Dong Ting Noodle Review - Sawtelle - Los Angeles - The Infatuation
"Dong Ting Noodle on Sawtelle is so clean and polished that you might feel guilty spilling chili oil on your shiny table. But that’s probably inevitable because there’s some form of chili in almost every dish at this casual Hunan-style restaurant: fresh chilis, dried chilis, chili oil, plus tingly Sichuan peppercorns, sometimes all of them at once. No matter your spice preferences, though, there’s something that will make you happy on Dong Ting’s lengthy menu, whether that’s dry noodles with chunks of tender beef or the chilled sesame noodles that are extra refreshing for sweating foreheads. If you’re dining with someone else who doesn’t mind getting a little messy, order the spicy boiled crawfish that arrive in a big, steaming bowl. They’re worth the nose dribble and numb lips. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Changsha Style Spicy Medley If you’re into chewy, crunchy, cartlidge-y bits, you’ll dig this salad. It’s a snack mix of wood ear mushrooms, sliced pig ear, tofu skin, and crispy beef, all tossed in chili oil and garlic. Every bite is a squeaky, snappy delight at a spice level that’s not too much. Sesame Sauce Cold Noodle Groups should order at least one non-spicy dish for the table for those who don’t want to sear their taste buds. These refreshing chilled wheat noodles are perfect for just that: the thick, creamy sesame sauce clings to the noodles, while pickled papaya and cucumber add a sweet crunch. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Crispy Chili Beef Noodle These chewy dry noodles have all the warm, comforting spices you want from a spicy beef noodle soup, minus the soup. The thin wheat noodles are soft and doughy, and the big beef chunks taste like jerky stewed in chili oil. Mix them together with the peanuts and pickled papaya on top and you’ll get crunch and sweetness in every slurp. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Spicy Crawfish This signature dish includes a lot of spicy crawfish to peel, so tackle this with at least one other person (and wear the plastic gloves they give you, too). These miniature crustaceans glow bright red and come stir-fried in fresh chilis, garlic, and enough Sichuan peppercorns to make your mouth tingle like you just went to the dentist." - Sylvio Martins
