I have an obsession with all manner of Asian noodles. Every since my first 15 cent packet of ramen as a teenager, I have been hooked. It might have something to do with the sodium content, as I consider salt to be one of the basic food groups (okay, I realize we don't really have food groups anymore, but saying "one of the the layers in the pyramid thingy" is a little wordy for me). My friend Philip, who from what I can tell, spends all of his time researching new peach varieties and discovering which Asian market in town has the best noodle selection, suggested I tried Yao Lee market on High street, where they have an entire section devoted to noodles of all kinds.
But which to try first? The one with happy thumbs-up man on the front? Pork and Mushroom flavor? Original Sezchuan style? I finally decided to try the IndoMie brand Mi Goreng Pedas, which seems to mean "hot fried noodles" (please, correct me if I'm wrong.) (Have you ever looked at the fine print on Asian foods? There seems to be a large concern with ISO certification. Good; it's yummy and mistake-free.) I tried this particular packet because it contained 5 "seasoning sachets," and I am always down with numerous seasoning sachets. I alone control my noodle destiny. Here is a picture of three of them - the other two are in boring foil sachets:
The noodle prep is the standard, 3 minutes boiling, but in the meantime, you prepare the seasoning mixture in the bowl:
The chili sauce is a skin irritant; as I write this I can feel at least 5 patches of skin on my person that are burning, and it's an hour later. There is also a sticky, sweet soy sauce, and two other packets of powder; one is chili powder, and the other seems to be a combination of MSG and yeast extract, among other things. There is also a packet of fried onions, but those are reserved for garnishing. After cooking and draining your noodles, you add them to the bowl with the seasonings and stir vigorously. Here's the finished product:
I ate them in about 3 minutes flat - I pride myself on my skillful chopstick handling, surely the speed of consumption is a testament to the deliciousness of the noodle and my superior (for a girl of Amish descent) chopstick/noodle prowess. These were one of the best 49 cent snacks I have ever had; sweet, spicy, salty, with a nice little crunch from the fried onions - I almost drove right back to Yao Lee and bought another pack. Mmm. Noodles.
The other thing I love about Yao Lee Market is that I bought about 6 packets of noodles, a bottle of noodle-sprinkling chili powder, a giant bag of baby bok choy heads, a pack of Chinese sausages, jar of palm sugar, a gallon of plum flavored green tea, a pack of fried tofu and a tray of frozen green tea flavored taro rice balls, all for $19. I almost feel like I should give them more.
Info: Yao Lee Oriental Market, 2848 North High Street Columbus
