Dan Dan Noodles

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)
Dan Dan Noodles Roundup

I love me a bowl of Dan Dan Noodles. So much so I will travel back to China one of these days so I can try them in their natural habitat in the Sichuan Province. Closest I got was in Beijing where there was satellite location of a famous spot from Chengdu. I’ll kill two birds with one stone by going to see the Pandas there too. The origin of Dan Dan Noodles is said to trace back to Chengdu where it first appeared as a cheap, portable street food sold by vendors who carried the ingredients and noodles on a long bamboo pole (dan) balanced on their shoulders, which is now the dish got its name. 

One of the things I love about Dan Dan is how it varies from spot to spot. Ordering a bowl of Dan Dan is like getting a scratch off ticket. Much like a pot of chili there’s a base most recipes follow but exact ingredients vary. The blueprint for a bowl of Dan Dan starts with thin and chewy noodles served with preserved vegetables, minced meat, and scallions sitting in a puddle of spicy oil commonly made up of sesame paste, chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, and black vinegar. Though regional variations abound and no two spots make them the same way. Some versions are soupier, other versions come served cold, in Taiwan they use peanut sauce. Lots of spots use chopped peanuts but some do not. Some bowls are spicy while others are savory. The noodles vary from spot to spot too. Chinese wheat noodles are the traditional choice but in Japan they have their own version called TanTan and it’s made with ramen noodles as it’s commonly consumed at ramen spots.

Over the last year and change I tried as many desirable versions as I could find in the Chicagoland area. This isn’t a complete list but it’s the spots that talked to me in terms of trying the Dan Dan Noodles. For now the final count is 15 versions tried across the Chicagoland area and because everybody loves when foods are ranked I’m listing the top five that stood out in terms of quality and then I'll round up the rest in no particular order as I liked all of these versions in one way or the other. 

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Szechuan Bistro

First stop is in Chinatown at the Richland Center food court. The basement of this building is home to a collection of small food stalls including Szechuan Bistro - my pick for the best Dan Dan Noodles in the Chicagoland area. I’ve written about this place before and you can learn more by clicking HERE. This is likely the most traditional preparation of Dan Dan in town, down to the portioning of the ground pork and the usage of chewy wheat noodles. It’s also laced with a good amount of Sichuan peppercorn and has Ya Cai, both of which are crucial elements when it comes to a good bowl of Dan Dan Noodles. I also appreciate the pricing which as of this being published is still under $10 an order.

Dan Dan Noodles at Szechuan Bistro
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Sichuan Style Noodle & Mao Cao

Next up we head about 25 miles west of the city limits to yet another Asian food court. This one is called the International Mall in Westmont, it houses a handful of Chinese food stalls. One of them is called Sichuan Style Noodle & Mao Cao. The Dan Dan Noodles from here are very similar to the version listed previously. They use a chewy wheat noodle with a nice amount of Sichuan peppercorn, ground pork and it’s a smaller portion priced at $8.95 a bowl. I’m not sure if there’s any connection between here and Szechuan Bistro but you can’t go wrong with the Dan Dan Noodles at either spot. 

Dan Dan Noodles at Sichuan Style Noodle & Mao Cao __________________________________________________

Katy's Dumplings

We’ll stay in Westmont and head to Katy’s Dumplings. Katy’s is known for having some of the best noodle soups in all of Chicagoland. The Dan Dan is a full on bowl of noodle soup with their signature handmade noodles resting in a spicy chili slicked broth with a bright red hue. The price reflects the portion in that it’s a large bowl of soup ($14.95). Aside from the standout noodles which are perfectly chewy the broth comes loaded with Sichuan peppercorns giving it a very nice spice profile (order extra spicy to guarantee this). Ground pork, sesame seeds and stir fried bok choy round it all out. 

Dan Dan Noodles at Katy's Dumplings
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Akahoshi Ramen

The Tantanmen ($18) at Akahoshi Ramen in Logan Square is perhaps the highest quality bowl of noodles on this list. Akahoshi being the brainchild of Mike Satinover aka Ramen_Lord on Reddit where he shared his journey from Ramen Head to Master Ramen Chef. Tantanmen is a Japanese ramen variant derived from dandanmian aka Dan Dan Noodles. Tantanmen has been adapted into a rich, creamy, and nutty ramen soup with a more moderate level of spice. It’s a staple dish of "Chuka Ryori" (Japanese-style Chinese) and it’s becoming increasingly popular in ramen shops across the globe. The soupless version served at Akahoshi is a top shelf rendition with extra thick ramen noodles that are made on site plus ma-la spice and sesame. It’s topped with seasoned Japanese style pork soboro, green onions, blanched bok choi and it’s best to add a soft boiled egg ($2) into the mix. 

