The Noodle Bar at 1949: October’s Pig Trotter Special
Posted: October 20th, 2012 | | | , Chinese food, Duck de Chine, Hand-Pulled Noodles, Noodle Bar, Noodles, Pig Trotter, South Sanlitun | No Comments »
Noodle Bar's October Special: Braised Pork Trotter w/ Preserved Taro & Flat Noodles
In the past week Beijing's temperature has seriously dropped and as those long, hot summer days become a fading memory, I brace myself for the long winter ahead.
As sad as I am to put away all my short shorts and whispy summer dresses, I am reminded of my favorite parts of winter – indoor fireplaces, hot chocolate, the first fall of snow, big and puffy jackets, mulled wine and winter ski trips up in the mountain.
There are certainly bonuses to the winter season, but it still stands as my least favorite time of year because I generally don't like to be cold. I find myself more sensitive to cold weather in comparison to others and try whatever I can to stay as warm as possible – wearing an uncomfortable, almost suffocating amount of (layer upon layer) of clothing and consuming more than my fair share of HOT foods!
In winter, I've learned from my Traditional Chinese Medicine guru Alex Tan that we should eat with the seasons. No more cold salads and fruit smoothies, but more soups, stews, and slow-cooked foods that are easier on our digestion. If you ask me, a hot bowl of steaming noodles is probably just what the (Chinese) doctor ordered.
The Noodle Bar in 1949 – The Hidden City still stands as one of my go-to places to get my noodle fix. Every time I bring someone new here, they're always delighted to discover such a hidden gem as the space is small and cozy, but the lay-out is cool and the hand-pulled noodles are delish.
"Noodle Bar is Beijing's best kept secret for those looking for a traditional, integrity-filled, artisanal, hand-pulled wheat noodle experience, in a contemporary setting. The Noodle Bar delivers Beijing tradition in bowl." – Elite Concepts
The chefs press, knead and pull the noodle dough right in front of you, which is as impressive as it is entertaining.
Noodle Bar's Chefs Hand-Pulling Noodles
In my most visit last week, I was pleased to find that they are currently offering a special noodle dish for the month of October: Braised Pork Trotter with Preserved Taro & Flat Noodles (RMB 68).
Better hurry, you've only got about 10 days left of October to get your butts over to The Noodle Bar and have yourself some of this goodness (a limited time special)!
The Noodle Bar's other soup noodle dishes are RMB 38 per bowl, but I am always up for trying something new and it's not every day I eat pork trotter – such a more elegant way of saying pig's feet!
A lot of foreigners can be grossed out at the idea of eating pig's feet, but I grew up eating chicken feet at Hong Kong style dim sum restaurants so pig's feet don't phase me one bit. I was curious how the dish would turn out and honestly, if you didn't know it was pig's feet, you could happily eat this dish in ignorant bliss as the presentation is so well-done. Pig's feet don't look as obvious as you can imagine and it's cleverly named "pork trotter" which sounds much more sophisticated (and probably less scary to foreigners who are less adventurous diners).
Served separately, we were served a big bowl of flat noodles and green vegetables in a soup with a side pot of braised, marinated "pork trotter" so diners can choose to either eat the two combined or apart.
Big Bowl of Flat Soup Noodles
Served Separately – Bowl of Braised Pork Trotter with Preserved Taro
Aside from this new dish we couldn't turn down, we also checked our way through our usual favorite dishes on their regular menu. A couple cold side dishes and another order of Beef Tendon Hand-Pulled Noodle Soup (RMB 38).
The Noodle Bar's Easy-to-Order, Bilingual Check-List Style Menu
LumDimSum Snapshots of Noodle Bar's Dishes:
Chilled Vermicelli & Kelp (RMB 13)
Bamboo Shoots in Chili Oil (RMB 18)
Noodle Bar's Beef Tendon Noodle Soup (RMB 38)
With thousands of noodle options in this city, Noodle Bar stands on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but the dining experience is one-of-a-kind which keeps this place packed. With only 12 seats available, the space is limited but it's definitely worth the wait.
Just be aware that their service is very curt, unfriendly and they're always bossing their customers around. I was appalled to discover that they've also started charging extra for hot water (RMB 5 per person), which I find to be utterly absurd and annoying…but not bad enough to keep me from coming back more this winter.
The Noodle Bar Contact Details:
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Address: At 1949- The Hidden City. Courtyard 4, Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District, Sanlitun. Opposite Pacific Century Place South gate. 北京朝阳区工体北路, 太平洋百货南门对面
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Tel: 6501-1949
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Opening Hours: Open Daily 11AM-10PM
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Website: Click here
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