8/08/2008

joe's noodle house

" You don't want the salted fish" said the friendly woman manning the counter at Joe's noodle house, tucked in a grim strip mall in Rockville, MD. "Basil. You get basil."

"But I want salted fish", I bleated.

"No. It's for Chinese. Too strong".

I should have insisted. Without the pungent flavor of the mysterious salted fish, my hot pot with chicken and eggplant wasn't near as flavorful as I imagined when I saw it on the specials board. It was too bad, because my soft tofu was promising in it's fiery sauce.

Next time, I won't be so easily put. Spicy tripe, here I come.

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