Tantanmen at Akahoshi Ramen
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Wei Dao Cheng Du

Wai Dao Chengdu is still relatively new. It's stationed next door to 88 Marketplace on Jefferson. The menu is full of Sichuan and Chengdu specialties with a heavy dosage of numbing Sichuan style peppercorns, chili oils, rich broths, and the option to make your order come out extra spicy and numbing. The ability to make it "Mala" is what really stands out here. The noodles themselves are just ok, they’re almost spaghetti like, but everything else about this bowl is spot on. It’s a large serving meant to be shared by the table but I made a complete meal out of it with leftovers for $13.95. 

Dan Dan Noodles at Wai Dao Chengdu
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Hing Kee 

The Dan Dan Noodles at this dumpling specialist in Chinatown Square are listed on the menu under the ‘Hand Pulled Noodles’. It’s served as a noodle soup and the broth is creamy with a slightly spicy kick although the noodles are a tad softer than you'd expect hand pulled to be. There’s also ground pork, sesame seeds, green onions, and half of a hard boiled egg. While it’s not the most traditional version it’s a very satisfying bowl of soup and a very good deal too at just $9.50 when dining in.

Dan Dan Noodles at Hing Kee
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Bowl of Fortune Express

Bowl of Fortune opened in Wheeling last year and they opened an express location at J Plaza in Niles not too long after that (formerly Assi Plaza). The express location sits in a food court with a handful of other spots including P Dern's Thai Kitchen. The Dan Dan ($14.95) at Bowl of Fortune is a soupier version but not a full on noodle soup. The broth has a nice spice going for it and the alkaline noodles are thin and chewy. The ground pork is browned well with green onions and bok choy added on top.

Dan Dan Noodles at Bowl of Fortune Express
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Noodleverse

Next we head back to the Richland Food Court for a visit to Noodleverse. This Chinese noodle specialist opened last year with a menu of about 15 different noodle options including Chengdu Dan Dan Noodles ($16.50). I went in blindly since it was very new at the time of my visit but I saw the light as soon as my number was called. This was a very well put together bowl with equal portions of ground pork, Sichuan chili crisp, green onions and peanuts on top of thin and flat noodles with a puddle of spicy oil on the bottom. I mixed it all up and was pleasantly surprised with the final product. 

Dan Dan Noodles at Noodleverse
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Chengdu Bistro

This popular West Town spot recently opened a South Loop location. I've featured Chengdu Bistro before and I frequent it regularly as one of my go-to spots for takeout. Sichuan style noodle dishes are the star of the show and while I wouldn't list the Dan Dan among their best options I still get it regularly. It comes in two sizes with the small being a true single serving. At around $5 it pairs perfectly with an order of Sichuan string beans and Zhong's Dumplings. The noodles are on the soft side and it's not super spicy but the oil and the pork have good flavor and the bok choy adds a contrasting texture.

Dan Dan Noodles at Chengdu Bistro
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SzeChuan Alley

Bridgeport continues to see a surge in Chinese restaurants up and down Halsted street. SzeChuan Alley opened over a year ago and I stopped in to try the Dan Dan Mian ($15.95) around the time period when they first opened. I thought their version with thinner and slightly soft noodles topped with dark browned pork mixed with chopped peanuts and lettuce was a hit but more like a single or a double than a home run. The little puddle of chili slicked oil on the bottom could've been spicier and the noodles were softer than I like but it still hit the spot in a way that Dan Dan almost always does.  

Dan Dan Noodles at SzeChuan Alley
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Min's Noodle House

We'll stay in Bridgeport and head a bit further south down Halsted to get to our next spot - Min's Noodle House. This place is one of the elder Chinese spots on the block having opened almost ten years ago. As the name suggests the noodle dishes at Min's are front and center with options like their signature Chunking Noodles with your choice of toppings being very popular, as are the Dan Dan Noodles ($11.95). The Dan Dan are unique in that it's loaded with a pork mix that's wetter than most plus lots of lettuce. The noodles are thin and soft and there's a noticeable amount of peanut flavor in the sauce mix at the bottom. Not sure how I feel about the lettuce as it tends to get wet and becomes texturally unpleasing. It's not the spiciest version but you can amp it up upon request. 

