Recreating J. Kenji López-Alt's Dan Dan Noodles From Taste | Reverse Engineering | Bon Appétit

We challenged resident Bon Appétit supertaster and test kitchen director Chris Morocco to recreate J. Kenji López-Alt's Dan Dan noodles. The catch? He'll have to use each of his senses - other than sight. Does Chris have what it takes to recognize and reproduce these Dan Dan noodles if using his eyes is a no-no?
See J. Kenji López-Alt's original Dan Dan Noodles recipe here: www.seriouseats.com/dan-dan-n...
Check out J. Kenji López-Alt's new cookbook, THE WOK: Recipes and Techniques, on-sale now.
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Bon Appétit is a highly opinionated food brand that wants everyone to love cooking and eating as much as we do. We believe in seasonal produce, properly salted pasta water, and developing recipes that anyone can make at home.

[@icee_lemon5854]

I think it’s really cool how we finally got to give Chris his real percentages after round 1. That commenter had been asking for it for months and they finally got what they wanted :D I think it’s a great idea and makes it more interesting/entertaining to watch

[@__dane__]

I like the idea of him getting a little report card in the middle. This is probably my favorite episode recently. I like seeing Chris get his already wide range made even broader

[@TheDerangedGENIUS]

I’d love to see him do one of his own old dishes for April Fools.

[@melodybrookeboyett175]

Perfect idea!

[@ellieisanerd]

Great idea!!

[@jizzledoops6789]

People keep saying this but he would know immediately

[@jack76787]

@@jizzledoops6789 The reaction would be worth it.

[@trash3570]

The reason this is commented on every video but is never done is because they probably tried it, and it was a huge flop

[@khaledarisheh6697]

Chris’ thought process and particularly how on the money he is most of the time is mind blowing.

[@karlcarlsburg9641]

You identified scallions by SMELLING THE CLOCHE?! Dude is insane. Ya

[@jimschofield8734]

Sniff my cloche!

[@karlcarlsburg9641]

@jimschofield8734 yes, daddy

[@caesar8875]

LOVE the new format! Gas-lighting Chris has been fun, but I love watching him go through his thought process.

[@wbfaulk]

By "new format", do you mean "old format"?

[@caesar8875]

@@wbfaulk Chris now receives his actual scores after his first attempt.

[@Dylans503]

The format is KNEW

[@voightkampffchamp]

That's not what gaslighting means.

[@akitachow]

I’m surprised he doesn’t know that there are Sichuan pickled vegetables in Dan Dan noodles. 😀

[@e.i.1365]

I really miss the part where Chris goes to the supermarket to fetch the ingredients..

[@Dylan-uy4pk]

Same

[@jaerhee6084]

recording during the pandemic is probably somewhat logistically challenging in NYC? Or at least not a good look to be out w/ a camera crew. Hopefully the shopping portion comes back later.

[@princeanuragi1175]

I always wonder how do producer's hold their laugh and amazement when chris tells almost all just after taking off the lid xD

[@RARosie1]

She graded him so good and very honestly! I feel like others give him good scores cuz they either feel bad or just because it’s Chris.

[@heatherp2707]

@@bananafingerguns7212 no she didn’t, Jessie identifies as she/they according to their Instagram bio.

[@b_uppy]

You think others could do as well as Chris? Let's have him do a challenge and compare it beside other staff members' blindfolded efforts and grade it that way. The grading is already likely very arbitrary...

[@SchreiRulesYouKnow]

I agree, usually I feel like they always grade him generously.

[@cjwhite7801]

@@bananafingerguns7212 who cares

[@angelbob77]

True asian grading here lmao. My american side would've graded him higher cause of the effort he made and how impressive it was that he was basically able to figure out all the ingredients bar the Sichuan preserved vegetables that he wasn't aware of and the fact that there was a separate dressing and chili oil. But my asian side also respects the fact that this person didn't hold back and deducted points on things that most humans wouldn't even get close to figuring out, especially someone who has very little experience with Asian cuisine. Considering all that I feel like this was one of the most impressive episodes I've seen of Chris recreating dishes in this series so far.

[@bruellwitz]

Missed a massive oportunity here to get a shopping cart and let Chris ride it across the test kitchen just for this video, when he wasn't able to go shopping himself.

