Whether you're drunk or sober, Chef Patrick Go's new dish at Black Sheep in Pasong Tamo soothes the hungry soul. You'll want to inhale this spicy noodle bowl after a long day at work, or when you're aggressively hungry after partying.
The dandanmian or dan dan is a Sichuan street food that combines chili oil and meat with noodles — a spicy, saucy noodle dish that is a favorite among folk who love the heat on their palate. Anything chili-spiked seems to automatically become an anti-hangover favorite, probably because all the spice is enough to keep you up or at least distract your system from thinking you've had a little too much to drink. At Black Sheep, their take on this classic Chinese Sichuan dish is the Dan Dan Mien Noodles, and one order comes served in a big bowl heavy with noodles good enough to share. Pro tip: while Black Sheep is known for the chef's signature tasting menu and small plates, they've beefed up their food lineup to include a lot of heartier fare that is good to share by two to three persons. The new noodle dish is a delicious example.
Thick egg noodles with a bite like udon are coated with a nutty and spicy sauce, laced with homemade chiu chow chili oil (they also make their own XO sauce in this restaurant). Shreds of nutty braised beef are in the mix, and the saucy noodles is crowned with a crispy fried egg, its yolk waiting to be sliced to run down gooey into the noodles, making it another type of sauce to boost the already rich flavors. The addition of katsuoboshi flakes gives each big slurp of the dan dan a deliciously umami finish.
They say eggs help curb a hangover because of its amino acid content, so this dish could be your next recovery food. I've wolfed these noodles one sober evening, though, so I can't vouch for its effectivity; what it is no doubt is a mood booster after a long day, when all you want is to shove something delicious in your mouth. When mad cravings of food, glorious food, attack you (drunk or sober), have a seat at the Black Sheep and demolish this spicy bowl to insulate your tummy real good and make you feel more human.
The Dish: Dan Dan Mien Noodles (P350, for sharing)
Where to Find it: Black Sheep
Black Sheep is located at 2230 UPRC 1 building (beside Tunnl and Tile Depot) along Chino Roces Avenue, Makati. It is open for lunch (12nn-2pm) and dinner (6-10:30pm) from Tuesdays to Saturdays (closed Mondays and Sundays). Call +632 744 1569, like Black Sheep on Facebook (/blacksheepmnl), and follow on Instagram (@blacksheepmnl).