Dan Dan Noodles at Min's Noodle House
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YooYee 

This Sichuan restaurant in Uptown on Broadway became a popular spot right out of the gate when it opened last year. People including myself flocked to YooYee for their spicy braised beef brisket noodle soup made with hand pulled noodles which are very good. The Dan Dan ($16) isn't quite as good but that's not to say you shouldn't try it. I just didn't think it was as well made as the brisket soup. Their Dan Dan is made with a much thinner egg noodle and its a drier version meaning there's no broth. The pork was a bit too dry and the texture was rather monotoned without any peanuts or bok choy. But the sauce on the bottom had a good spice to it and it clings to the noodles nicely.  

Dan Dan Noodles at YooYee
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Chef's Special

Chef's Special is different from all the previous spots on this list so it's only fitting that their Dan Dan is too. The term "Chef Driven" is overplayed but that's exactly what Chef's Special is. The menu is an ode to the Chinese food that Chef Jason Vincent grew up eating in Northeast Ohio as seen through his culinary lens which also gave us the critically acclaimed Giant in Logan Square. At Chef's Special in Bucktown the Dan Dan Noodles ($17) are unique in a few different ways. They use thick and chewy egg noodles that are stir fried and tossed with a mix of ground pork, sesame paste, peanuts, green onions, and Sichuan peppercorns. The end result is a bowl of steaming hot noodles with great texture and great flavor. You can even personalize it a bit with the trio of sauces that comes with it.

Dan Dan Noodles at Chefs Special
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Noodlebird

The Dan Dan at Noodlebird in Logan Square is a recurring special that seems to pop up in the summer months. Pretty much everything is solid at this place and that includes the Dan Dan ($15.00). They use long wheat noodles with minced pork sitting atop a puddle of spicy sesame Sichuan sauce and they give their own touch by garnishing it with yu choy, pickled peppers and shaved cucumbers.

Dan Dan Noodles at Noodlebird
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Lao Peng You

Our final stop takes us to Lao Peng You in Ukrainian Village. This is one of the city's most popular Chinese restaurants outside the Chinatown neighborhood. It's a new school spot that I featured when it first opened. If you ask where to find the best Dan Dan in Chicago odds are at least a few will tell you to go to Lao Peng You. Personally I prefer their dumplings which come swimming in a tangy broth but the Dan Dan ($19) is very good and worth getting when you're craving some noodles. The menu lists chopped pork, spinach, peanuts, soy, sesame, chili oil, brown peppercorns. Upon delivery it looks a bit off with a mound of greens on top but as soon as you mix it all up it starts looking the part. 

Dan Dan Noodles at Lao Peng You
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See ya next time @chibbqking

Eating BIG in Cabo

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Bachelor Party in Cabo San Lucas

For as much as I love Mexico I never had much interest in visiting Cabo San Lucas but friends come before food so I made my way there to celebrate the marriage of an old friend last March. With Cabo being a big time resort city it’s more-so known for its beaches, water based activities and nightlife than it is for its food. But it’s still Mexico and it’s also in Baja which has an incredible food culture thus there’s still good food to be found for those willing to leave the resorts. Here’s where to find it.

Sights from Cabo

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El Arrecife

First stop in town was a rooftop mariscos bar called El Arrecife. “The Reef” caught my eye when I saw they were serving Callo de hacha which means scallop in Spanish. This specific breed of bivalve is known for its hatchet-shaped shell and is commonly found in the Sea of Cortez and used in various dishes like ceviche, tostadas, and aguachiles - they serve a super fresh version here. It’s sweet and tender and a bit more intense than a regular scallop in terms of the ocean flavor it gives off.

Callo de Hacha at El Arrecife
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Birreieria Los Paisas

We just so happened to be passing Birrierria Los Paisas which was packed with locals so we decided to stop in and get a taco. They had a huge pot of beef birria cooking out on the open and it smelled so good and there was an empty table right in front allowing us to pop right in. I got a quesabirria which went from good to really good when dressed with all the salsas and condiments that it came with.

