I guess it’s because it’s lunchtime and I’m hungry that I’m dreaming of Mie. Not me as in me, but Mie as in noodles. Fat, soft, slurpy, deeply chicken-broth fragrant, Jakarta-style noodles. Now everyone has their favourite and feel free to overload my inbox with suggestions. When you love noodles, what to do! But I love Bakmi Roxy in Cikini, or maybe it’s the name I love (Whatever happened to Bryan Ferry?)
The meat really has to be chicken and simmered in a slow-brewed chicken stock. And when I say chicken, it has to be dark, moist, super-tasty thigh.
And it should be chunky, with attitude. A memorable thigh-rich journey.
And then there are the noodles. Soft, white, not too slender, not too fat and cooked al-over-dente in an unctuous, all important chicken stock. I detect a hint of ginger and Chinese five spice with my ever fav Star Anise in this golden, rolling brew. I wonder if there are tons of chicken bones in there and if it keeps simmering 24/7. Notice that a drop of chilli oil and white pepper is tossed first into the bowl and then the noodles. Another secret!
And then there are the other players. Sayur hijau, bakso, pangsit, spring onion or scallion and the ubiquitous fire-red sambal.
Maybe it’s because I am a bit of a baby and love soft food but I can slurp on noodles any time of day. I guess it’s the comfort factor but there is also nothing fancy or pretentious about eating noodles. It’s all about the food. Nothing more than that. Stay tuned for the recipe!
