If you’ve spent time in San Francisco then you know the city’s garlic noodles are iconic. They’re on countless menus but the original lies with Thanh Long, a classic Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset District, that I lived near to many moons ago.
This dish is a love letter to Thanh Long’s infamous noodles. It’s absolutely worth seeking out fresh Dungeness crab for the best flavor.
- 1 pound fresh wheat noodles or spaghetti pasta
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 onion, sliced
- 8 ounces lump crabmeat, preferably Dungeness
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- Black pepper
- 1 green onion, sliced, for serving
- Cook the noodles to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon water to blend. Set sauce aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon each of the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the garlic and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the onion and stir-fry until the garlic just begins to brown, about another minute. Add the crab, Cajun seasoning, paprika, and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter. Add the remaining minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute or two. Add the sauce, let it warm up, then add the cooked noodles. Mix well to coat the noodles with the sauce, then add about 1/4 of the crab mixture and stir for another minute to warm through.
- Transfer the noodles to a serving platter and top with the remaining crab mixture, garnish with the green onions and pepper, and serve.