Cold noodles are a necessity for summer eating, especially in Taiwan. You can find liang mian in food stands, 24/7 convenience stores, and home kitchens. It usually consists of thinly sliced fresh cucumbers, carrots, and egg ribbons nicely arranged on top of bouncy noodles, with a healthy scoop of sesame-vinegar sauce.
As a college student in Taiwan, I would often go to one particular hole-in-the-wall cold noodle shop for a late-night slurp after a long night of drinking. It wasn’t an explicitly queer establishment, but it was near the only lesbian bar in Taipei, and it provided a sense of queer community, which was rare in my daily life. This recipe is my tribute to the spaces in Taipei that host young queer folks like me, where I got to feel free and comfortable in my own skin while having affordable, delicious food.
In my attempt to re-create Taipei-style liang mian sauce with ingredients I can easily find in the States, I was able to make a version of the dish with peanut butter, Kong Yen black vinegar (or Worcestershire sauce), and a few other easily found pantry staples. Colorful summer produce and fresh ramen noodles tie it all together. These noodles have a special place in my heart and tummy, and it’s perfect for Pride parties all summer long.
This cool, refreshing dish is a perfect make-ahead candidate. Prep the sauce, cook the eggs, and slice your veg ahead of time, then boil and shock your noodles in ice water just before serving. —Jessie YuChen
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What you’ll need
Large Nonstick Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Colander
$11 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$39 $36 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
3
3
1
¾
2
1
1
4
20
1
1
3
¼
¼
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until no streaks remain; season with salt.
Step 2
Heat 1½ tsp. oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low. Pour half of eggs into skillet and swirl to coat bottom. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook eggs until set and surface appears dry, about 3 minutes. Carefully slide onto a cutting board. Repeat process with remaining eggs and 1½ tsp. oil. Stack egg sheets, roll up tightly, and slice crosswise into thin strips.
Step 3
Whisk peanut butter, black vinegar, white vinegar, demerara sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ½ cup water in a medium bowl until smooth. (The mixture will be stiff at first, but keep going. It will soon relax.)
Step 4
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let sit, swishing noodles occasionally, until cold, about 3 minutes.
Step 5
Drain noodles and divide among bowls. Top with some strips of egg and some bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, and cabbage. Pour ½ cup sauce over each bowl; top with peanuts and cilantro. Serve with chili crisp alongside.
Leave a Review
Reviews (24)
Back to TopLoved this recipe! Made this for healthy work lunches and my coworkers were jealous at how delicious this looked! The measurements were perfect, including the vinegar, the vinegar adds necessary bite to the sauce. It's a forgiving recipe, it could be made vegan or add shrimp for folks who want more protein. For the commenter who wanted the name and location of the bar, perhaps the lack of information is out of concern for the safety and privacy of those who frequent the establishment. In some countries, the LGBTQ community are still at real risk for their safety.
Liz D
SF/Bay Area, CA
6/4/2024
This was a great noodle salad. I halved the sauce, and it was a great amount for us. Used natural crunchy peanut butter as that is what we have on hand. I used medium sized pre-cooked pancit miki noodles from our local asian market, but next time I might try cooking dried soba to see if I like those better.
Rebecca
Chicago
7/13/2022
shaking my head at these reviews. the sauce is a vinegar- based sauce, it’s not a typo. only putting a tablespoon makes it a totally different sauce 🥴 I thought the recipe was great, in fact the sauce MAKES it, in my opinion. Also really easy and convenient to make ahead !
Liss
7/2/2022
My least favorite BA recipe. Way too much vinegar. This has to be a typo. It was pretty, though.
Inkedandmouthy
San Angelo, TX
6/29/2022
Delicious and refreshing, we loved this crunchy, flavorful noodle salad! Made it in the morning and the veggies were still crunchy at lunchtime. Will be excellent to enjoy all summer long! Because of the black vinegar feedback from other reviewers, I only added to taste, which wound up being 3TB.
SpatulaCity123
Los Angeles
6/23/2022
WAY too much vinegar in the recipe. I think it must be a typo, like another reviewer suggested. I would honestly do 3/4 tbsp for black vinegar instead of a 3/4 cup. Had to double the other ingredients to compensate for it. Turned out ok but I know there’s a good recipe in there if someone fixes the vinegar ratios.
Maxine
Ventura, CA
6/14/2022
I loved almost everything about this recipe. I'm puzzled about the huge amount of black vinegar in the sauce. Even after adding the half cup of water and getting it all blended together, it was still too much vinegar. I'm surprised that I'm the only one who is wondering if the 3 quarters of a cup is a typo? I can't imagine even using that much Worcestershire sauce in place of the black vinegar. Since I loved everything else about this recipe, (especially the noodly eggs), I will definitely make it again all summer long, on super hot days. But I will reduce the vinegar to a quarter of a cup at the very most. Let the peanut butter shine through a bit more.
IvanaHumpalot
MN
6/12/2022