Strands of Bliss

LIU DAO MEN MIAN | 留到门面
Address: 419 Xinhua Rd, Changning District (near Dingxi Rd.) | 长宁区 新华路419号 (近定西路)
Telephone: 131-2231-4059
Hours: Daily 11:00 – 21:00
Price: 20 – 40 RMB/person
Cuisine: Chinese – Sichuan
Rating: 4.5/5

The spot for Sichuan noodles.

Today I had a craving for spice so I went over to Liu Dao Men Mian nearby Jiaotong University. I’ve been before and this place hits the spot.

Usually when I go, the small restaurant is very busy, so today I decided to go at an off-peak time. Without all the people, I took more notice of the wooden décor and the large framed photos of their delicious noodle dishes. Turns out the owner, Mr. Jia was actually there so I chatted with him a bit. Previously a guitar player in a rock band, he opened up this shop 6 years ago after his brother opened a similar noodle shop in Chengdu. I realized he had Eric Clapton music in the background and even has a guitar hung up on the wall as decoration. The small touches in the décor all tie in with Mr. Jia and his food.

Since moving to China I’ve developed a love for spicy food, specifically Sichuan spice flavors. Mr. Jia’s Liu Dao Men Mian offers up a great variety of spicy noodles that are very comparable to the ones I had in my last trip to Chengdu.

What we ordered:
Dan Dan Mian (担担面), Chongqing Mian (重庆小面), Tian Shui Mian (甜水面), Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian (红烧牛肉面) and Yi Bin Ran Mian (宜宾燃面).

Dan Dan Mian (担担面) | 10 RMB 
These bowls are tiny so they make for a great side dish or snack. It doesn’t have the creamy peanut or sesame sauce like some Dan Dan Mian, this one is more simple with flavors of chili and preserved veggies. Recommended.

Chongqing Mian (重庆小面) | 19 RMB (big bowl)

If you can handle spice, this dish has a great combination of flavors. I personally hate all things preserved/pickled so could have done without the Ya Cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens similar to Zha Cai), but that’s just my personal taste. Still a must-try. Recommended.

Tian Shui Mian (甜水面) | 10 RMB 
Tian Shui Mian translates to ‘sweet water noodles.’ This sweet and spicy dish uses thick and chewy noodles. The sweetness comes from the red sugar water (红糖水) but the spicy oil and chili sauce balances it out giving it a nice kick. Strongly recommended.

Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian (红烧牛肉面) | 28 RMB (small bowl)
This bowl, while tasty didn’t particularly stand out for me. The broth is mildly spicy but quite flavorful and rich without feeling heavy. Nice chunks of braised beef compliment the noodles. I prefer a thicker noodle for soup but this one is worth a try. Recommended.

Yi Bin Ran Mian (宜宾燃面) | 17 RMB (big bowl)
Unfortunately, this dish missed the mark for me. Despite it being heavily covered in Ya Cai (I  the noodles were severely dry and had little flavor. Even adding a bit of chili sauce didn’t help. Not recommended.

Bliss Tips:

• Avoid peak lunch hours (go after 13:00)
• Spice level – Suggested to order wei la (mildly spicy) to start. If that’s not spicy enough, you can add spicy sauce or order the next dish with more spice. Be careful of telling them you can ‘handle spice’. I nearly burned a hole in my stomach when they made it spicer than I could handle!
• Allergies – A lot of dishes have peanuts so ask if yours does in case you have an allergy