While white-tablecloth restaurants may be about service, ambiance, creativity, exclusivity and celebrity chefs, street food often comes piping hot from the cook into the hands of anyone walking by who wants to try it.
On a recent trip to Asia, I couldn’t leave Taipei without one last taste of it.
With a half-hour until my shuttle would leave for the airport. I glanced down the street at the urban mishmash of food vendors near my hotel, and couldn’t resist.
I peered at each street vendor’s selection. What caught my eye were two 20-something women near one stall, contentedly slurping from steaming bowls of beef noodle soup.
“I want that,” I said to the woman standing behind a huge pot of simmering broth. She nodded and began cooking. Several minutes later she assembled a steaming bowl of noodles topped with fresh vegetables, slow-cooked beef and ladles of broth.
With only 20 minutes to spare, I carried the bowl over to one of the small tables in the alley next to the other girls and began slurping the hot and savory noodles and broth.
It was, like so much of the other street food I had in Asia, one of the best things I had ever tasted.
After reaching beef noodle soup satiety, I handed the bowl back to the woman. She wrinkled her brow in a clearly disappointed manner and made a chopsticks-from-bowl-to-open-mouth motion, urging me to finish.
I felt the kind of guilt my mother gives me. “Oh no, I’m too full. It was really good, though,” I insisted.
Taipei is known for its night markets, which bustle with tourists and locals jostling for food sold from dozens of different stalls. Street food throughout Asia appears in an array of places – at storefronts along the sidewalk, at festivals and in outdoor markets.
While the American notion of street food tends to focus on hand-helds like hot dogs and pretzels, in Asia the selection runs the gamut – almost anything that can be prepared quickly and simply, from noodle soup to deep-fried stinky tofu to oyster omelets.
In metropolitan Denver, street stalls aren’t prevalent and there’s no Taipei-style night market or Singapore-style hawker stand, but I found some selections at Asian restaurants and groceries that reminded me of the originals.
Almost all have an American twist – but street food isn’t about exacting gourmet standards. While there is a gritty authenticity to street food, let’s just say our “authentic Denver” versions involve some creativity and aren’t beholden to tradition.
In addition to the Taiwanese beef noodle soup, I looked for curry puffs and chicken satay like I tried in Singapore, scallion pancakes recalling those I had in Taiwan and sweet red bean cakes similar to my taste of them in Japan.
My search for beef noodle soup took me to Lao Wang Noodle House, a small, simple restaurant in a tiny strip mall on South Federal Boulevard near West Kentucky Avenue. The restaurant has listed as its signature dish niu rou mien, or beef noodle soup, like the type that’s popular in Taiwan.
It isn’t necessarily made in the same fresh, street food style I gulped down in Taipei, but it’s a satisfying bowl of beef noodle soup – and you can order it extra-spicy.
In the same center, J’s Noodles & New Thai has an even more Spartan atmosphere with a focus on takeout, but I found the curry puff listed inconspicuously under appetizers.
Curry puffs are a popular snack in Malaysia and Singapore, and a taste at a Singapore hawker stand hooked me on this combination of flaky pastry and spicy potato filling. At its most basic, it’s similar to an Indian samosa. A simplified version uses won ton wrappers in place of pastry. But J’s curry puffs are close to the real thing, and they make a great snack.
Chicken satay, that staple of catered cocktail parties, never impressed me much until I tried it in Singapore at a hawker stand. Meat on a stick is the perfect street food, and chicken satay tastes much better in its natural street environment than plucked from a platter presented by a solemn-faced cater waiter.
While Denver isn’t chicken satay’s natural environment, you will find it on many Thai restaurant menus here and it’s one of the simplest introductions to Asian street food.
At US Thai, a friendly neighborhood restaurant in Edgewater, the tender chicken satay comes with a healthy dose of coconut milk-flavored peanut sauce. You could even order takeout and eat your chicken satay “street-food-style” while walking to nearby Sloan’s Lake.
Scallion pancakes abound at local Chinese restaurants, but Spice China in Louisville does an American version that has a particularly broad appeal.
When I was in college, scallion pancakes were a staple at the dinners my friends and I used to prepare.
In Taiwan, I didn’t think I’d bother with the scallion pancakes sold on the street. But watching the street vendors fry them so perfectly was too much to bear – they turned out to be fresh and hot, crispy and chewy.
Jack Mok, head chef at Spice China, has a special ingredient in his scallion pancakes: baking powder. It makes decidedly crispier, puffier scallion pancakes than the traditional kind, almost like fried flatbread, and they come with dipping sauce.
Street food is often best when it sneaks up on you. While walking through the village of Narita during a layover in Japan, we passed by a storefront where a woman was pouring batter into molds. A friend bought a batch of hot, freshly made red-bean-paste-filled cakes and handed them out. We gobbled them down while walking up the hilly streets of Narita.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in my quest for Asian street food was at the H Mart in Aurora. Street food from a grocery store in Colorado? Oh, yes.
