Sichuan braised beef noodles (hongshao niu rou mian) - a classic Sichuan cuisine that is fiery, packed with powerful flavours and textually balanced.
Word has it that August Huang, ex-chef of Xiaolongkan restaurant, makes one of the best in the city.
Huang made a bold move of leaving his job to sell these traditional noodles from his Chengdu hometown in southwestern China.
Chengdu is in Sichuan, a southwestern Chinese province that contains a stretch of Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze.
Huang will be one of the stall partners for the upcoming Chow Luck Club Christmas Market on Saturday 30 November 2024.
Sichuan is the birthplace of this type of spicy braised beef noodles, which consists of noodles in a spicy broth, shaved beef, fermented bean paste, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn and Chinese traditional herbs.
Huang’s version of the hot and spicy noodles has taken Auckland by storm. When he had a stall at the car park lot in Oteha Valley, there were snaking queues and the noodles sold out within two hours.
A bowl of his spicy beef noodles goes for $15 and is served with a pretty generous amount of ingredients.
Huang says it is a challenging time for many businesses in the hospitality industry, and selling his noodles by participating in markets means he would not need to worry about high overheads.
“It is my dream to promote Chinese food from my hometown and spread it throughout Auckland,” he said.
“Selling spicy beef noodles through market stalls will allow me to reconnect with the street food culture, like how it is in my hometown Chengdu, and it also a chance to sell them affordably to the community.”
EAT AUGUST HUANG’S BEEF LAMIAN at Chow Luck Club Christmas Market.
Saturday 30 November 2024. 10am to 3pm.
Park City 261 Morrin Road, St Johns, Auckland 1072.