[@amandawoo3093]

I don’t know if they already do this, but Chris should be allowed to listen to himself verbalize what he’s tasting as he’s writing his grocery list

[@ishitasolanki2422]

Man, this guy is IMPRESSIVE.

[@martaschummer1413]

I would love to see the original creator of the dish tasting and scoring the food Chris has made.

[@spekkio101]

If you haven't watched the Chicken Tikka Masala episode, you should check it out! Madhur Jaffrey grades it along with Priya and tells some fun stories.

[@Theoneandonlyenelie]

@@spekkio101 such a good episode

[@adamk4662]

Mate, whether you are right or wrong just being able to talk about food like that is impressive.

[@doug539]

Fun fact about Szechuan Peppercorns that most western people don't know about, there are two types of peppercorns, a green one and a red one, I see Chris is using the red one in the video. Most Chinese people can't tell them apart but they are used drastically different. The green one, imo, is more frequently used in Szechuan dishes even though it is lesser known, is to create that numbing taste in spicy dishes; while the red one can be used in other mainly meat dishes, to get rid of the gamy taste of meat. In Dan Dan noodles however, I don't think either are being used in the traditional recipe, and if I were to add peppercorns, I would probably use the green one, for more taste.

[@Spyhermit]

I keep watching chris not trust his feelings and go with "what a chef would do". Use that super tasting and moonshot it.

[@carok6817]

I like how instead of spoons he has chopsticks in his apron pocket. 😁

[@WeArePharmers]

The outro should have been a clip of Chris reacting to trying his preserved vegetables!

[@flywan]

Ingredient is fair. Chinese cooking involve soooo many ingredients that's sometimes not discernable if not tasted before

[@Pzychotix]

Honestly, I'm completely surprised how well he does with food completely outside his wheelhouse. I half expected him to not even know what the name of the dish was.

[@gilgameshmcballin]

A dish he's never made before, against Kenji? I'd say Chris did a phenomenal job. I'm sure Kenji, the chill awesome guy he is would also agree.

[@JamesPawson]

Like so many of us, he's afraid to really crank the heat on the wok-- so his pork didn't crisp up like Kenji's... that was bothering me the whole time. Chris is still a genius, though.

[@dmcken4671]

Chris is so amazing. Also, I'm so happy BA listened to the viewers' wishes.

[@jieruiqian9302]

Chris's approach of chili oil resembles northern style chili oil which is nice, but in Si Chuan Dan Dan they use a mixture of chili powder/flake along with white sesame seeds and grounded peppercorn, slowly pour in hot oil while giving it a stir , that way you won't be concerning about burning the ingredients and the oil gets its red color.

[@sradcliffe]

Kenji recipes are so out of left field, I'm amazed he did even that well

[@julesp1112]

This is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen with respect to cooking. I can’t believe Chris can do this. Amazing!

[@harrynorman23]

Fruit ninja moment is very underrated B roll

[@KRayxKodessA]

I've never understood why he scores himself on appearance, when he doesn't get to see the plating until the very end.

[@katlanhams7682]

They need to do a version of this with Chris Morocco’s kids where he has to recreate whatever Frankenstein dish that they create

[@giabea.]

Love J. Kenji! Hope he sees this!

[@jordanh865]

I hate how he gets hit for technique and ingrdients when he puts some ingredients in a different part of the dish prep. He has the ingredients so much closer than he was credited....... it's just that they were in a slightly different step. I get the ding in one category.... but not both...

[@Meep9092]

Love the new way of doing things! Good job too Chris! Now I really want some of these though!

[@getreadywithmemamma6973]

Like, I feel like if Chris wasn’t working in food, he’d be somewhere assessing crime scenes, or at the very least a forensic pathologist. Maybe even blindfolded. Chris is scary but in a cool, harmless way. Or maybe he would be training seeing eye dogs or I don’t know. You’re amazing Chris! Who else is like this? Like who? I feel like Chris is grading the rest of the human race like ughhh better luck next time, you fall short here and here etc. but again like, in a funny way.

