Your Summer Asian Staycation: The Cold Noodle Roundup

For most Asian countries, the quintessential summer dish comes in the form of a cold noodle dish. From buckwheat to spinach noodles, from fish paste to cold beef broth, slurping these noodles cools down the sweat on your back. Being the melting pot of many ethnicities, the Los Angeles area is an ethnic dining haven which offers these summer noodle dishes – sometimes year round. Don't let recession stop you from tasting all over Asia. With dishes $8 or under, the only expense you need to worry about is gas.

1. Japan: Zaru Soba

From:
Ichimiann
1618 Cravens Ave
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 328-1323



The best place for soba in the area at the moment is probably Ichimiann. This small shop just off of the downtown of Torrance hand makes their soba and udon noodles. A couple of tables are available, but mostly Japanese businessmen would fill up the wooden counter lining the wall. You can get a variety of soba and udon noodle soups, with eel to Japanese sticky yam as an accompaniment. For the summer there’s only one thing to get: zaru soba. The zaru soba is not only a great summer dish, it is also an initiation dish for those new to this buckwheat noodle known as soba. Cold handmade soba is served atop a bamboo tray. A bowl of tsuyu sauce (a mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce, and mirin), scallions, and wasabi are provided on the side. Mix in the wasabi and scallions in the sauce, then dip your cool strands of soba in the sauce. This simple dish brings out the resilient texture and flavor of this freshly made soba like no other.

2. Korea: Mul-Naengmyun

From:
Chil Bo Myun Ok
3680 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90189
(213) 387-9292



The Korean naengmyun are delicately thin yet chewy strands of vermicelli noodles made from buckwheat. Mul naengmyun is naengmyun served in a cold beef broth along with julienned vegetables, beef slices, and boiled eggs. At Chil Bo Myun Oak, the mul naengmyun is also served with slices of Korean pear. Despite being a popular Korean summer dish, a good naengmyun is still hard to find. Chil Bo Myun Ok takes so much pride in their naengmyun that the noodles are prohibited from leaving the premises. No to-go orders, no take out, the wonderfully supple and chewy noodles must be enjoyed in their metal bowls inside the restaurant that keeps it cool during your meal. The server will ask if you’d like the noodles cut, scissors ready in his other hand. The answer is yes, you’ll need him to.

3. Vietnam: Bun Thit Nuong

From:
Com Tam Thuan Kieu
120 E Valley Blvd, Ste I & J
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 280-5660



It’s always hot in South East Asia. That’s why you can find bun thit nuong in most Vietnamese places, all year round, but summer is the perfect time to try it. Rice vermicelli is topped with chargrilled pork, julienned carrots, scallions, and crushed peanuts and served at room temperature. Order a bun thit nuong cha gio and you will find sliced egg roll (cha gio) atop your bowl. For a mere $4.99 you will find the top of the bowl generously covered with meat and egg roll. Douse everything in some fish paste and you are ready to go. For the pork lovers and the fish sauce lovers, this one’s for you.

4. China: Cold Noodles with Green Tea Pork and Cold Vegetables

From:
Bamboodles
535 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 281-1226



At Bamboodles, to keep the dish cold, the plate is served on top of crushed ice to keep it cool throughout your meal. Spinach noodle, as with all other noodles at this restaurant, is made fresh every day. The dough is pounded flat by the chef by bouncing up and down on a bamboo pole – a method developed by a Guangdong noodle chef – and when you’re lucky you can watch him do this through the glass window of the kitchen. The noodles are arranged on a platter with shredded pork cooked in green tea and sliced vegetables. Mix everything in with the sesame sauce served on the side for a cooling and healthy meal.

5. Thailand: Jade Noodle

From:
Sapp Coffee Shop
5183 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027-6113
(323) 665-1035



This place may be most famous for their Thai boat noodles, but don't skip the jade noodle. The delicate, bright green noodles are served dry with bbq pork, roast duck, , crab, and a sweet ginger sauce. Squeeze the lime and mix everything well with the chili flakes. The lime gives the dish a refreshing sourness but not as strong as the one found in the boat noodles. This bowl lets you appreciate the delicate yet springy noodles themselves.

