Xiaochi
Eden Noodles
By Anna King Shahab
In part two of our series digging deeper into the Auckland dining legend that is Eden Noodles Cafe, we chatted to owner-operators, husband-and-wife team Ji Zou and Xiao Ping about snacking and feasting Sichuan style...
Xiăochī (小吃) meaning ‘little eats’ or snacks is a super popular category in Chinese cuisine. These smaller format dishes are served from street stalls and casual eateries, often as a takeaway.
Eden Noodles is one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most popular xiăochīdiàn – snack bars. Chef Xiao Ping (Tina) and her co-owner husband Ji Zou have built up a solid reputation for serving popular little eats from their home province of Sichuan. For those unfamiliar with Sichuan xiăochī, and even for the many regular customers of Eden Noodles who tend to stick with the same narrow selection of dishes, we teamed up with Tina and Ji Zou to lift the lid on how best to order Sichuan xiăochī.
Pick and mix
Other Sichuan culinary formats like banqueting and hotpot tend to be more suitable for a group. One of the beauties of a xiăochīdiàn is it’s the perfect fit for solo dinners wanting one or two bowls of something to quell the hunger, while couples and groups can tuck in and share an array of dishes with flavours and textures that both complement and contrast.
A good way to approach the menu at Eden Noodles is to pick some of the larger format noodle, dumpling, or hot pot dishes, then add things from other sections of the menu that pique your interest and offer different flavour and texture notes. Choose from dishes that sing with ma la (classic Sichuan flavour profile combining dried red chilli bolstered with Sichuan peppercorns), poached meat dishes that add more protein to the table, and salad dishes that bring freshness and crunch.
Must-try xiăochī
If you haven’t ventured beyond the noodle menu at Eden Noodles, you’re missing out. Yes, the dan dan mian and dumplings in spicy sauce are spectacular (more on those star dishes in a later story…) but there are plenty more classic xiăochī waiting to be discovered. Here are a few Tina and Ji Zou reckon you should order alongside your noodles, dumplings, hot pot and rice dishes:
Slobbery chicken – also often known as saliva chicken, mouthwatering chicken – these descriptions might sound odd if you’re new to the game, but they're simply transliterations of the dish’s title in Mandarin 口水鸡 (Kǒu shuǐ jī), which is one of the foundational flavours in Sichuan cuisine. The cooking technique of poaching then bathing the chicken in ice is quite involved, and lays the paving for a dish that offers a tender and silky mouthfeel from the chicken, contrasted with an infused oil sauce that brings a spicy, sour, sweet, salty party for the tastebuds.
Cucumber salad – fresh cucumber is prepped in a way that leaves it with a raggedy surface, all the better for catching as much of the delicious dressing as possible. Eden Noodle’s dressing is redolent with chilli oil, sesame oil, black vinegar and garlic, and a host of secret spices. When made well like Tina does, the crunchy cucumber almost seems to burst with juicy flavour in your mouth. This style of Sichuan salad is the perfect quenching counter to anything rich or spicy. Also try the shredded potato or shredded kelp for a similar vibe.
Sichuan pita – often referred to as ‘Chinese burgers’ for its eat-with-hands nature, guōkuī are said to have been invented centuries ago as a way to feed troops on the go, and remain a go-to in Sichuan xiăochīdiàn. Many restaurants only offer simple beef, pork, lamb fillings, but Eden Noodles keeps things exciting on its pita menu with fillings like spicy green jelly (vegetarian) or beef, ox tripe, cow heel in spicy sauce, and beef with spicy rice flour.
Sichuan pickles (pào cài) – sometimes known as Chinese kimchi, vegetables are preserved via fermentation, a Sichuan specialty popular all over China. Hints of mouth numbing peppercorn and a delicate liquorice note from rice wine give depth to the salty tang and bright crunch.
Outlets: 105 Dominion Road Mt Eden - T: 09-6301899 | Shop 3/18-26 Wellesley St East CBD - T: 0278967777 | Shop 3/14 Corinthian Drive, Albany - T: 09-869 4347 | Shop 1/424 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket - T: 09 5200092
Recommend reading: What’s in a dish & Behind the Plate
*In paid partnership with Eden Noodles