There they make those delectable Japanese cakes to order. At a booth near the front of the store, they’re poured into fish-shaped molds and called taiyaki. Like on the streets in Asia, you can watch your food being made in front of you and eat it just seconds later.
The taiyaki were delicately crispy on the outside, sweet and rich and soft on the inside. I strolled around finishing off the batch of taiyaki, and came as close as I could to feeling like I was back on the streets of Asia, while staying right near home.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi traveled to Taiwan and Singapore on an Asia Pacific Journalism Fellowship from the East-West Center. She can be reached at 303-954-1488 or at kyamanouchi@denverpost.com.
Taste it here
Follow writer Kelly Yamanouchi’s search for Asian street food at these locations:
Lao Wang Noodle House, 945-D S. Federal Blvd., 303-975-2497
H Mart, 2751 S. Parker Road, Aurora, 303-745-4592
Spice China, 269 McCaslin Blvd., Louisville, 720-890-0999
J’s Noodles & New Thai, 945-E S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-5495
US Thai, 5228 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, 303-233-3345
RECIPES
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
These miniature kebabs are popular all over Southeast Asia, and they are especially delicious grilled. The peanut dipping sauce is a perfect partner for the marinated chicken. From “Thai,” by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Becky Johnson and Sallie Morris, serves 4.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of one lime
4 tablespoons coconut milk
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast portions
Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-inch piece fresh ginger root, finely grated
2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
Directions
Place peanut butter, chile, lime juice and coconut milk in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if necessary. Spoon the sauce into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast portion into four long strips. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, add chicken strips and toss together until thoroughly coated. Cover and leave for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator to marinate. Meanwhile, soak 16 wooden satay sticks or kebab skewers in water (to prevent them from burning during cooking).
Preheat the broiler to high or prepare the barbecue grill.
Drain satay sticks or skewers. Remove chicken strips from marinade; discard marinade. Thread one strip onto each satay stick or skewer. Broil or grill 3 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately with the satay sauce.
Wine ideas: You could go red or white with these tangy, nutty bites, but I particularly like them with a light red that’s been chilled a little bit to bring out its fresh fruit. Beaujolais is a natural pick for summertime; Duboeuf’s 2006 Réserve Beaujolais runs just $10. – Tara Q. Thomas
Curry Puffs
Juthamas “Judy” Teawdeswan makes addictive little snacks, above, enveloped in a flaky pastry at J’s Noodles & New Thai on South Federal Boulevard near West Kentucky Avenue. The pastry is impossible to duplicate, so go to J’s for the authentic Thai variety. Here, we have adapted a recipe from “Thai,” by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Becky Johnson and Sallie Morris. Wonton wrappers dry out quickly, so keep them covered, using plastic wrap, until you are ready to use them. Makes 24 puffs.
Ingredients
J’S FILLING:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups diced (about 2 medium) onions
3 cups cooked diced (2-3) potatoes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
ALTERNATE FILLING:
1 small potato, about 4 ounces, boiled and mashed
3 tablespoons cooked baby peas
3 tablespoons cooked corn
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 small fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon shrimp paste or fish sauce
1 teaspoon Thai green curry paste
PUFFS:
24 small wonton wrappers, about 3 1/4 inches square, thawed, if frozen
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed to a paste with 2 tablespoons water
Oil, for deep frying
Directions
J’S FILLING: In a large skillet, heat oil to medium-high. Add onions, sauté 5 minutes. Add remaining filling ingredients and sauté until mixture looks dry. Set aside to cool.
Alternate filling: In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients.
Lay out one wonton wrapper and place a teaspoon of the filling in the center.
Brush a little of the cornstarch paste along two sides of the square. Fold the other two sides over to meet them, then press together to make a triangular pastry and seal in the filling. Make more puffs in the same way.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or wok to 375 degrees or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in about 45 seconds. Add puffs to the oil, four at a time, and fry them for about 5 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from fryer or wok and drain on paper towels. If you intend serving the puffs hot, place them in a low oven while cooking successive batches. The puffs taste good cold.
Wine ideas: Cool your tongue off between bites of these hot, crunchy little puffs with the cooling effervescence of a sparkling wine. Cava would be perfect, both for its crisp, dry apple flavors and its affordable price; Segura Viudas and Paul Cheneau are names to look for in the $15-and-under world.-Tara Q. Thomas
Sweet Pancakes Dora Yaki
In Japan, sweet bean paste is traditionally sandwiched between two pancakes to resemble a little gong, hence its name, dora yaki – “dora” meaning gong. From “Japanese Cooking,” by Emi Kazuko, makes 6-8 pancakes.