Yaki Udon

Ingredients:

200g Udon
20g carrot, cut into strips
300g long cabbage, cut into strips
2 mushroom, cut into slices
300g chicken, cut into slices
5 slice squid
5 pcs shrimps
20g green pepper, cut into strips
1 egg

For seasoning

small amount of Japanese light soya sauce
small amount of peppers
small amount of salt
small amount of Mirin

Method:

1. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat oil, stir-fry the seafood and meat till cooked, set aside.
3. Add in all the vegetables, stir-fry well.
4. Toss in the cooked seafood and meat.
5. Add the noodles and seasoning, quick-fry evenly, dish out and served.

Tororo Somen

Ingredients:

150g Somen (thin Japanese noodle)
1 quail egg
1 stalk spring onion
some wasabi
some cold sauce
some Japanese yam

Method:

1. Blend yam into fine smooth paste.
2. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, soak in ice water till cold and dish out.
4. Sprinkle some cut seaweed, serve with yam paste, spring onion, quail egg, wasabi and cold sauce.

Inariwa Udon

Ingredients:

150g Japanese white fine noodles
small amount of spring onion
1 quail egg
small amount of wasabi
small amount of cold sauce
some amount of cut seaweed

Method:

1. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, soak in ice water till cold and dish out.
3. Sprinkle some cut seaweed, serve with spring onion, quail egg, wasabi and cold sauce.

Laska

Ingredients:

1 kg thick bee-hoon
250g bean sprouts
20 cooked prawns
10 beancurd puffs
4 fish cakes
laska leaves

Stock:

3l water
20 laska leaves
2 bunches pandan leaves
70g shallots
20g garlic
20g candle nuts
30g turmeric
200g shrimps
3thsp belacan chilli paste
3thsp belacan powder
30g rock sugar
750ml coconut milk
100g chilli oil
salt

Method:

1. Boil water, put in pandan leaves and laska leaves. Boil for 10 min. discard pandan leaves and laska leaves.
2. Add shallots, garlic, candle nuts and turmeric. Boil and add dried shrimps, belacan chilli paste, powder and rock sugar. Stir well.
3. Add coconut milk and boil. Add salt and chilli oil. Put the beancurd puff into the stock.
4. Cook the bee-hoon and bean sprouts. Top with fish cakes, beancurd puff, prawns. Add the stock. Serve with laska leaves.

Tofu and Udon Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

¾ cup (120g) dashi granules
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp red miso paste
500g dried udon noodles
250g firm tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
6 spring onions, diagonally sliced

Method:

• Combine the dashi granules, mirin, miso paste and 1.5 litres of water in a pan. Stir and bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat immediately and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
• Cook the noodles in rapidly boiling water until tender, then rinse quickly under running water and drain well.
• Divide the noodles, tofu and spring onion between the serving bowls. Pour over the hot stock and serve immediately.

Ramen and Roast Duck Soup

Ingredients:

200g ramen noodles
2 cup (500ml) chicken stock
3 cup (750ml) water
5 thin slices fresh ginger
4 small red chilli peppers, seeded and halved
2 tsp lime juice
3 lemongrass stalks, bruised
3 cilantro roots, bruised
1 Chinese roast duck, meat removed and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
½ cup (60g) fresh bean sprouts, rinsed
¼ cup (10g) chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

• Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain and set aside. Place stock, water, ginger, 4 chilli pepper halves and lime juice in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Add lemongrass and cilantro roots. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve. Return stock to saucepan.
• Add duck meat, scallions and noodles to stock and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle into individual bowls. Top each serving with bean sprouts, fresh cilantro and remaining chilli pepper halves.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4 Chinese dried mushrooms
250g egg noodles
½ cup (60g) shredded snow peas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
4 cup (1L) chicken stock
1½ cup (250g) shredded cooked skinless chicken meat
½ cup (60g) fresh bean sprouts, rinsed

Method:

• Place mushrooms in small bowl, add boiling water to cover and allow to stand until softened, 10-15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Thinly slice mushrooms, discarding tough stems.
• Cook egg noodles as directed on package. Drain and set aside.
• Place snow peas in bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand for 1 minute, then drain. Refresh snow peas immediately in cold water.
• In wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add sliced mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add noodles, snow peas, soy sauce, rice wine, stock and chicken. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle into individual bowls. Garnish each serving with bean sprouts.

Somen, Pork and Scallion Soup

Ingredients:

250g somen noodles
4 cup (1L) chicken stock
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp light soy sauce
6 scallions (shallots/spring onions), sliced
125g Chinese barbecue pork, sliced chilli oil for serving

Method:

• Cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and divide among 4 individual bowls.
• Place stock, sherry and soy sauce in saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add scallions and pork. Cook for 1 minute.
• Ladle soup over noodles. Serve with chilli oil to be added to taste.

