Oakland Chinatown's hand-pulled noodle comes from Shan Dong on 10th Street, the corridor's most-loved counter. Watch the pull through the front window.

Oakland's Chinatown is the country's fourth-largest, dating to the 1850s. Northern Chinese hand-pulled lamian noodles arrived with later waves of mainland migration in the 1980s and 1990s. Shan Dong on 10th Street has run the Bay Area's most-loved hand-pulled noodle counter for over thirty years, pulling fresh dough behind a glassed-in counter at the front of the room.

Where to eat Chinatown hand-pulled noodle in Oakland

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Make it at home

Serves 42 hr 30 minAdvanced

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 275ml warm water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil for coating
  • Sesame paste sauce: 60g sesame paste
  • 30ml warm water
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 cloves grated garlic
  • Chopped scallion and cilantro to serve

Method

  1. Mix flour, water and salt in a large bowl. Knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  2. Coat the dough in oil. Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature; the long rest lets the gluten relax for pulling.
  3. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a long rope about 1cm thick.
  4. Hold each end of a rope and slap-stretch against the counter, doubling the rope and pulling until you have noodles of even thickness.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the noodles 2 minutes; they cook fast when fresh.
  6. Drain and toss with the sesame paste sauce. Top with scallion and cilantro.

Editor tip. Hand-pulling takes practice. If the dough breaks, you over-pulled or under-rested. The 2-hour rest is non-negotiable.