Tan Tan noodles at Siu Ga, Newark

I'm starting a new thread on this because the old one has died out, but there has been extensive discussion of Tan Tan/Dan Dan noodles--see below. I'm no expert, but I liked the (not extremely spicy) Tan Tan Noodles at Siu Ga in the Lido Faire Shopping Center in Newark (just south of the 84/Decoto Rd. freeway to the Dumbarton Bridge). These were of the ground pork/ green onion/slightly soupy variety, were available as part of the weekend breakfast there. The crab dumplings, which seemed like an expanded dim sum item (though they didn't do dim sum) were very good too. The place was totally packed at 1:30 on Sunday, then rapidly emptied out.

Lido Faire is the "ethnic" shopping center in central Newark, surrounded by numerous whitebread models. There's also a pho place in Lido Faire that we like, though we haven't been there for awhile.

Thanks for reporting in, Nathan. Would you describe the predominant flavor as tasting of peanuts or bean sauce?

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

Although an item named "Tan Tan Noodles" shows up here very often, I can not figure out.

Is it the same as "Tan Tan Men" in Japan's Chinese food restaurants?

"Mian" or "mein" means noodles in Mandarin and Cantonese respectively. The name of the dish can also be spelled "dan dan".

How would you describe the tan tan men served at Chinese restaurants in Japan?

Rather than describing in words, a picture shows it....
The second one on the following Web page.

Link: http://www.worldramen.net/Varietion/c...

An interesting page, Hiko.

The two versions of tantan men are closer to the classic than the peanut butter laden type often served here. The jah jah men looked really good - wish I could find as nice a bowl here! That's what's called zha jiang mian in Mandarin. The Mandarin name for the paiko men would be be pai gu, meaning pork rib. The description of tan men (or tang mian) as a specific dish rather than generic soup noodles was interesting too.

The two I'm not familiar with are the kang tong men and ten shin men.

Melanie, as noticed by most people on this board, the Bay Area's Chinese restaurants are evolving--expanding or changing their menues.

Personally, I do not want to eat--or even see--sushi in Chinese restaurants. I wonder if some of them will start Japan's Chinese-style noodle soups.

As you know, China's culinary history is one of traditional regional cuisines. The problem here is that the primary customer base of most Chinese restaurants wants to find its favorite dishes even if they're not things that the kitchen makes particularly well, e.g., hot and sour soup or mushu pork at Cantonese restaurants.

I'll be interested to see if a Yokohama style Chinese restaurant could make it here. There is a Korean-Chinese restaurant in SF's Japantown, have you spotted any Japanese-style Chinese places?

In Taipei, it is not uncommon to have sushi offerings in the restaurants there. Older folks understand quite a bit of Japanese due to the occupation. The first time I had live lobster sashimi was in Taipei. To have this kind of sushi in a Taiwanese restaurant here would be an authentic version of what is offered at home in Taipei.

Thinking over and over, I found a problem in made-in-Japan Chinese-style noodle soups.

Because the Bay Area never beomes cold, eating them will not generate "good feeling" like they experience in Tokyo's "icy" winter.

There weren't any whole peanuts or large pieces of peanuts but I'd have to say more on the peanut than the bean sauce side.