Phad Thai

(Stir-fried Rice Noodles)

Serves 4


Ingredients:

250g dried thick rice stick noodles
2 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp chopped red chilli
200g chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced
100g raw prawn meat, roughly chopped
100g fried tofu, cut into thin strips
75g garlic chives, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp soft brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (90g) bean sprouts
¼ cup (40g) roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Method:

1. Soak the rice stick noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain and set aside.Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, red chilli and chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
2. Add the prawn meat and stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Toss the tofu, garlic chives and rice sticks into the wok, cover and cook for another minute.
3. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and eggs to the wok and toss well with tongs or 2 wooden spoons until the egg is set. Divide the noodles among 4 serving bowls, sprinkle with the bean sprouts and peanuts and serve immediately.

Duck Noodle Soup

I walked into the Asian market only needing some tofu but walked out with over $80 of groceries and a whole roast duck. $1.28/lb white peaches, heck yeah! 99c/lb bok choy, yeah I need that too. Whoa, fish sauce is on sale?! Well, I still have some at home but it doesn’t hurt to have a backup right? As for the tofu I needed? Well, I got 2 shapes of deep fried tofu, a pack of pressed, firm, and silken. I had to restrain myself from those damn cute tofu knots.

The roast duck, which was also on sale so how could I not get it, was the highlight of the trip. I brushed the sweet plum sauce on the skin and reheated it in the toaster oven to restore the skin to its original crispness. I asked to keep the head and neck so I could turn it into duck stock. Then, putting that 99c bok choy to good use, I added it to the stock for a simple but perfect lunch - somen, roast duck, bok choy, in a simple duck soup. It's comfort food, Chinese style.

Simple Roast Duck Stock
1 roast duck head and neck and other bony pieces from the duck
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and washed
2 thin slices of fresh ginger
3 green onions, roughly chopped
6 C water
salt and white pepper

Cover the mushrooms with some hot water for 5 minutes, then rinse them under running water to wash off any dirt hiding in the mushroom gills.

Rinse the duck pieces with some cold running water.

Put everything in a large saucepan and simmer for 2 – 3 hours and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Season with salt and pepper.

Duck Noodle Soup
Noodles of choice, I chose somen (I do 2 - 3oz. for a serving)
1 bok choy per person, leaves separated and washed, sliced lengthwise
Roast duck
Duck stock

If the roast duck came with a sweet, honey colored sauce, brush some of that on the skin. If not, thin some plum sauce or honey with a small amount of water and brush that on the skin. Depending on how hot the broiler element gets in your oven or toaster oven, you can either bake at 450 for 5 – 10 minutes or use the broiler for 5 – 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the duck so it doesn’t burn. My toaster oven broiler is relatively weak, so I reheated the duck using the broil function.

Cook your noodle of choice according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water, drain, divide, into bowls and set aside.

Bring the duck soup to a simmer, add the bok choy and cover, cook for about 1 – 2 minutes. You want the bok choy to be crunchy. Make sure it doesn’t turn translucent because that means it’s overcooked.

Pour the soup on the noodles, add the bok choy and duck on top.

Bamboodles and the $1 Noodles (I Kid You Not)

Bamboodles has kind of been at the periphery of my radar ever since reading Exile Kiss' post on it, but when Wandering Chopsticks told me they had $1 daily special noodles ($1 ???) I immediately asked her to take me there.

The draw of Bamboodles is the bamboo-made noodles, made fresh daily. When we got there the guy was still working on some noodles, but alas, he didn't mount the big bamboo for my enjoyment. WC got a video though so hopefully she'll blog (sorry, vlog) this.I know the green tea pork noodles is supposed to be the highlight dish here, but since I came to get $1 noodles, the green tea pork will have to wait.
Since I felt kind of bad coming in and just ordering $1 dishes, I asked for an iced lemon tea also and WC got a side of spicy wontons.

Here's the $1 chicken-green onion-noodles:
Pretty good, huh? I don't think I can get this for $1 even back home in Indonesia these days ... Wandering Chopsticks said that the last time she got it, they put less chicken meat, so I guess don't always expect as much meat. But still, for $1 this was quite a meal, and quite a deal.