[@vickylikesthis]

WHO IS THIS AWESOME NEW PERSON? i like their style and demeanor. also, "i understand that" is such a classy response when you disagree with someone lol

[@ask230]

20:55 You can screw around with those preserved vegetables for years, not weeks. They last forever.

[@IVEmine]

Loved the grading on this episode! Much representation to the accuracy of the dish. Also, this new format is great!

[@viligante8]

Well now I need to go get some Dan Dan Noodles. Thanks a lot BA...I'm so...excited!

[@aleclynch6186]

Chris: "Ok... Ok... I mean that's cool" Narrator: It was not cool

[@FalconTalk]

I’ll re-watch that Kenji grilled cheese chorizo sandwich video every single day. Jesse’s fade is amazing btw

[@spruhakurlekar261]

Okay if team is reading this: LOVE the new format. This is so much more substantial now. Gaslighting Chris is only funny when you have a really, REALLY funny editor.

[@joegeoghan]

I love how you can tell how badly Chris wants the A+ even though it's just a video for fun.

[@brycewalburn3926]

10:13 - y'all did Chris dirty with that zoom

[@MrXiaoqiao]

It's kind of a bummer that he gets points removed if he has the right ingredients but they're in the wrong element of the dish (in the sauce, not the garnish or something) since he DID taste it and correctly identify it, plus if the flavors are able to be eaten in layers, that sounds like an ununcorperated dish, in my opinion.

[@lydiadelane5500]

Lets have brad do this for an episode to see how it compares to chris!

[@tiredofit4761]

Can’t get enough of Chris! He’s good, his demeanor is great!

[@jesspell]

always so thankful that chris didnt leave during bon appe-geddon

[@TheCRYSTALLURE]

When Chris got his actual scores back he definitely gave us the Kombucha Lady expressions “Huuhhhmmm…ooo…uh….yeaaa” 🤣🤣🤣😹😹.

[@mmessi72]

I like the change of him seeing his score. It's a nice shift to make the second round count more.

[@armonidarfe4342]

Chris: gets 76 over all after giving himself an overall 76 Me: Leo DiCaprio pointing at TV meme

[@HarrisonMartin]

This new format is totally game changing!!! Keep it up BA / CHRIS!

[@celine542]

Agree! Loved this format!!

[@coffeeaddict4153]

I've watched two different Kenji dan dan noodles videos, neither of them matched this recipe. I wonder where they got this one?

[@poopmonkey48]

How impressive Chris is as a chef really can't be overstated

[@aniephotography4495]

In all Chris' series, always amazed how he can predict not only the ingredients but the cooking techniques...

[@SuperUTubeLogin]

Pilot G-2 Pens show Chris' class here. Love the show.

[@emmavincent1306]

Enjoying this new format with chris' scoring!! Love bon Appétit!

[@travis8592]

Chris your accuracy is incredible also I made this twice already and prefer it without the added raw garlic.

[@kimmckenzie5276]

What a great video. I’m craving Dan Dan noodles so bad right now.

[@juancervantes313]

They should put the ending results on a table and let chris flip it over with everything on it if he gets mad.

[@irvine5732]

I like this format. It's nice seeing you have the ability to re-guide yourself with a bit of correction.

[@bth5202]

LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!

[@CitizenKirkwood]

Chris, Brad, and Andre are the power trio that is keeping BA alive.

[@givememore4free]

You forgot about Harold.

[@KenmyeahFTW]

watched kenjis vid of this last night! what great timing.

[@PetitChouPumpkin]

Can we gift Chris a shopping cart for the kitchen so he can ride it around anyway?

[@Nokenify]

Best series you got. Chris, you are awesome!

[@thatjuanguy5]

Ive seen Kenjis recipe video so much that just by catching that little snippet of Chris tossing the noodles in the wok I already knew.. Chris is about to fail.

[@deprofundis3293]

It sounds really good - so you've made it? Are the preserved veggies necessary?

[@ZeroFate643]

@@deprofundis3293 Some recipes will substitute bok choy or another pickled vegetable. The brightness and acidity is an important element, but the specific pickle used is not crucial.

[@aoifem4566]

I feel like in every version Kenji has published out online, he's put the garlic in with the pork and ginger mix?