Quesabirria at Birreieria Los Paisas
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Salvatore G's

Next stop was not my call but I’m including the details on Salvatore G's in case any of my readers have to play along with a meal from here. This is where the bachelor and his uncle with a house in Cabo wanted to go for our first dinner. A few of us weren’t happy we were eating Italian food on the first night in Mexico but we played along. “Uncle Bob” ended up doing most of the ordering which ended up being entirely too much food for a group that was more interested in drinking than they were in eating. Honestly I thought this place was pretty mid but both Uncle Bob and the bachelor liked it as did one of the bachelors friends from Arizona who called it the best pasta he’s ever had. I got a nice laugh out of that and did enjoy the mound of lasagna so it wasn’t a total loss in terms of a nice meal.

Lasagna at Salvatore G's
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La Esquina Choyera 1

The next morning I was asked to find a legit spot for a real Mexican breakfast to make up for dinner the previous night. I found us a spot away from the hustle and bustle in a quieter part of town. La Esquina Choyeria 1 is a real locals place. It's basically the Mexican equivalent to a diner. I finally felt like I was in Mexico when we sat down in the open air dining room. Even though Cabo is all the way south in the local food scene here reflects the North in terms of the common dishes you’ll find at local establishments. The menu at La Esquina Choyeria is made up of burritos, empanadas, quesadillas and Huevos with options like Machaca and chorizo as far as the fillings go. I got a couple of burritos which are the classic Norteno variety made up of a slick lard laced flour tortilla spread with beans plus the filling of your choice. Size wise these are like large tacos and not the huge burritos we’re used to in the States. Both the Machaca (dried beef) and the desabrada (shredded beef) hit the spot.

Breakfast Burritos at La Esquina Choyeria 1
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Los Cabos Fish Tacos

Let’s say you’re stopping thru Cabo on a cruise and you only have time to seek out one spot - make it this tiny taco stand hiding behind the marlin statue at the marina. The menu at Los Cabos Fish Tacos is small but mighty. Everything is cooked to order with cheese quesadillas joining grilled or fried fish tacos served on wonderful made to order corn tortillas. Baja California is home to many great fish taco stands and Los Cabos Fish Tacos is among the very best. The tacos here are served bare and meant to be dressed at the salsa bar which is loaded with a bunch of different topping options including a few different types of cabbage plus lots of salsas. Fish tacos are a daytime snack so this place makes for a great lunch. These might’ve been the best tacos I ate on this trip which included a stop in CDMX.

Fish Tacos at Los Cabos Fish Tacos
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Tacos Marissa

When the fish taco spots close for the day, the grilled meat spots open. Tacos Marissa specializes in steak which is grilled over charcoal in their open kitchen. You can try the flame grilled bistec in a variety of ways including these awesome little grilled burritos they make stuffed with meat and cheese called ‘Chuy-Kun’. As I mentioned earlier the food in Cabo reflects that of Northern Mexico so the tacos here are served on flour tortillas. Whatever you get here make sure to pair it with a cup of the Frijoles Alterados which are charro beans with carne asada and cheese - simple but sensational. 

Snacks at Tacos Marissa
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Taqueria el Paisa

Taqueria El Paisa is located right in the middle of the chaos in Cabo so it’s a popular stop post drinks as it’s open until 3am during the busy season. I stopped in here a couple times when we were in the area as you can do much worse when you're in these parts. They slice the pastor to order and make a tasty batch of frijoles charros. You can also get a pretty good Vulcan here. Vulcans are similar to tostadas but the tortilla is grilled instead of fried and topped with meat and cheese resulting in bite that’s both crisp and chewy. If you must eat late night in the downtown area El Paisa should suffice.

Late Night Snacks at el Paisa
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Burritos el Miguelon

Burritos el Miguelon is another good option for a locals breakfast. I came here with a few others and we all ate well on the cheap in the form of breakfast burritos, eggs with Machaca, and Chilaquiles.

Burritos at Burritos el Miguelon
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Mi Compa Chava (Todos Santos)

Our group took a daytrip to Todos Santos where a few of us were able to sneak away from lunch at the tourist trap that is Hotel California for some of the freshest and most flavorful ceviche and seafood tostadas in all of Mexico. Mi Compa Chava was about a 15 minute walk from the main square in a very residential part of town. It's very cliche to say eating somewhere felt like being at someone's house but this open air restaurant sits in the backyard of the family that runs it so it really is like going to somebody's house. The kids were even running around in the yard right next to the dining area. We started off with some fantastic mixed seafood tostadas before moving onto two different types of ceviche. First up was the Pescado Especial which was made up of different types of fish, cucumbers, peppers, and more. This was one of those dishes where your eyes roll back a little bit upon first bite. That's how good it was. It tasted about as fresh as it gets and it only got better from there.