The noodles are quite good, with a nice chewiness and firmness. There was light fragrance to it. Parts of it were still sticking to each other but I believe these would work wonderfully in a soup. Can't wait to try their spinach noodles also.

The Spicy Wontons ($1.95) contained of eight wontons lightly covered in chili sauce.
The chili sauce itself was nothing special, but the wontons were wrapped in a thin yet springy skin. The meat was also nice and of higher quality (more meat, less bad fat) than most. This was also a nice deal for the price.
(These wontons, plus the chili sauce from YunChuan would be zomg amazing!)

The most expensive item on our check ended up being my iced lemon tea for $2.45 (expensive for an iced tea but I guess they have to cover overhead somehow)!
I'm going to be back to try their other items, but in the meantime ... guys, if you're feeling poor, just come here, get your $1 noodles, but please be considerate and tip reasonably (the dish usually sells for $5.95).
Oh, and the $1 special only lasts while the daily supplies still last, so go there early.

Bamboodles
535 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 281-1226
www.bamboodlesrestaurant.com

Spinach Noodles

Ingredients:

2 tbsps minced spinach
1 bowl japanese spinach noodles
1 thsp mashed corn

Method:

1. Wash and scald spinach in hot water until soft.
2. Parboil spinach noodles for a while and cook in soup for 5 minutes. Add spinach and corn. Bring to boil, then add seasoning. Serve.

Salmon withSweet Pepper Sauce

Serves 4


Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small red chilli pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red capsicum, seeded and diced
2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup (250ml) water
2 tsp cornstarch combined with 1 tbsp water
2 tsp lemon juice
180g egg noodles
3 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
4 (200g each) salmon fillets


Method:

• In wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add chilli pepper, garlic and capsicum and cook, stirring occasionally, until capsicum is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch and water. Continuing to stir, bring sauce to boil and cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain. In small bowl, combine sesame oil, lime juice and cilantro. Mix well. Pour over noodles and toss to coat.
• In frying pan over medium-high heat, warm remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Add salmon fillets and cook until fish flakes easily when tested with fork, 2-3 minutes on each side.
• To serve, reheat sweet pepper sauce if necessary. Arrange noodles and salmon fillets on individual plates. Spoon sauce on top and serve immediately.

Cold Soba

When exam crunch time rolls around, which is all too often, time is precious and there's very little of it that can be set aside to cook. Now, that's not to say I stop cooking all together, I just have to spend my time wisely. Anything that can be made in less than 30 minutes is good (as long as it's not remotely connected to Rachael Ray), less than 15 is ideal. Which brings me to one of my favorite meals, cold soba. It's simple, healthy, and delicious. I boil some noodles, make the dipping sauce while the noodles cook, and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds, seaweed, sliced green onions on at the end to make it look pretty because pretty food keeps the morale up while studying. It can be cooked, slurped, and the dishes washed in under 30 minutes. And it's healthier than ramen, which will be a post for another day.

Buckwheat is high in protein, good for your cardiovascular system, and just does a lot of great things for your body. When you buy soba noodles, make sure to look at the ingredients list, and if buckwheat is not the first ingredient you see, don't buy it. Preferably, the noodles should be 100% buckwheat. Cheaper, low quality noodles often cut their buckwheat with yam or other ingredients. Cold soba is particularly refreshing after a night of heavy takeout. If I have more time to spare, I'll pan fry some tofu to add on top and make a cucumber salad for a more complete meal.

Like most people, I rarely have dashi stock just sitting in the fridge so I usually just use water. Or I cheat by simmering some bonito and seaweed with the soy sauce and mirin when I'm making the sauce, let sit for a few minutes, and strain. If you have chicken stock or vegetable stock that will work too.

Cold Soba
Serves 2

2 bunches of soba noodles

Soba sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp mirin
1/2 tsp sugar (more to taste)
1/4 C Dashi stock (or chicken/vegetable stock or cheater dashi-see note)

Garnish
Toasted Seasame seeds
Sliced green onions
Seaweed slivers
Grated daikon

Boil water in a saucepan and cook the soba noodles according to package instructions.

While the noodles cook bring the ingredients for the sauce to a boil then remove from heat and set aside.

When the noodles are cooked, drain the soba noodles. Return them back to the pot and fill with cold water, swirl the noodles around, drain and repeat this process until the water is no longer starchy and cloudy. Put the drained noodles on a platter or bamboo tray. Top with whatever garnishes you want.

