Garlic Noodles – Roasted Garlic Crab Sold Separately

Garlic Noodles – Roasted Garlic Crab Sold Separately

These deceptively simple, yet devastatingly delicious garlic noodles were invented in San Francisco, at a restaurant called, Thanh Long, back in the 70's. Usually served with roasted Dungeness crab, the actual recipe is a very closely guarded family secret, but after lots of investigation, and even more experimentation, I think this is very close, at least for a non-MSG laced version.

Apparently, one of their "secret" ingredients is something called, Maggi Seasoning Sauce, which I decided not to use, since I'm not sure how easy it is for the average person to find. Besides, I think my assortment of savory, umami-rich substitutes did the job quite nicely, and everything in the ingredient list can be found at any large grocery store.

The most exotic thing here would be the oyster sauce, which is sort of a very savory, slightly sweet, thick, soy sauce-like condiment. And yes, it does have oyster extracts in it, in case that matters. If you can't find it, just add a touch more fish sauce, soy, and Worcestershire, as well as little brown sugar.

Most garlic noodles actually call for sugar in the recipe, but I think that makes it too sweet for my taste, since the oyster sauce is fairly sweet, as is all that sautéed garlic. Regardless, whether you enjoy this with some roasted garlic crab, or as is, I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 small portions Garlic Noodles:

  • PLEASE NOTE: The saltiness of the following ingredients can vary, as can how sensitive people are to the taste of salt, so you may need to increase or decrease the amounts below. 
  • For the secret sauce:
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • For the rest:
  • 6 ounces dry egg noodles
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 cloves finely minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • thinly sliced green onion to garnish
  • red chili flakes to taste
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Asian Cuisine
Pasta
Side Dish
1