[@MrPrestonTsama]

Yeah, that is definitely how you would typically make it

[@xmly7]

omg finally hes back at the test kitchen, missed it so much

[@jillianmakes]

First thing I thought with Dan Dan noodles was preserved veggies. If he'd ever made it before he would have known that was a major ingredient. Other than that he did pretty well.

[@isakgustavsen6536]

That’s kinda the issue when giving him recipes so outside of what he knows. You can’t use something you didn’t know existed. Makes for an interesting challenge though

[@kpproductions7421]

Really miss old BA, it’ll never be the same…

[@rice1067]

Samee

[@jmurphy6011]

I miss his kids. Seeing him parenting while cooking was really cool.

[@gibbyg2001]

This dude is a freaking wizard.

[@EdonFlat]

fantastic episode! thanks for sharing this

[@Rood0808]

The sloth eye mask is by far my favorite one so far.

[@addieira03]

Weirdly, Chris's version was very similar to Kenji's KZbin version

[@BadNemo8487]

His knowledge is Mind blowing!

[@waylendmatagi2652]

I love how they replaced him going to the store with dramatic shots of his face front profile

[@squeektheweek6949]

Great to have Kenji getting a shout out here, big fan!

[@crowing7]

Anyone know what brand of Szechuan pickled veg they used? I'm curious if they're better quality than the little pouches I can find on Amazon.

[@jonathoncunningham]

Chris looks like a comic book superhero in this mask…. Sloth Man on the culinary case lol

[@crashlikewaves]

I like this format so much better! Next can he have lifelines AND his scores??

[@2craNER]

I wish there was an episode where we won't see how it is made and what the original is like. So we would also see in the dark and see how good Chris is.

[@m.theresa1385]

Terrific job Chris. To me the dressing of oil poured over makes a difference. That film of hot oil in the base of the dish is one of my favorite parts of eating Dan Dan noodles.

[@melodyleong]

Chris: 'I'm not good at using a wok' Also Chris: Casually tossing noodles in a wok. I can't even do that and I cook with a wok mainly!!!

[@HoangNguyen-im4rd]

Chris out here playing irl fruit ninja 11:01

[@ericalucy0802]

I wish he had more experience in Asian food in general…it was really nice try though!

[@ZackofAllTrades87]

"So in the non existing category I get a hundred' 🤣

[@abrinks]

The eyes on the mask are fricken great

[@Cyrribrae]

This is a good one! I think Jessie was a good foil for Chris at the end of the day.

[@markchristopher4165]

Chris is so gracious here. That's all I'm going to say...

[@carolynbyrne6454]

This is easily my favorite mask 😂

[@lingpang7209]

Legit two of my faves!

[@Rice_Cake_]

Sesame Paste! Does Kenji actually make this without roasted Sesame paste? That's pretty much the only common ingredient in all forms of DanDan I've seen. Incredible sleuthing by Chris!

[@Ass4ssinX]

That's so weird. I swear his recipe used to include tahini. I've made it many, many times.

[@givememore4free]

In the description, they list the KZbin video that Kenji made his Dan Dan Noodles.

[@catc8927]

Everyone else: craving Dan Dan Noodles 1/4-Sichuanese me: craving Sichuan pickled radishes

[@Gigi-fv9ky]

He did good on this one. Now I want to eat Dan Dan noodles. 🤣

[@orchidpanda2253]

BA being too rigid docking points for things like preserved sichuan veg -- if you look at the ingredients for that it includes garlic, ginger, sugar, etc... so Chris got close there. I love this series... always amazed by Chris' taste buds.

[@smallandugly]

Disappointed thst you didn't get Kenji to evaluate, considering that he's part of serious eats. It would have been fun if they had started nerding about why they did what and how the differences show.

[@benaviberkowitz2115]

I was hoping to see Kenji in this too.

[@givememore4free]

Kenji said that he's traveling right now with the kids and his wife. His wife just gave birth, and he's taking a vacation.

[@wwanimalsavers]

Omg, I've been watching kenji make dan dan on repeat lol. Absolutely perfect timing

[@mikectong]

Did the video saturation quit in the stuff exodus as well?

[@SirGuido]

Wow the test kitchen just seems like a ghost town these days.

[@bdavis1193]

Dude is a beast!