Kenji's Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles... With 20 Cloves of Garlic | NYT Cooking

Get the recipe: nyti.ms/42D5VA7
These noodles, adapted from the cookbook "The Wok" by J. Kenji López-Alt, and based on the noodle dish originally created and served by Helene An at San Francisco’s Thanh Long restaurant, are simple and delicious on their own, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fancy them up a bit. They go very well with seafood, and some raw, shell-​on shrimp stir-​fried along with the garlic right from the start would be an excellent addition.
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[@dk2373]

I get that the NYT wants people to subscribe to their cooking but if you're going to publish a video how about putting the recipe in the description or at least saying the amounts of each ingredient? I'm a subscriber so here you go: Yield: 4 servings 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 20 medium garlic cloves, minced or smashed in a mortar and pestle 4 teaspoons oyster sauce 2 teaspoons light soy sauce or shoyu 2 teaspoons fish sauce 1 pound dry spaghetti 1 ounce grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (heaping ¼ cup) A small handful of thinly sliced scallions (optional)

[@virtue3]

thank you!!!

[@shufflythedog]

Hey, thank you for posting this!!! Really appreciate it❤

[@CharlesCarranza]

You're awesome. Thanks for posting!

[@colinfarrell1994]

MVP!

[@billseaman5974]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH .

[@SecretCollage]

I love how Kenji narrates his cooking, cuz I can ACTUALLY IMAGINE what's happening between the pan, ingredients, water, how it reacts together.

[@thelasttaarakian]

Kenji supports animal and child abuse

[@thelasttaarakian]

Kenji was on Epstein’s list and travelled to Epstein’s private island

[@thelasttaarakian]

Kenji. Epstein. They are linked.

[@thelasttaarakian]

Kenji and Klaus Schuab are linked. He’s a communist and CCP shill.

[@thelasttaarakian]

CCP

[@jarrottbarker7135]

There's no videos I click on my feed faster than when I see a recipe from Kenji.

[@greenglassdoorjigglypuffcl4470]

Same here. Even if I never intend to make the recipe

[@biobossx99]

Preach!

[@jasonpilla]

Kenji is the Man. Always so good, explained, and laid back.

[@Lola839]

@@greenglassdoorjigglypuffcl4470 Me too, but trust me when I say that you should make this recipe. It's so good.

[@greenglassdoorjigglypuffcl4470]

@@Lola839lol I can’t stand Parmesan to be honest haha

[@GrandpaGunther]

I've been making this all the time ever since I saw it on Kenji's channel. I make it with shrimp, and my whole family loves it.

[@joshuawestlund]

You do it right: “all the time,” “with shrimp” and for the “whole family.” I salute you.

[@andrewpantalones]

Is the recipe on his channel? I need to make it this with some shrimp ASAP.

[@pkmnunite3283]

How do you cook the shrimp for this dish?

[@joshuawestlund]

@@pkmnunite3283 I sous vide them with salt and a dash of baking soda per Kenji's sous vide shrimp Serious Eats article; just toss them in at the end

[@Justinlmd]

Works great with scallops, too!

[@Nintentheheartless]

Ah garlic noodles, a true san francisco treat. Not THE san francisco treat, which is Rice-a-Roni®

[@GO-cy3no]

Literally cracked up out loud!

[@Justinlmd]

Found chef John in the comments

[@wewd]

Ding! Ding!

[@dknakz]

The comment I was looking for. Thank you.

[@advertiserfriendlyusername5362]

What about ice cream sandwiches?

[@andrewring8205]

I'm surprised he didn't say his line, "it's not "the" San Francisco treat, but it's a San Francisco treat"

[@swmrgirl9979]

I can hear him saying this lmao

[@okami_sk7200]

… Which is Riceroni

[@dknakz]

That was the dog whistle for us Kenji fans hahhah

[@somefreshbread]

He saves the gold for his own channel.

