rebirth

So, I'm going to start posting again, at Charlie's suggestion, with a focus on the food I'm eating. Today I will be discussing Mian Xian (sounds more like mien shienne) and Liang Mian that I buy in my neighborhood. These are noodle dishes, they are both very delicious, and at 60 NT (under 2 us dollars) for both with all you can drink cheap tea, a great bargain. I ate them tonight and it was great.

I like the Uh Ah Mian Xian. Uh Ah is the onomatopoeic taiwanese word for oyster, and this mien xian has oysters along with fine noodles and a thick broth. Usually they sprinkle a little cilantro on top and I occasionally add a bit of chili, though it's not neccesary. I always have to ask them to omit the pig intestine they like to add - I tried it once and found it a bit rubbery with a fairly foul flavor - not for me. Without them, the mian xian has a great, smokey oniony flavor with meaty chunks of oyster and an herbal note from the cilantro. It is wonderful on a cold, wet night, but still good on a hot day.

Liang Mian means "cool noodles" and is perfect for a hot day. It's very simple, with fairly standard noodles topped with sliced cucumber and a slightly sweet, nutty sauce that I think is Miso though it may also have some peanuts involved. I never add chili to this because the flavor is pretty delicate, and I can't say I enjoy it as much as the mian xian, but I do like it and order it to balance the strong flavors in the mian xian. The crispy cucumbers and the soft but firm noodles are a nice contrast.

I'll try to get those pics up soon.