Szechwan slurpings in Oakland Chinatown
What would you prefer to order, something whose name you don’t understand, or something whose name you do understand but the combination of ingredients is strange to you? The biggest problem we face at Chinese restaurants in Chinatown is that the waitresses don’t know much English, and we know zero Chinese. We can’t ask about the dishes and have to rely solely on the English description, if it is written, which leads to the second problem: all the descriptions are the same.
Not just that. If you are not Chinese and have spent many years eating $7 Chinese buffets like me, you probably know that there’s hardly any difference between Szechwan chicken, orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and whatever chicken. Same goes for fried rice, chow mein, vegetables, and other edibles, which appear identical everywhere (unless it’s really bad). So imagine my excitement of spotting “tai lou mein” and “pickle and pork rice noodle soup” as I flipped through the menu at Szechwan Restaurant on 8th Street. We’ve never heard of those things.
The tai lou mein is, unexpectedly, a bowl of noodle soup. (We thought we’re in for stir fried noodles.) It’s the same thick round egg noodle in chow mein, drenched in a very slightly corn-starchy sweet broth with fresh bamboo shoots, shrimp, pork, chicken, mushroom, carrots, and a cracked egg (which the waitress called “scrambled egg”), topped with green onions. It turns out a safe good bet. From a reliable source we learn that perhaps the pinyin transcription of the name should be da lou mein instead of “tai lou mein”.
The pickle and pork noodle soup (榨菜肉絲麵 zha chai rou si mein) is my new love. Compared to da lou mein, it has far fewer visible ingredients, but the balancing of flavors and healthiness are superb. I’ve never had pickles in noodle soup, but the idea is not too far stretched from Vietnamese sour soups with pickled bokchoy (canh dưa chua), so why worry? The pickle (zha chai) in zha chai rou si mein is made from knobby stems of a type of mustard green. Sliced into short strips, zha cai resembles stir fried bitter melon in texture (solid and crunchy with a soft core). Eaten alone, zha chai has a salty zing to keep your tongue on its toes (and Mudpie away from the bowl). Meddled with shredded pork and noodle, the zing diminishes almost completely. Its sourness clears and freshens the broth like white paint on old walls. Rice noodle makes an even better match. On a sick or cold day, I’d rank zha chai rou si mein right up there with phở and bún mộc.
The two giant bowls cost under $6 each, and unless you have a whale stomach it’s unlikely that you would have room for dessert. Now, if you do want to order dessert (soybean curd, almond jelly, and some two other things), it’s best to get a menu and point it out to the waitress, or speak Chinese. The waitresses do not know the word “dessert”. And be patient, because they are very cordial to you. 🙂
Address: Szechwan Restaurant (Oakland Chinatown)
366 8th Street
Oakland, CA 94607-4241
(510) 832-7878
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say wonderful blog!
1Thanks for this tremendous post, I am glad I detected this site on yahoo.
2I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?
3Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
4I think other website proprietors should take this internet site as an example , very clean and superb user friendly design.
5Howdy! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
6I am pleased that I detected this weblog, precisely the right info that I was searching for! .
7I went over this site and I think you have a lot of great info, saved to favorites (:.
8Some truly wonderful information, Glad I observed this. “The basis of a democratic state is liberty.” by Aristotle.
9Some really interesting points you have written.Assisted me a lot, just what I was looking for :D.
10Thank you for another excellent article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information.
11Appreciate it for all your efforts that you have put in this. very interesting information.
12Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future. Lots of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
13Usually I don’t read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite nice post.
14Nên chọn trà móc câu hay trà đinh? Nếu uống hằng ngày và ưu tiên giá thành hợp lý, trà móc câu là lựa chọn phổ biến nhất. Nếu muốn thưởng thức hương vị đậm đà nhất hoặc làm quà biếu cao cấp, trà đinh sẽ phù hợp hơn dù giá thành cao hơn đáng kể.
15Về kỹ thuật, các nghệ nhân làm chè Tân Cương vẫn giữ quy trình sao chè thủ công qua nhiều công đoạn: diệt men, vò chè, sao khô, lấy hương — đòi hỏi kinh nghiệm và sự tỉ mỉ cao. Chính sự kết hợp giữa điều kiện tự nhiên thuận lợi và tay nghề truyền thống đã tạo nên vị trà xanh Thái Nguyên đặc trưng: nước xanh trong, hương cốm non thoảng nhẹ, vị chát dịu ở đầu lưỡi và hậu ngọt sâu kéo dài nơi cổ họng.
16Simply a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw great pattern.
17Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!
18You have brought up a very superb details , appreciate it for the post.
19Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
20This really answered my problem, thank you!
21Very interesting points you have mentioned, appreciate it for posting.
22Incredible! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Great choice of colors!
23I like this site very much so much superb info .
24I enjoy your work, thankyou for all the good articles.
25I have read several good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you put to create such a fantastic informative website.
26Its fantastic as your other blog posts : D, thanks for posting.
27Very useful information. I’ll definitely keep these points in mind.
28Would love to forever get updated great weblog! .
29excellent post, very informative. I’m wondering why the other specialists of this sector do not notice this. You should continue your writing. I am sure, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!
30Great amazing issues here. I’m very satisfied to peer your article. Thanks so much and i am looking forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
31Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to protect against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any recommendations?
32There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.
33Just wanna comment on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the written content is real superb. “Art for art’s sake makes no more sense than gin for gin’s sake.” by W. Somerset Maugham.
34It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have learn this submit and if I may just I desire to suggest you few fascinating things or suggestions. Maybe you can write subsequent articles referring to this article. I wish to learn more issues about it!
35