[@briando8150]

As a vietnamese-american, this story resonates with me! I always throw fish sauce or chicken bullion as my secret ingredient to give dishes that extra zing its missing.

[@savnetsinn_original]

I'm whiter than milk and I totally feel you on this. I can't count the number of dishes I've been adding fish sauce and/or oyster sauce to since I discovered this recipe.

[@bushDid911]

korean american checking in, I love adding a little viet fish sauce at the end when making any kind of soy based noodle dish. like you said, adds the essential punch of umami to complete the dish! good shit brother

[@doodahgurlie]

Fish sauce runs through our veins.

[@johnsonnguyen3114]

Not a secret, no more. #stolen

[@offsideundo]

You can always tell when someone spent years in a busy commercial kitchen. SO FAST!! No screwing around. MOVE MOVE MOVE! (gonna' make this soon)

[@FranciscoRojasGallegos]

Kenji drops so many good cooking technique gems to elevate your game.

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

I swear almost every thing I do in the kitchen can be traced back to Kenji in some form or another

[@nosuperwoman79]

I appreciate the fact that he does not skimp on the garlic. I've had this dish at a few places around the Bay, and some skimp a bit on the garlic. Definitely not here for a watered down garlic noodle!

[@whazzat8015]

You just cant get into the car with anyone for a few days

[@sweetembrace6706]

@@whazzat8015 no you just have to get in the car with people who also ate it, lol

[@ghanus2009]

@@whazzat8015 Its up to them if they want the ride. Im driving! lol

[@ghanus2009]

RIGHT? So many times I have ordered this dish at restaurants and got pasta with some garlic tossed in it. This is a whole new level.

[@alkarimjadavji]

I love Chef Kenji, there's so much honesty to who they are and it shows in the food. More plssss

[@JPToto]

He's a real one.

[@DavidFobare]

“there’s so much honesty to who *he is*” There, fixed it for you.

[@davidkak1354]

@@DavidFobaresnowflake

[@DavidFobare]

@@davidkak1354 no, just concerned with grammar. The OP is the snowflake who has fainting couch issues with basic grammatical concepts.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

@@DavidFobare”they are” is perfectly accurate and acceptable.

[@creampuffme]

It's weird not seeing the recipes from Kenji's point of view! He is so great.

[@sarahbradette6181]

Right 😂

[@hopegold883]

Idk. I’m eating raw garlic right now. I can assure it is pungent and spicy.

[@kaiju_k5042]

Love the tip about the super starchy pasta water going on for hours in a restaurant, that's the secret to the perfect Fettucine Alfredo :) Kenji is the best teacher, loved this video, thank you!

[@malcontent_1]

Also check out the pasta cooking technique by @Ethan Chlebowski, especially for just 1-2 servings - it's super efficient

[@kaiju_k5042]

@@malcontent_1 Oh big fan of his, thank you I will look it up today :)

[@malcontent_1]

@@kaiju_k5042 search for his "risotto style" technique

[@SaltySunday]

It is interesting to recognise Kenji is adjusted to showing his audience his food from an above perspective and isnt usually required to tilt the plate like he does in the intro, leading him to nearly spill it.

[@Sheb24]

I see 20 cloves of garlic, I click.

[@IntrovertedAbhi]

I feel bad for ur significant other who has to smell ur stinky garlic breath.🤢

[@CharGC123]

Good food is food we love, that loves us back. I wish these chefs would create delicious and HEALTH promoting recipes! After a lifetime of eating these kind of things sadly, itt does catch up with us, trust me.

[@veggietater4863]

@@germanassasin1046 And that's about the ONLY thing... the rest is cholesterol laden fat calories and processed starch.

[@PeriodicT]

Don't listen to them, just eat the food you like. NYT cooking isn't a health-promoting recipe site. They have those recipes, but they're not going to make videos on them because they don't taste as good. Let the people who want bland food to live a bland life. I'm here for a good time, not a long time ​@@germanassasin1046

[@shaybob1711]

preparing garlic in a mortar and pestle is the excuse I needed to finally but a set. Thank you.

