Bantam King’s Hiyashi Chuka. (Photo by Pat Padua)

Dish of the week: Cold noodles

Where to find it: Bantam King, Great Wall, Panda Gourmet, China Boy

As real summer weather comes in, a bowl of ramen may be the last thing on your mind. But a newcomer to the menu at Bantam King (501 G St. NW) challenges your concept of ramen: a chilled dish with ingredients that sound like the Mad Libs of international cuisine.

Hiyashi Chuka is a summer dish with what seem to be as many varieties as there are restaurants, but the chilled noodles are most commonly served with a vinegar-based sauce. Bantam King puts its own stamp on this summer staple with a version that comes with house-made chicken chorizo, onsen egg, Chinese broccoli, spicy sesame dressing, and a generous dollop of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix it all up for a rich and filling burst of cold flavor.

It’s hard to stop thinking about it. Much as a power-pop band like Big Star reinvents The Beatles’ basic elements by remixing them, this dish seems to turn spaghetti and meat sauce upside-down and backwards. It’s cold leftovers, a breakfast pasta, and spicy ramen all in one. The sesame dressing recalls the popular appetizer chilled sesame noodles, and the ramen bowl’s spice bomb comes in the solid protein form of spicy chorizo.

Speaking of sesame noodles, a few area restaurants offer addictively-flavorful alternatives that are chilled and spicy. At Great Wall Szechuan House (1527 14th St. NW) the spicy ma la menu starts with an order of cold noodles and bean sprouts soaked in peppercorn oil, a perfect counterpoint to your ma la double-cooked pork or ma la fish filet in black bean sauce (hint: ask for extra numbing spice, and have plenty of beer on hand—it complements the spices much better than plain water).

Panda Gourmet (2700 New York Ave. NE) is well established as a local outpost of the shaanxi street food popularized by New York’s thriving Xi’An Famous Foods chain. They serve two varieties of liang pi, or “cold steamed noodles,” one of which comes with sesame sauce, while the other has a spicier base.

Less spicy and perhaps more suitable for a hot summer day are the noodle crepes at China Boy (815 6th St. NW), a hidden gem in Chinatown.This modest shop has limited hours and is no more than a counter and two tables, and the menu doesn’t get much past soup and chow foon, but their home-made noodles are among the best in town, and the chewy noodle crepes are a refreshing prelude to lunch.

Previously on Dish Of The Week:
Diving Into Seafood Towers
Grilled And Smoky Asparagus
Cool Off With A Caipirinha
Chilaquiles
Arancini