San Francisco Garlic Noodles

Pailin Chongchitnant • July 10, 2020

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A Popular Dish from the Bay Area

Years ago I lived in San Francisco, and as many of you know it's where I went to culinary school. While I was there, I went to a seafood restaurant and I had these garlic noodles which I was told where the restaurant's signature dish. They were delicious and the highlight of the meal...almost stole the show from the crabs and lobsters!

Years later, I ran into this dish on the internet, and it was then that I realized that it wasn't just the restaurant's signature dish, but it was so famous that other restaurants had copied them, and many home cooks have also tried to recreate them at home. Now that I think back, I don't even know if the restaurant that I went to (whose name I have forgotten) was actually the original or one of the copycats!

In any case, it's unbelievably delicious, and unbelievably easy. It goes well as a side dish for a protein-heavy feast, whether seafood or a backyard barbecue.

Choosing The Right Noodles

The type of noodles you choose is very important in this recipe. You want them chewy, and you want them thick. I found these perfect precooked egg noodles at my local store, and I chose the fattest one. I tried the recipe with a slightly thinner noodle, and they were still tasty, but not as good as the fat ones. What you have available to you might be a bit different, but at Chinese grocery stores you should be able to find a selection of fresh egg noodles in the refrigerated section—go with the fattest one.

Using Uncooked Noodles

The weight given in the recipe is for precooked egg noodles, which is what I have found to work best given what's available locally to me. If the noodles you are using are fresh but are still raw, you will need to use a little more than half the weight given, about 350g. If you're using dry noodles, you will need a little less than half the weight, about 275g. This will vary between different noodles, so to be sure, I recommend weighing the noodles after you cook them so you know exactly how much you have, and then adjust the amount of sauce as needed.

What is Golden Mountain Sauce?

Golden Mountain Sauce is a brand of what Thais call "seasoning sauce" and it's essentially a type of soy sauce. Though there are other brands of seasoning sauce, Golden Mountain is the most popular and so it has become the generic name many people use. It's also the brand that's most widely available outside of Thailand, though I've also seen Healthy Boy brand seasoning sauce as well. Compared to regular Thai soy sauce it is a bit darker and has a different, slightly stronger flavour. See this video for more on different types of Thai sauces. You can simply substitute soy sauce in equal amounts, of if you have Maggi Seasoning sauce this also works well as a sub.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

a bowl of garlic noodles

Garlic Noodles

Description

Incredibly simple yet satisfying, it's no wonder this dish became famous so quickly in San Francisco. Chewy egg noodles tossed in lots of garlic, butter, and umami-loaded sauces...it's the perfect pairing to any fish, seafood, or chicken! 

Ingredients

  • 600 g cooked egg noodles (if not using cooked egg noodles, see note)
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced or pounded in a mortar and pestle into a rough paste
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce, or sub Maggi Seasoning or soy sauce (see note)
  • 1 Tbsp Fish sauce
  • 35 g finely grated parmesan cheese (about ½ cup )
  • Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon, optional but highly recommended!
  • 1 green onion, chopped

Notes:

  • If using fresh but raw noodles, you will need about 350g to end up with about 600g of cooked noodles. If using dry noodles, you will need about 275g. This will vary between noodles so you should weigh the cooked noodles and adjust the amount of sauce as needed.
  • Golden Mountain Sauce is a type of soy sauce used often in Thailand. See this video for further explanation of different Thai cooking sauces.

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

Instructions

  1. If using pre-cooked egg noodles that have been tossed in oil like the ones shown in the video, gently pull the noodles apart, then give them a quick rinse under cold water to wash off some of the oil they’re coated in. Drain and rest them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess water. Tip: If the noodles are cold and are hard to pull apart, heat them in the microwave on 50% power, a minute at a time, just until they are warm enough to be separated. If using uncooked noodles, cook them off according to package instructions, then drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. Weigh the noodles to check the amount you have and adjust the amount of sauce up or down accordingly.
  2. Pound the garlic in a mortar and pestle into a rough paste or mince them.
  3. Combine oyster sauce, fish sauce, and Golden Mountain sauce in a small bowl.
  4. Add oil and butter to a wok and melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 3-4 mins or until very fragrant, keeping the heat low so as to not brown the garlic.
  5. Add the noodles and the sauce, then turn the heat up to high and toss until the noodles are hot and all the sauce has been absorbed.
  6. Remove from heat, then stir in parmesan cheese. If you want you can stir in a squeeze of lemon at this stage, or serve the lemon as wedges on the side. 
  7. Plate, and garnish with black or white pepper and green onions if desired. 
  8. Serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!

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The post San Francisco Garlic Noodles appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

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