[@ghanus2009]

I used a mini chopper to get the pieces cut good. Then placed the garlic in a sheet of plastic wrap, folded it in half and pounded it a bit with a rolling pin till you get the right consistency.

[@bladdnun3016]

Just use a garlic press? Don't let Alton Brown scare you.

[@shaybob1711]

@@bladdnun3016 garlic presses waste half the garlic!

[@bladdnun3016]

@@shaybob1711 Only if you're using a single clove and are too lazy or too stupid to take out the stuff from inside. It takes two seconds, the back of a spoon and the intelligence of a chimp.

[@bobby_greene]

Mortar and pestle is also great for cracking fresh pepper in large quantities

[@catylynch7909]

Oooh! Than Long is a fabulous restaurant. I live in San Francisco, and it has long been a favorite among my friends. They were very protective of their recipes. I'm delighted that you have the opportunity to share this.

[@Jae-lg6nv]

It doesn't feel like I am watching a video. His style is natural and it feels good. What a treat!

[@zilazilazila]

Kenji has completely changed the way I cook. Love his recipes.

[@kennethbossert]

First time at this NYT Cooking site. I enjoyed Kenji's description of his preparation of this recipe as much as his finished product. I'll use his instructions on this as well as other dishes I prepare. Thanks Kenji!

[@toxicmustardwasabi]

This man, and Daniel Gritzer whom he mentions, taught me how to properly cook pasta. Thanks Kenji!

[@tootswoots]

I'm so glad you're featuring Kenji here! I love his recipes but his "go-pro" style of videoing himself makes me really dizzy.. For those of you who don't know, he straps it to his head and it's almost like first person view/steady cam style but can be very dizzying to those of us with motion sickness. haha. Thanks NYTimes Cooking!😵

[@ohwowoh7281]

This dish is genius! It’s an umami bomb! Love how they substituted anchovies with oyster sauce.

[@jameseglavin4]

There’s a place in my neighborhood that does Vietnamese food, mostly Banh mi and rice bowls, but they do amazing garlic noodles with baby greens, green onion, and crispy chunks of pork belly… but frankly, there’s no reason to order anything but their garlic noodles. I love this dish so much, I’ve had many varieties of it, and I’m really glad to know that I can make (probably) even better noodles at home thanks to Kenji.

[@peetroar]

Just cooked this myself and it was absolutely sensational. Thanks Kenji!

[@anjatrepper105]

How much soy, oyster and fish sauce did you use? 🤔

[@peetroar]

I used maybe 25% more of each and 1/4 of the garlic, very flavoursome@@anjatrepper105

[@thomp9054]

Fun fact: Elvis Costello wrote the song allicin because of his love of garlic

[@maries1381]

Love this! Thanks for sharing

[@DanaSews]

Such a fantastic presentation; I love how you explain the “why” behind your techniques and processes. You’re such an effective speaker; I’m excited to make this dish! Thank you!!!!

[@chocomommieBU]

Love love love! I appreciate the backstory you shared behind this amazing dish. Having lived in San Francisco for several years, where I discovered this incredible dish and was instantly was hooked, I know these places you reference. My mouth is watering and I cannot wait to make this dish! Keep sharing and posting!

[@antichef-j8z]

Thank you for your lovely compliment. I hope my recipe was able to help you in your cooking.

[@ulxtmx5018]

Kenji is legit a national treasure.

[@silverdawn813]

i will now start making godzilla noises when I use a mortar and pestle

[@etplayer7]

Anyone who is near Viroqua, Wisconsin in the summer should go to the farmers market on the weekend. There is a garlic grower who has a ton of different varieties of garlic that would be awesome to try in this dish.

[@anthonycalia1317]

Just the thought of someone saying Italian Pasta aglio e olio is "Bland" strikes a sword through the heart of any Italian! When done correctly, which does take a bit of practice, aglio e olio is a delightful pasta that we never get tired of eating.

