Pull My Noodle!
September 29, 2007 2:49 PM Subscribe
Asking for the boyfriend, who lives in the San Diego area:
If I wanted to learn how to make hand pulled noodles (as seen in these videos) where would I go? I'm willing to travel as far as Los Angeles area, and depending whether it was affordable, willing pay to learn the technique.
Response by poster: Sure, if there are worldwide recommendations, go for it. If anything, it will make for a potential road trip or holiday in the future.
posted by saturnine at 3:35 PM on September 29, 2007
posted by saturnine at 3:35 PM on September 29, 2007
'Nother derail: I too would like to find a noodle-pulling master to learn from. I've tried it without instruction or any idea what I should be doing, and it was spectacularly unsuccessful in pretty much exactly the ways you'd expect. (It looks so easy! But then you end up with noodle dough in your hair!)
posted by thehmsbeagle at 3:46 PM on September 29, 2007
posted by thehmsbeagle at 3:46 PM on September 29, 2007
Incidentally, I've eaten at the place in the first video more than a few times. It's called Chinatown Express, and I've always found it to be cheap, fast and fresh. Here's where it is, here's what it looks like from the outside, and here's a review where they mention the good noodles.
posted by now i'm piste at 6:26 PM on September 29, 2007
posted by now i'm piste at 6:26 PM on September 29, 2007
I really don't think this is a skill you can learn in a day or two. It's a technical skill that's a product of repetition - like making ceramics from clay. Your best bet would be to find a Shandong (Korean-Chinese) restaurant in San Diego that specializes in hand-pulled noodles and offer to apprentice there with the specific intentions of learning how to make the noodles. You'll probably be rebuffed or laughed at but be persistent and bring up the idea of payment. Then they'll know you're serious. With luck, they'll take you in and allow you to work a few hours each evening or early in the morning (assuming you have a 9-5 job). It's almost guaranteed that any chef who is able to make hand-pulled noodles learned under a similar apprenticeship track so I think that's your best route.
posted by junesix at 7:10 PM on September 29, 2007
posted by junesix at 7:10 PM on September 29, 2007
I can't find anything, but this is what I would do:
1. Research culinary schools near you and find out if you are able to rent a classroom during off class hours. If the school could be near your city's Chinatown, all the better. If they do rent out classrooms, ask about deposits and clean up fees.
2. Gather a group of friends. Each must be willing to pay x amount of money to help rent the classroom, hire the noodle puller and pay for ingredients.
3. Go to the restaurant, speak to the owner, offer a beginning price and haggle. Work out details, get a written document. They may have a special recipe for the noodles, so I would settle for the chef bringing a large batch of dough. You can find recipes on the internet or a Martin Yan book, I'm sure.
4. Have your friends bring zip lock bags for the finished product. Bring everyone back to your place where you have some stock and raw slices of beef that can get boiling in no time. Cook noodles.
5. Noodle party!
OR find your local Asian or Chinese association and try to get them to do all this.
When I was cute little 10 year old, my family and I were visiting relatives in Taiwan. I was watching this guy outside the back door of a restaurant making dumplings with overlaping folded edges. He offered me a dough circle and a dollop of meat and I tried to fold it like he did at his speed. I failed pretty bad and he laughed at me, took the deformed dumpling and fixed it. Sadly, he didn't offer me a second chance. I'm sure I would have gotten the hang of it. Plus, I would have loved to have seen my mom's face when she would have found me at the back of a restaurant, which was in a somewhat deserted alley, immersed in dumpling folding with a stranger and probably proclaiming that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
posted by spec80 at 7:15 PM on September 29, 2007
1. Research culinary schools near you and find out if you are able to rent a classroom during off class hours. If the school could be near your city's Chinatown, all the better. If they do rent out classrooms, ask about deposits and clean up fees.
2. Gather a group of friends. Each must be willing to pay x amount of money to help rent the classroom, hire the noodle puller and pay for ingredients.
3. Go to the restaurant, speak to the owner, offer a beginning price and haggle. Work out details, get a written document. They may have a special recipe for the noodles, so I would settle for the chef bringing a large batch of dough. You can find recipes on the internet or a Martin Yan book, I'm sure.
4. Have your friends bring zip lock bags for the finished product. Bring everyone back to your place where you have some stock and raw slices of beef that can get boiling in no time. Cook noodles.
5. Noodle party!
OR find your local Asian or Chinese association and try to get them to do all this.
When I was cute little 10 year old, my family and I were visiting relatives in Taiwan. I was watching this guy outside the back door of a restaurant making dumplings with overlaping folded edges. He offered me a dough circle and a dollop of meat and I tried to fold it like he did at his speed. I failed pretty bad and he laughed at me, took the deformed dumpling and fixed it. Sadly, he didn't offer me a second chance. I'm sure I would have gotten the hang of it. Plus, I would have loved to have seen my mom's face when she would have found me at the back of a restaurant, which was in a somewhat deserted alley, immersed in dumpling folding with a stranger and probably proclaiming that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
posted by spec80 at 7:15 PM on September 29, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Deathalicious at 3:20 PM on September 29, 2007