Cold noodles - Part 1

It's that time of the year again. Cold noodles!! When the weather starts to get warm, I crave cold noodles. I don't know the origins of the dish, but I assume the Taiwanese version is an adaptation from somewhere.

The interesting thing about cold noodles is that every vendor has a different take on the taste. As a result, almost everyone has their own favourite place for cold noodles. Of course, I have mine, but it's always so much fun to try other people's favourites.

And once in a while, I'm tempted to try new places.

Today is one of those days. It always feels like taking a huge leap of faith trying new cold noodles, because I already know what I like, what I want. But there's always the faintest hope of finding a new favourite place!!

I walked past this vendor last week, but at the time I was afraid of disappointment. Today my craving won over.

 

From the appearance, I was not expecting much. Granted, most cold noodles are sold this way. It's the scarcity of cucumbers that disappoints me. Carrots are also not an "essential" element of cold noodles, in my opinion. The sauce, well, I couldn't tell much from the appearance alone.

 

This is just my habit, mixing the noodles and cucumbers/carrots before adding the sauce. Just breaking up the noodles and loosening everything makes the mixing later much easier. Plus I think the noodles are better at "absorbing" and "carrying" the sauce this way.

In goes the sauce. Notice how there's no clump of sesame paste on top. This is a good sign. I don't like it when the sesame paste separates from the rest of the sauce. Or worse, when the sesame paste is served separately!

Even coating of the noodles!! Sometimes this is not possible, if the sauce is too thick, or if there is a disproportionate amount of sauce to noodle. Also, this doesn't appear to be too oily. This is a dish for summer, so the lighter the better!

Now for the actual taste!

Surprisingly good! Yes, I was pleasantly surprised! All the flavours were nicely balanced. Not too salty, not too sweet, and just the right amount of sesame paste! The consistency of the sauce was good too. Once again, just thick enough to coat everything, and not too thick that you feel you are ingesting a mouthful of ground sesame.

Definitely returnable. I find myself wanting more. It's not my new favorite, but it is at least within my top 20s list.