[@fernandosanjerrez4054]

italian american slandr

[@andrewcheng1998]

It is bland when it is the late night last resort pasta, but it is great when people have the time and leisure to made and taste the dish.

[@schmup53]

I have your cookbook and have been planning on trying this but now that you've done this video, I don't think I can wait any longer!

[@JohnHausser]

Kenji popularity is getting stronger every day 😊 🔪 💪

[@suzannes5888]

Whoaa...Kenji I LOVE❤ your Late Night Noodles recipe. I've made this probably 150+ times (but mostly with fresh buckwheat/soba noodles.) I add a bit of extra Chiu Chow oil, or black vinegar with the somen noodles. I needed this recipe!!!

[@michelleread247]

JKLA, can't wait to make this. I've seen NYT and the marketing of it, which is so cool in my opinion because they're acknowledging a few ingredients and how to make them shine. Mise en place for me cuz I barely know what I'm doing. Thank you for all you do and how naturally you do it for us newbies!

[@ghanus2009]

Hey Kenji! I live in the SF Bay Area and LOVE these noodles when they are made right. Always one of my favorites. But some restaurants have no clue, so I am glad you showed this method. I made this today to your specs and BOOM! This is awesome! Amazing! What is important is regulating the pasta doneness properly because of the two phases of cooking. I cheated and practiced on a half batch. You HAVE to keep an eye on the doneness of them noodles. I made it again later have sauteed chicken breast added as a protein, but served with some stirr fried bell peppers, green beans, onion in hoisin etc., and of course more garlic! I normally keep pre-minced garlic in a jar around, but not for this dish. Fresh garlic only! This came out just perfect! very easy and total time to make is about 15 minutes. Simple! Thank you!

[@mattgibson6144]

First time I've seen one of your videos, but definitely won't be the last I view. Great presentation style, ideas well explained and easy to follow. Can't ask for more than that!

[@sebastianhelgeson3559]

Love this recipe and great video! I’ve made it a bunch and added my own tweaks. I find that if I use soy sauce to season the pasta water instead of salt, you really get a hit of umami. I also add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat and I fry that along with the garlic.

[@maries1381]

Love this dish so much! I crave it as soon as I plan a trip to SF - alongside some delicious crab. Thank you for sharing your recipe and tips Kenji. I will be making this within the next few days! YUM YUM!

[@kenm.2793]

Get both at a vietnamese restaurant that specializes in dungeness crab!

[@perspectivelee]

god i love kenji so much man

[@beepboopbleep3695]

yeah, for me it's kenji, then jesus, then david koresh... in THAT order he's the MAN!!!

[@cam4636]

@@beepboopbleep3695 Interesting line up...

[@beepboopbleep3695]

@@cam4636 give all the praise to Kenji-sama! through his wonderful recipes the light he shares is bright enough for all of us to enjoy!!

[@SuffolkSays]

JKLA has brought the magic of science to the NYT Cooking Team. Along with that team-wide love of a first bite and a brilliant smile. Well done, NYT.

[@josephblake8418]

Best instructive chef on the internet today.

[@MrSmith-ik4bx]

Thanh Long was such a staple for my family growing up. I'm gonna need to get really good at this recipe really fast

[@erim6035]

I'm a long time follower of Kenji and couldnt't help but notice how fit he's looking in this video. Gym, Yoga or some kind of marital art I don't know but whatever he's been doing paid off. Love you man!

[@kira6149]

Kenji: "It's not a Vietnamese dish" NYT: "Kenji's Vietnamese Garlic Noodles"

[@user-oz4ts5mv5h]

The chef who created this dish is Vietnamese. I guess Kenji meant that it's not an authentic Viet dish.