Ingredients
SWEET BEAN PASTE:
9 ounces canned azuki beans
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
Pinch of salt
PANCAKES:
5 tablespoons superfine sugar
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon maple syrup or light corn syrup
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup water
Vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
Sweet bean paste: In a medium pan, heat canned azuki beans and their liquid over medium heat. Add sugar gradually and stir the pan vigorously. Lower heat and cook until liquid has almost evaporated and the beans have become mushy. Add salt and remove from heat. Stir 1 minute, then allow to cool.
PANCAKES: Mix sugar, eggs and syrup in a mixing bowl. Blend well until the sugar has dissolved. Add flour to make a smooth batter. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
Mix baking soda and water in a cup and add to batter.
Heat a little oil in a small frying pan until very hot. Remove from heat and wipe with a paper towel. Lower to medium heat and ladle some batter into the center. Make a small pancake about 5 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.
Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until both sides are golden brown. Reduce heat if the outside burns before the inside is cooked. Set aside and make the rest of the pancakes.
Take one pancake and spread about 2 tablespoons sweet bean paste in the middle, leaving about 1 inch around the edge. Cover with another pancake. Place on a tray and repeat until all the pancakes are used. Serve the filled pancakes warm or cold.
Tip: You can make a half “gong” by folding a pancake in the middle and filling the inside with a little of the bean paste.
Spring Onion Pancakes
Although Jack Mok of Spice China uses baking powder in his puffy scallion pancakes, right, this recipe does not. From “A Little Taste of China,” by Deh-Ta Hsuing and Nina Simonds, makes 24.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 green onion tops, finely chopped
Oil for frying
Directions
Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and water. Using a wooden spoon, mix to a rough dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. If the dough is very sticky, knead in a little more flour. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to roll the dough into a long roll. Cut dough into 24 slices.
Working with one portion of dough at a time, place dough, cut-edge-down, on the work surface. Using a small rolling pin, roll it out to a 4-inch circle. Brush the surface generously with sesame oil and sprinkle with green onion. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough and pinch the ends to seal in the spring onion and sesame oil. Lightly flatten roll, then roll it up again from one end like a snail, pinching the end to seal it. Repeat with remaining dough, sesame oil and green onion. Let the rolls rest 20 minutes.
Place each roll flat on the work surface and press down with the palm of your hand. Roll out to a 4-inch circle and place on a lightly floured tray. Stack the pancakes between lightly floured sheets of parchment or waxed paper and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, brush the surface with oil, and add two or three of the pancakes at a time. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side, turning once, until the pancakes are light golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately. (Reheat them wrapped in foil in a 350-degree oven 15 minutes.)
Wine ideas: Whether the spring onions are in pancakes, salads or roasted on their own, they are delicious with bright, springy green flavors of grüner veltliner from Austria. Try Hofer or Berger, both of which come in 1-liter bottles for less than $15.-Tara Q. Thomas
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Niu Rou Mien
This recipe is close to the beef noodle soup, left, at Lao Wang Noodle House on South Federal Boulevard near West Kentucky Avenue. Tangerine peel and star anise impart an exotic note, and pickled mustard greens provide contrast to the broth. From Gourmet and epicurious.com, makes 4 main-course servings.
Ingredients
5 cups water
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup Chinese rice wine or medium-dry Sherry
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 (1-inch) cube peeled fresh ginger, smashed
1 bunch scallions, white parts smashed with flat side of a large knife and green parts chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
10 fresh cilantro stems plus 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
2 (2-inch-long) pieces Asian dried tangerine peel (available at some Asian markets)
4 whole star anise
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 1/2 pounds meaty beef short ribs
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 ounces)
10 ounces dried Chinese wheat noodles (available at some Asian markets) or linguine
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
4 tablespoons Chinese pickled mustard greens (available at some Asian markets and Uwajimaya, 800-889-1928)
1 (4-inch-long) fresh red chile (optional), thinly sliced
Special equipment: cheesecloth
Directions
Bring water, soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, ginger, white parts of scallion, garlic, cilantro stems, tangerine peel, star anise, and red pepper flakes to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart pot, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add short ribs and gently simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until meat is very tender but not falling apart, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours. Let meat stand in cooking liquid, uncovered, 1 hour.
Transfer meat to a cutting board with tongs and discard bones and membranes, then cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Pour beef broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Skim fat from cooking liquid and transfer liquid to a 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken broth and meat and reheat soup over moderately low heat.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in a 6- to 8-quart pot of (unsalted) boiling water until tender, about 7 minutes (14 to 15 minutes for linguine). Drain noodles well in a colander and divide among 4 large soup bowls. Ladle broth over noodles and top with meat, scallion greens, bean sprouts, pickled mustard greens, cilantro sprigs and red chile (if using).
Note: Meat and beef broth can be cooked and strained 3 days ahead. Cool completely, uncovered, then chill meat in broth, covered. Skim fat before adding chicken broth.
Drink ideas: The beauty of beef noodles is that it is dinner and drink all in one – no wine needed. If you find you want a little something extra on the side, order a beer: The lightness of Beer Lao or Singha is just the thing here.– Tara Q. Thomas
