. If it's too salty, add a touch more water. (The sauce should be a little salty because the noodles will balance out the flavor.)
Mix the sauce with the cooked noodles. If desired, serve with julienned cucumber and carrots.