Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles

Wandering around Chinatown on a chilly Sunday afternoon, I stumbled into the (vaguely recalled as recommended) Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles, and am glad I did. Unadorned entirely, with a short menu (about a dozen choices of noodles either in broth or fried, with a few supplementary appetizers and dumplings), the food was simple and perfectly delicious.

Roast duck with hand-pulled noodles in soup was intensely flavorful, with tender bits of duck hacked alongside the fresh noodles and tender greens in a rich broth. The cucumber salad to start was spicy, savory and delicious, the tea was served in styrofoam cups, and the bill for two ran to <$20, with tip.

The place is tiny and fills up quickly, so going for an early or late lunch (I did the latter) is recommended.

Sichuan Peppercorn Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast meat cut into strips
• 
4 carrots, julienned
• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 
1 tsp ground or crushed Szechuan peppercorns

• salt to taste

Procedure

1. Marinade chicken strips with ground Szechuan peppercorn and salt for 30 minutes.
2. In a hot pan, drizzle some oil and pan-fry chicken strips until golden brown; remove and set aside.
3. Add a little more oil to pan and sauté the garlic. 
4. When fragrant, add carrots, red pepper, and onion; stir-fry for about 5 minutes, adding water when necessary.
5. Cover, and steam for several minutes.
6. Add mushrooms and cover for 2 minutes.
7. Return browned chicken strips to the pan and continue stirring. 
8. Add salt to taste and ¼ cup water to loosen brown bits in the pan. 
9. Cook until combined.
10. Serve, and enjoy!

Stir-fried Lamb with Green Onions

Ingredients

• 8 oz. lamb fillet, trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp  white sugar
• 1½ tbsp  Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp  dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp  Chinkiang vinegar
• 1 tsp  sesame oil, plus extra to serve
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 2  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4  thin slices of ginger
• 8  green onions, cut into 2" lengths

Procedure

1. Combine lamb, light soy sauce, sugar and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine in a bowl. Season to taste and stand for 30 minutes.
2. Combine dark soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and remaining Shaoxing wine and set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat until smoke appears. 
4. Add vegetable oil, swirl it around wok, add garlic and ginger, let it sizzle until just coloured (8-10 seconds), then immediately add lamb. 
5. Toss rapidly using a spatula until lamb is partially cooked and slightly charred (20-30 seconds), then add reserved dark soy sauce mixture and mix through. 
6. Add green onion and stir-fry until most of the sauce is absorbed. 
7. Check seasoning and add extra sesame oil if necessary.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Verdict

Delicious!