Pour a little sauce in a bowl, pick up some noodles, dunk in the sauce, and slurp to your heart's content.

Mee Siam

Serves 8-10


Ingredients:

1kg meehoon, soaked & drained
1kg fresh prawns, shelled & deveined; reserve shells
900ml water
salt to taste
1 cup (120ml) cooking oil
10 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cakes yellow bean curd, diced
2 tbsp salted soya beans, rinsed & mashed
4 tbsp light soya sauce
500g bean sprouts, tails removed
125g spring onions, cut into 2.5cm length
6 red chillies, seeded & thinly sliced slantwise
20 shallots, sliced & fried crisp
4 eggs, hard-boiled, shelled & sliced
15-20 local limes, halved & seeded

Sauce:
2 tbsp cooking oil
12 cloves garlic, pounded
3 tbsp ground red chillies
3 tbsp salted soya beans, rinsed, drained & pounded
3 tsp sugar
½ cup (120ml) thick tamarind juice
900ml coconut milk
salt to taste


Method:

1. In a pan, combine prawn shells and the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer to obtain 1 cup (200ml) of thick stock. Strain and add salt to taste. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil and fry garlic till crisp. Add prawns, bean curd and salted soya beans. Fry for 2 minutes. Reduce heat. Add stock and soya sauce. Simmer covered for 4 minutes.
3. Add meehoon. Fry for 5 minutes. Mix in bean sprouts and spring onions. Cook till all the ingredients are done. Add salt to taste.
4. Dish up and garnish with chillies, shallots and eggs. Serve hot with limes and the sauce.
5. To prepare sauce: Heat oil and fry the first three ingredients well. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Cook till the oil separates. Add salt to taste. Dish up.

Tofu and Udon noodle soup

Serves 6-8


Ingredients:

¾ cup (120g) dashi granules
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp red miso paste
500g dried udon noodles
250g firm tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
6 spring onions, diagonally sliced


Method:

1. Combine the dashi granules, mirin, miso paste and 1.5 litres of water in a pan. Stir and bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat immediately and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
2. Cook the noodles in rapidly boiling water until tender, then rinse quickly under running water and drain well.
3. Divide the noodles, tofu and spring onion between the serving bowls. Pour over the hot stock and serve immediately.

Mee Grob

(Crispy Fried Noodles)

Serves 4


Ingredients:

100g dried rice vermicelli
2 cups (500ml) oil
100g tofu, cut into strips
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
4cm piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
150g chicken or pork mince, or a combination of both
100g raw prawn meat, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp finely chopped red chillies
2 small pieces pickled garlic, chopped
40g fresh garlic chives, chopped
1 cup (30g) fresh coriander leaves


Method:

1. Soak the rice vermicelli in a bowl of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and allow to dry for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy-based frying pan, add the tofu in 2 batches and cook for about 1 minute, or until crisp and golden. Remove and drain on paper towels.
3. Add the completely dry vermicelli to the wok in several batches, cooking for 10 seconds, or until puffed and crisp. Remove from the oil immediately to prevent the vermicelli absorbing too much oil. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool.
4. Drain all but a tablespoon of the oil and reheat the wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, mince and the prawn meat and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, chilli sauce and chilli and stir until boiling.
5. Just before serving, return the noodles and tofu to the wok and mix in thoroughly. Toss the pickled garlic, garlic chives and coriander leaves through. Serve immediately to prevent the noodles from becoming soggy.

Prawn Laksa

Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 kg large raw prawns
2 stalks lemon grass
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp red curry paste
1 tsp shrimp paste
400ml coconut milk
3 tsp soft brown or grated palm sugar
250g dried rice noodles or vermicelli
sliced cucumber, bean sprouts and chopped fresh mint, to garnish


Method:

1. Peel and devein the prawns, keeping the tails intact. Reserve the heads and shells. Bruise the lemon grass with the side of a knife.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan, add the prawn heads and shells and stir until they turn bright orange. Pour in 1 litre of water, bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock into a clean pan and discard the shells.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Add the onion, curry and shrimp pastes and the lemon grass and stir well for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the reserved stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and sugar and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes, or until pink. Remove and set aside.
5. Cook the noodles, divide among the bowls and top with the prawns. Bring the soup back to the boil, remove the lemon grass and pour over the noodles. Sprinkle over the cucumber, bean sprouts and mint.
   

