Growing up in Taiwan, Christine Huang learned how to make noodles and dumplings from her family, a tradition passed down through the generations. Today, halfway around the world, general manager Huang now oversees fresh noodles and dumplings being made inside the exhibition kitchen at The Noodle Den at Sahara Las Vegas.
“Our guests can see the noodle show every day,” Huang says. “(Chefs) perform every day. It’s very unique skills they have. It’s almost like watching a work of art every day—watching the chefs cook and the noodle making process.”
Huang joined Sahara in the fall of last year, and has a long history in the Las Vegas food and beverage industry. Moving to town in her teens, she studied food and beverage and culinary arts at UNLV and after graduation helped manage some of the Strip’s finest sushi and Chinese restaurants at properties including Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace and The STRAT.
“My heart has always been in food and beverage,” she says. “And, in Las Vegas there is so much opportunity for a career in the industry.” As general manager of The Noodle Den it’s Huang’s responsibility to take care of the day-to-day operations, help with hiring and training, take care of customers and work as a liaison between the front and back of the house—it helps that she’s fluent in Mandarin and English, too, allowing the chefs to communicate with the rest of the staff and the customers.
“The Noodle Den uses both tradition and fusion in Chinese Northern-style cooking,” she says. “We make four types of noodles everyday: hand-pulled noodle, hand-sliced noodle, cat-ear noodle and belt noodle. You can see all of them being made through our show kitchen.”
Huang herself continues to pass on the noodle- and dumpling-making traditions to her own daughter now. “My family still gets together to make noodles and dumplings.”
Libation: Canned Cocktails
The Noodle Den offers guests several different libations to enjoy with dinner. While the restaurant doesn’t have a bar, guests can enjoy a nice selection of sake and wines. Popular options also include canned cocktails , with drinks like the Moscow mule, passion fruit caipirinha, mojito and margarita, perfect to pair with any dish, including the dan dan noodles, which Huang recommends. “It has a little spice and the sesame sauce brings that creamy, nutty taste,” she says. “It’s the perfect balance of flavors.”
Benefit: Try the popular Chinese alcohol, baijiu—a spirit like vodka but with a higher proof and more pungent.
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