Taiwanese Oyster Noodles are a popular night market or street vendor noodle soup made famous in Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan. In Taiwanese, we proununce it as owa mee suan or (台湾蚵仔面线) Táiwān hézǐ miàn xiàn in Mandrian Chinese. Usually you'll find bowls of these soups topped with oysters, pork intestines and sometimes shrimp.
The noodles are vermicelli thin red noodles, which is a special type of noodle that allows it to stay firm and not break down or swell up during the cooking process. In addition, in my video tutorial, I'll show you how to keep the oysters plump while cooking (instead of shrinking). This makes for a tasty bowl of Taiwanese Oyster Noodles!
Tip: Don't forget the garnishes! I love adding plenty of fresh cilantro to enhance the flavors of the soup, in addition to minced garlic and a splash of black vinegar and chili oil. (Yes, I know you'll have garlic breath, but it's worth it!)
Ingredients:
Ingredients
Small Oysters (a jar)
Sweet potato flour (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup for a light coating depending on how many oysters)
8 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of bonito flakes
2 Tbsp. dried shallots
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
handful of thin red vermicelli noodles
4 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1/2 cup of water
Toppings for the finishing touch (optional):
freshly minced garlic
cilantro
black vinegar
chili oil
Ready in Total Time: 30 min.
Prep Time = 10 mins. Cook Time = 20 mins.
Preparation:
For the full preparation method and instructions, watch the YouTube video tutorial here.
Start by coating the oysters lightly in the sweet potato flour.
Boil the oysters for 1-2 minutes then transfer to a bowl of cool water to prevent sticking while we prepare the soup.
Bring the chicken broth and 1/2 a cup of the bonito flakes to a boil for 5 minutes. Strain the bonito flakes here.
Add the remaining bonito flakes to the soup, the noodles, and the seasonings.
Once the noodles are done cooking, add your cornstarch and water mixture to thicken the soup.
Serve the noodles and soup in a small bowl, topped with the oysters and optional toppings.