[@michaelnguyen940]

@@user-oz4ts5mv5h It's not a Viet dish AT ALL this is American

[@SuperHiddenaccount]

@@michaelnguyen940 it's Vietnamese-American, like how orange chicken is Chinese-American, or how a California roll is Japanese American

[@nomnaday]

@@SuperHiddenaccountWhat is Vietnamese about the dish? Other than the fish sauce, nothing about it is Vietnamese.

[@SuperHiddenaccount]

@@nomnaday first time seeing a fusion dish?

[@redartifice]

Made this a bunch of times, it's great. Goes well if you throw some peas in at the end too

[@ahchiu9]

I saw this come across my feed from Kenji's original video. It's been a super easy, SUPER DELICIOUS staple ever since

[@debbyd5729]

I’d like to think that he brought a strand of pasta (minus garlic) home to Jamon. ☺️

[@thenewlevi]

San Francisco garlic noodles are a national treasure! Can’t get them nearly as good in NYC or LA!

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

I love cooked garlic. I don't love raw garlic. For anyone that thinks they don't like garlic that may be the issue. If you soak raw garlic or onion in cold water or lemon juice it calms it down. Garlic can also be quickly blanched to calm it down, as well. My fav long pasta is linguine. It makes me happy :)

[@princessleiathemaltese5571]

Learned so many tricks on this single video. Been crushing garlic using a garlic crusher my entire life. Never thought to use mortar and pestle! So much easier to clean.

[@sam-jy9gw]

love Kenji!! thank you for the subtle chemistry facts for all your chem fans!!!

[@buddlebj]

Kenji is a rock star!

[@georgecasseus6893]

This recipe is great. My daughter loves it. We made it from the original recipe he posted on his KZbin channel but I like this one better. He perfected it.

[@ericlarsen4050]

Many people don't realize Kenji was once a test cook for America's Test Kitchen. Kenji did a few on camera demonstrations in the earlier seasons of ATK.

[@fernandoPessoa8]

And I learned more in these few minutes than in a decade of watching all these 'Noodle/Pasta Experts' KZbinrs

[@AndreaLikesMusic]

“It’s definitely a dish for garlic lovers” is an understatement lol and count me in!

[@or6144]

Thanh Long packages itself as a high end resto for some time, but back in the day it was basically living on a day to day basis trying to make ends meet serving anything from it's famous crabs and garlic noodles to basic Chinese dishes like Sweet and Sour Pork.

[@or6144]

Funny how he mentions Thanh long makes their garlic noodles from fresh wheat noodles but they were just buying store bought (bet it was feom SAFEWAY) noodles when this dish became popular.

[@smitty7592]

On my first visit to San Fran over 20 years ago, someone said I should dine at Crustacean. Had the prawns with garlic noodles and it was a religious experience. I've made it at home using another recipe, but never as good. Now I have some homework to do.

[@sagelobu]

Thank you for explaining every step perfectly like that. This looks amazing.

[@uniworkhorse]

So cool to hear the garlic noodle lore - outer sunset origins hell yeah!

[@krisiwasaki9607]

I make your garlic noodles all the time,..with the same sauce on the cracked crab, flashed broiled. SOOooo gOOood!

[@JoshuaDay0550]

was watching this and thought "holy shit. I have ALL of this stuff in my kitchen right now." Thats a rarity for me when I watch recipe videos lol. went downstairs and made this immediately. game changer. I usually just make some instant ramen when im hungry and lazy - but ive been looking for an alternative because ... well lets be honest. too much instant ramen is bad for ya. This right here might just be a decent replacement

[@brianmills7136]

I made these noodles for the first time tonight and they were delicious!!! I’ll definitely make them again soon. Yummy!

[@billbennington4444]

i first learned this recipe from chef john. two chefs i really like, john and kenji

[@billbennington4444]

both got the dad jokes in them

[@jujitsujew23]

Italian Vietnamese fusion, delicious

[@amychan4049]

hi Kenji, you explained everything so well, i'm so enjoying watching you cook, you are AMAZING!!!

[@DarwinsBeerReviews]

The amount of umami in this dish is nuts.