Chinese Fried Noodles

Noodles in any shape or form are my weakness. They are why I would fail the Atkins diet so miserably. Well that and the fact that I eat rice almost everyday. Chinese stir-fried noodles are one of my favorite dishes because it's delicious and a cinch to make. Like fried rice, it's usually something I can make when I have nothing planned, throw some ingredients together, and it comes out so good every time that I can almost eat the whole pan myself. This is one of the dishes I cooked for Chinese New Year. It's traditional to eat noodle dishes for New Years and birthdays because the long strands symbolize long life. So don't cut your noodles! Slurp, slurp away to your heart's content!

In Chinese restaurants, this dish is usually called chicken, beef, happy family, etc. etc. chow mein, which is the Cantonese translation of pan fried noodles. In Mandarin we call it chao mian, which means the same thing. The dish is made with wheat or egg noodles. I like to use egg noodles because they have a chewier texture and have a pleasant yellow color. If you use rice noodles, it's called chow fun/chao feng. There's a lot of flexibility with this dish. You can use whatever protein and veggies you feel like. Chicken, shrimp, pork, BBQ pork, beef, tofu or a combination would work. You should cut your meat or tofu into strips so they're easier to eat with the noodles but you don't need to cut the shrimp, just peel and devein. I used some Chinese BBQ pork I made the day before. For the vegetables, it's best to use ones that can be julienned or cut into strips. So peas would not be a good idea but you can use carrots, cabbage, snow pea pods, celery, red bell pepper, baby bok choy, sprouts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, the list can go on and on. I cook things in three stages. First the meat, then the veggies (adding meat to the veggies towards the end), then the noodles and then add everything together in the end to heat through and mix evenly. For a pound of noodles I use a pound of protein and this should serve about 4.

Notes:
- If you're starting with raw meat, use the marinade I included.
- If you're starting with cooked meats, then add the ginger slices to the oil when you're cooking the veggies in step 2
- If you're using mushrooms, you'll need to cook those first before adding the rest of the vegetables, cook them until they release their juices and the juices evaporate before adding the rest of the ingredients. Otherwise the rest of the veggies will get soggy.
- Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar together in a little bowl before you add it to the noodles so you can add the seasoning in one step. Add more seasoning later if you need to.

Chinese Stir-Fried Noodles
1 16oz package of egg noodles fresh or dried
1 lb protein (chicken, beef, pork, BBQ pork, tofu, or shrimp) cut into strips (don't need to cut the shrimp)
I used about 2 cups of Chinese BBQ pork cut into sticks
Your choice of vegetables cut into strips or julienne and you can use however much you feel like
(Carrots, celery, snow peas, celery, baby bok choy, etc.)
I used 2 carrots (julienned) and 8oz. mushrooms (because I was a little short on veggies)
4 green onions, sliced in half lengthwise then cut into 2 inch lengths
3 - 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 slices ginger
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp oyster sauce (more if needed)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

Marinade for stir-fried meat
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp white pepper

If you're starting with raw meat (chicken, pork, beef, shrimp), use mix the strips of meat with the marinade until all the pieces are all coated. Set aside for 10 - 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package intructions. Stop cooking the noodles when there's still a good chew. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, and set aside.

Now cook your protein. Heat a tablespoon of oil over high heat in a wok or skillet. First add the ginger slices and let it perfume the oil. Add the meat and stir fry until it's almost cooked through. We'll finish cooking it with the veggies. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

In the cleared pan, heat about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of oil (depends on how much veggies you have) over medium high heat and stir fry the green onions, garlic, and the vegetables you're using. Season with a little salt, and stir fry until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp/crunchy and definitely not mushy. This shouldn't take too long. At this point, add the meat from step 1 back in to finish cooking with the veggies OR add your chopped precooked meat like Chinese BBQ pork to heat through. Set aside in a bowl.

In the cleared skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and add your noodles. Toss them around, get them well coated in the oil, and break up any clumps. If it's too sticky and clumpy, go ahead and add more oil. Pan fry the noodles, stirring and flipping them frequently until some of the noodles get a nice a crunchy golden brown exterior. Then season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Toss the noodles freuqntly and make sure everything is evenly coated with the sauce. Taste and see if it needs additional seasoning. You may wish to add more oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, or sugar. When the noodles are seasoned to your liking, add the proteins and vegetables and any liquid that may have accumulated in the bowl back into the skillet, toss until everything is evenly distributed into the noodles.