Can instant noodles be eaten like this? Kinmen’s home-style snacks will blow your mind

Photos and text byXiao Hu’s Dream Food Blog

Yesterday I wrote about Matsu cuisine, today I’m adding a piece on Kinmen street food, and tomorrow I’ll do one on Penghu — what do you think? =) When it comes to Kinmen snacks, I wonder what’s the first thing that comes to mind for everyone? But for me, there’s only ever one answer: “stir-fried instant noodles.”

How many places in Kinmen actually sell stir-fried instant noodles? I doubt even the locals can answer that. All I can say is that if a shop serves food, there’s an 80–90% chance they’ll have this dish — and amazingly, each version tastes a bit different, or rather, they use different kinds of “instant noodles.” So which place serves the best stir-fried instant noodles? That answer is probably all over the place, with no consensus. But the one most people say is the best is “Hong Mei Snacks,” including my friend of over ten years, “Yong Da,” who also says this place is the best.

I think the first time I came to Kinmen, a typhoon messed up my plans and I didn’t get to try it. The second time, no matter what, I had to come and give it a shot. Only when I got there did I realize the place is actually called “Hong Mei Restaurant & Department Store.” This is kind of similar to what Xiao Hu shared the other day in [Xiao Hu’s Random Eats] [Kinmen Food] “Shanxi Cold Noodles,” which should really be called “Changrong Trading – Shanxi Cold Noodles.” As soon as you walk in, it turns out to be a grocery store, though it’s a bit of a stretch to call it a “department store” Xd. Half the shop sells daily necessities (mostly food), and the other half is the actual “Hong Mei Snacks.”

Of course, I had to order the stir-fried instant noodles, but I also thought about getting something else to show you all, so you wouldn’t curse me online for being stingy. That’s when I overheard a local-looking couple next to me order “potstickers,” so out of curiosity, I ordered a plate too.

When the potstickers arrived, my heart sank a little. They looked like frozen dumplings (the cheap kind), half steamed and half pan-fried? And then, true to the Kinmen style of potstickers, they drizzled egg on top just before serving. The dumplings — oh, I mean potstickers — were soft and mushy, both the wrappers and the filling. The taste wasn’t bad per se, but they were very greasy. The only saving grace was that the sweet-and-spicy (70% spicy, 30% sweet) sauce they drizzled on was actually pretty good xd.

Yong Da chose her favorite pan-fried radish cake, which was also topped with a layer of egg, and the sauce drizzled on top was the same as the potstickers, just not as much. The radish cake was very smooth, almost melting in your mouth, but the flavor wasn’t anything special — or maybe the sauce just overpowered it. Thankfully, the egg topping was actually quite tasty xd.

Finally, this dish I only ordered at the risk of being scolded by Yong Da: “fried chicken cutlet.” It was something the couple next to us ordered to go, but the smell was so enticing I couldn’t resist and got one too. The first bite of the fried chicken cutlet was fragrant — I mean the crust. The second bite was still fragrant but a bit oily. The third bite was mildly fragrant and quite oily. By the fourth bite, it was just “oily”... and the meat was a bit mushy, even slightly sour... So I gave up halfway through and, of course, got an earful from Yong Da: “I told you not to order more than you can finish...” xd

The grand finale, of course, went to the key dish: “stir-fried instant noodles.” As soon as the noodles arrived, Yong Da and I exchanged a glance, and after the first bite, we looked at each other again because the aroma and flavor were basically the base of Wei Lih’s fried sauce noodles, just with a slightly spicy kick. Even the texture of the noodles was similar. I can’t say it wasn’t tasty, but honestly, it wasn’t mind-blowing — or maybe it was just too familiar. Still, they did add plenty of minced meat, vegetables, eggs, and other toppings.

Hong Mei Snacks: No. 2, Anmin, Jinhu Township, Kinmen County, Phone: 08 233 2600, Business Hours: 07:30 – 23:00.

Xiao Hu’s Dream Food Blog
If “eating” is just about filling your stomach, then “food” would be far too boring~~~