Light But Satisfying Homestyle Noodles at Chef Wei’s Noodle House, Dongsi
As hopeless noodle lovers, neither the heat, the burning sunshine, nor the traffic could stop us from traveling to the small lane in Shatan near Dongsi, battling through the flocks of tourists armed with colorful caps and flags to where Chef Wei’s Noodle House lurks, just north of boutique beer bar C2H6O.
And the fight was worth it, given that we were greeted with seven noodle dishes, all priced at RMB 18, which is pretty reasonable for an area so near the Forbidden City. The signature hot and sour dry noodles (youpo mian, 油泼面) were al dente and rich with spicy and tart flavors courtesy of a blend of four different types of chili peppers from Xinjiang, Sichuan, and Yunnan, and a special vinegar. The finish had a surprising sweetness, thanks to the addition of brown sugar, which is something of a deviation from authentic Shaanxi youpo noodles.
The scallion oil dry noodles were also unlike varieties you might have tried in Shanghai given that they were very light in flavor and served with a gentle touch of homemade soy sauce that we were told had been boiled for four hours and seasoned with 17 spices, and again, brown sugar. The secret behind the noodles? “We mix three kinds of flours to make the perfect noodles we like – strong flour, self-raising flour, and a special flour from Xinjiang,“ Wei Xiaobo, the co-founder and chef revealed, “and the boiling time is different; it’s four and a half minutes for youpomian, two minutes and 40 seconds for scallion oil noodles.” Without heavy and artificial additives, these noodles might actually be a little too light-flavored for some.
Another must-try is the mutton, beef, pork, chicken, fish, or seafood chuan'r. The highlight for us was the beef (RMB 18), which are made using sirloin steak from Australia instead of domestic beef, because, as Wei explains, “the domestic variety is not juicy enough.” Having grown up and spent 20 years of his life in Xinjiang, Wei is picky about his quality chuan’r and that attention to detail shows. That extends to the seafood, the roasted scallop (RMB 16) and shrimps (RMB 28) proving fresh, firm, and well-seasoned with an in-house made garlic sauce.
Chef Wei's makes for a more upscale version of your regular late-night street stall, and prides itself on providing simple dishes at affordable prices. The use of quality ingredients, obvious care in preparation, and comparatively light touches shine through and made enough of an impression on us to put it among our go-to noodle fix joints.
Chef Wei’s Noodle House
Daily 11.30am-midnight. 17 Shatan Houjie, Dongcheng District (138 1063 5004)
魏口面：东城区沙滩后街17号
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Photos: Tracy Wang, Dianping
