Comments on: The Best Chinese Noodle Sauce (Da Lu Mian, 打卤面)

By: HMG

HMG — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 15:07:34 +0000

Really fun way to mark Lunar New Year! Did both pulled noodles and gravy with lily flowers and shiitake mushrooms – just need to practice smoother noodle making!

By: Mare

Mare — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 22:57:36 +0000

Hi Nami- I’m making this tonite (I msgd you on IG, too: forgive me!), Are the dried wood ears supposed to have a pungent odor? I opened a new bag (joy luck brand) and they seemed dusty to me and I was a little blown away by the smell and contemplated tossing them. I have an older open bag that does not have an odor (wei-chuan brand). Subsequently, I did read this on the internet, so maybe this ok/normal?: “The smell is that of dark soy sauce and reduced Chinese black vinegar: dark and pungent. It’s a scent that might make you eager to take deep breaths of it or toss the whole bag out the window. However, once reconstituted in water the smell dissipates and all that’s left is the innocent mushroom. Bite into one and enjoy the soft surface, meaty texture and toothsome crunch. The flavor is not at all like the smell. Think a weak black tea, bitter and sweet.” Thank you! -Mare

By: Maggie Zhu

Maggie Zhu — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 15:17:43 +0000

In reply to Jac Huberman. Yes you can! I love using ground pork in this one because it makes the sauce extra flavorful and it cling to the noodles. Happy cooking :)

By: Jac Huberman

Jac Huberman — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 14:23:42 +0000

I am obsessed with you!! Can this be made with ground pork instead? Or maybe thinly sliced pork shoulder? Thank you!!

By: Kevin J

Kevin J — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:19:33 +0000

I really wanted to like this recipe- it includes many of my favorite ingredients. But it’s really lacking.

If you must make it- DEFINITELY halve the sauce recipe!!! You have 9.5 cups of stock/soaking liquid/tomatoes, this makes way more sauce than necessary. I froze some, but I still have half a dutch oven full that I don’t even want to eat.

Taste is subjective… I tend to favor the savory and/or spicy, like dan dan, Wuhan hot dry, Beijing fried sauce noodles. The flavors in this recipe are just muted, nothing stands out, a muddled mess overall. The consistency is watery as well, it’s just really unappealing.

If you like the same stuff I do, I’d recommend skipping this one… There are much better recipes on this site!

By: Jim L.

Jim L. — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 02:24:44 +0000

I was somewhat disappointed by this recipe, especially after reading the write up. My mom and I loved the Takeout Chicken & Broccoli, Easy Curry Chicken and Chicken Fried Rice recipes but we thought this was a little bland. However, we finished it all up over several days. We tend to like more spicy and flavorful food, but understand that some people like more delicately flavored food.

By: Maggie Zhu

Maggie Zhu — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 01:04:30 +0000

In reply to Patricia. Using tofu knots to substitute the protein sounds great! I thought it's possible to make the dish vegan but I've never tried it. Now I have to make it myself :) Thanks so much for leaving a positive review and so happy to hear you like the recipe :)

By: Patricia

Patricia — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 00:54:37 +0000

Delicious! Made this dish for the first time today, and substituted tofu knots for the pork and shrimp. Used mushroom sauce instead of oyster sauce. Had the right noodles. Everything was terrific, and gobbled up by the family. Will definitely cook again. Thank you, Maggie. Love trying your Northern recipes.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 15:47:25 +0000

In reply to Beryl.

So happy to hear that you like the recipe! It’s a family dish and one of my favorite noodle gravy.
It’s totally OK to add more cornstarch. It’s really depending on personal preference. Can’t wait to hear what you’ll be cooking the next 🙂

By: Beryl

Beryl — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 04:12:28 +0000

I have made this a few times now and I love it! I LOVE lily buds so I was excited to try it. I do like a thicker gravy and increased the cornstarch by 2 more tbl -maybe I’m crazy? Maybe my canned tomatoes are extra liquidy? – but it’s so good! I topped it with your homemade chili oil recipe. Thanks for another great recipe!