[@rosalie99999]

I love this. I had it in that restaurant in CA. They are addictive. Sooo good...I make them and so simple😊

[@chrisdundon4594]

Looks delicious. Butter, cheese, and spaghetti are not the first things that come to mind in Vietnamese cuisine, but I'd crush this.

[@Booogieman]

Kenji has changed my life for the better

[@janemack8852]

I like hot peppers with my garlic noodles. Even Italian style. This looks yummy.

[@antichef-j8z]

Thank you for your lovely compliment. I hope my recipe was able to help you in your cooking

[@previnsnaidu1]

Being from the bay area, this dish was so big in my family and crucial that day after any night out in SF

[@rygregory]

I definitely recommend going to Thanh Long (or Crustacean) to try the original version. I don’t believe they use spaghetti noodles at the restaurant either. It really is good with any type of noodle.

[@emilytheimp]

Wow Kenji has turned from "Your daughter calls me daddy too" to "Hello, its nice to meet you!"

[@bee-chewy]

This was not on my plans for dinner tonight. Now it is!

[@corymeyer1162]

Shimeji mushrooms cooked down with the garlic butter are great because they kinda fold into the noodles when cooked down. Same with strands of king trumpet or oyster mushrooms. Cool dish, cheers.

[@georgewbushcenterforintell147]

U can make some crispy garlic frying slices or minced in some oil on a low med heat .

[@craigb2279]

Wow just wow. I admit I had my doubts, i mean I love garlic but 20 cloves? But oh my god it was so so good. Wouldn't change a thing.

[@giovannib1834]

Finally a recipe that has my level of garlic! I’m gonna try this next week, it looks delicious and seems simple enough :)

[@whazzat8015]

You just cant get into the car with anyone for a few days

[@sandravahtel423]

I add masago to my garlic noodles when I have it, too. Nice to be validated by someone like Kenji.

[@SoutrikPramanik-by7lv]

Kenji Lopez, you are a national treasure.

[@JohnKooz]

Kenji's Garlic Noodles look so tasty. I like Kenji's "in his own kitchen" recipes as well as these more upscale, NYT professional filming recipes!

[@MR-sq2ut]

I'm goingnto try this version, probably with shrimp. Weve been doing the Chef John version, and my household it's our alternative to packed Asian fried noodles.

[@VinylsDead]

ive been putting soy and oyster sauce in my homemade mac n cheese for years, cant wait to try this

[@russellrlf]

NYT Cooking rocks, from Grand Ledge, Michigan!

[@seesamsaw]

This dish looks amazing and so does Kenji

[@nursebridgie]

Pasta Bullet Time 😂 Love it and the reference.

[@RealJohnMc]

Kenji’s looking clean cut and really fit!

[@c5jp904]

Now I need the stuffed squid and garlic Dungeness crab to go with it. Than Long is a great restaurant!

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

I have tonight’s dinner taken care of, but I believe I will be making this tomorrow! 🙏🏻 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😋😋😋👅🫶🏻🫶🏻💋

[@raniayacoub1770]

Wow Mr Kenji, looks Yummie!

[@suebowman7258]

Kenji, thank you for the tips and techniques. I will make this this weekend

[@AznVi3tx]

Always A1 explanations with Kenji

[@Janet_Snakehole333]

This dish is amazing on its own but nothing beats having it with Dungeness crab.

[@jeanineskitchen2607]

Hi Kenji !

[@st_1928_]

This reminds me of desi Chinese style pasta/noodles (typing this as I am eating a bowl of it rn) with soy sauce, vinegar and some spices (cumin, chat masala or garam masala). Need to try this version as well.

[@sarahbradette6181]

Love Kenji !!!

[@antichef-j8z]

Thank you for your lovely compliment. I hope my recipe was able to help you in your cooking.

[@farhantalukder]

cool seeing kenji talk at his same pace in a traditional camera format not adjusting his style for the camera