Mixed Ceviche at Mi Compa Chava

The Ceviche Lavantamuerto is the best ceviche I've ever had and I just got back from a trip to Peru. It came recommended by our waitress when I asked in Spanglish what the specialty of the house was. As far as I could tell it was a mix of thinly sliced fish with equally thinly sliced red onions and jalapenos all mixed with a darkish red sauce - likely a combo of soy sauce and Maggi Jugo. "Levantamuertos" or sometimes spelled as two words, levanta muertos, translates to "raises the dead" and is a Spanish colloquial term, primarily used in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, for hangover food. Mi Compa Chava is the type of spot that might get me back to Todos Santos. It's destination dining. 

Ceviche Levantamuerto at Mi Compa Chava
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El Mirador (Todos Santos)

We spent a good chunk of the day hanging out at Faro Beach Club in Todos Santos and that was a ton of fun. They had a pool and all sorts of lounging opportunities right there on the beach plus bartenders to serve you whatever it is you want. From there we had dinner plans up the mountain at El Mirador. It started off wonderfully as we had drinks and good times while watching the sunset over the ocean but I suspected something was off when everyone but us left once the sun went down. We were the only group of people eating there. The truth is I feel like this is the type of spot you come to for a drink and then go elsewhere for dinner. I thought the food was average at best. We got a grilled fish dish that just wasn't all that well cooked. I could tell the temp of the grill was low just by how it looked. I had a creamy seafood pasta that was very average as is but not bad when I added the salsa macha they had at the table. The company and the views here were great but the food was just ok. 

Grilled Fish at El Mirador
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El Pollo de Oro

The smell coming out of El Pollo de Oro pulled us in for some ribs and chicken. We managed to grab a table right before the lunch rush which seemed to be mostly locals. Both of the grilled meats were good as expected at these Mexican grilled chicken shacks commonly found throughout the country. The chile rellano was a pleasant surprise. This place is just a couple blocks off the strip and worth walking over to for lunch one day if you want some stick to your ribs type of food - no pun intended.

Lunch at El Pollo de Oro
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Los Claros

Los Claros is commonly mentioned in the conversation of the best tacos in Cabo so I marked it down as a possible stop and we ended up making it here for a snack on the last day. This place specializes in Tacos estilo Sinaloa which means plump fried shrimp paired with rich and savory smoked marlin and so forth. Not the best seafood tacos I’ve had but they hit the spot as far as a quick snack goes.

Seafood Tacos at Los Claros
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Tabasco Beach Bar & Restaurant

We did a ton of beach lounging on our last day in Cabo and that included taking a long walk from one end to the other and seeing what was going on. We met up as a group at Tabasco Bar & Restaurant as a friend of a friend insisted we stop in for some cerveza and the shrimp tacos that he and his wife stop in to get every time they come to Cabo. These tacos ended up being a good metaphor for a trip to this very touristy part of Mexico. Chopped up shrimp is mixed with peppers + onions in toasted flour tortillas and they it the spot as the setting was spectacular and the company kept was wonderful. 

Shrimp Tacos at Tabasco Beach
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Mother Flower

The restaurant scene in Cabo seems to be lacking in the creativity department. There’s just not a lot of spots doing interesting or at least elevated takes on the local cuisine. Mother Flower was the one exception I found to this. It’s a trendy but casual place with good sunlight and a cool open air kitchen parked right behind the bar where they make very good drinks. It feels like a Southern California spot. The menu is mostly made up of tacos but there's also items like clam chowder, burgers, lamb chops, and seafood pasta. Clam chowder is commonly mentioned in online reviews and it caught my eye seeing as how it’s not a dish you commonly come across at a Mexican restaurant. But it’s served with Salsa Macha drizzled on top and that intrigued me. It ended up working really well as Salsa Macha tends to do when used with a creamy base like clam chowder. The soup itself was a classic version that I think most New Englanders would be happy with. As far as the tacos go they were also excellent. The fish and steak tacos are about as good as you’ll get in Cabo and octopus tostadas are a must. I feel like Octopus can be hit or miss but these tostadas with chopped octopus, smoked oyster pate, avocado, and salsa macha were a big hit with the table. We walked in around opening time but you might want to get reservations here as it’s not a huge space and it’s rightfully popular.

Dinner at Mother Flower
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ICYMI:

Eating BIG in Baja (2016)

Eating BIG in Riviera Nayarit (2020)

Eating BIG in Mexico City (2025)

See ya next time @chibbqking