Draft:Garlic Noodles

• Comment: Parts of the article are written like a promo piece, not in an encyclopedic tone which we require (especially the "Secret Kitchen" section) ~Liance^talk 14:11, 13 September 2024 (UTC)

---

Garlic Noodles

Garlic Noodles
Alternative names	AN's Famous Garlic Noodles®, San Fransisco Garlic Noodles
Type	Noodle
Region or state	San Francisco
Created by	Helene An
Main ingredients	Roasted Garlic & AN’s Secret Sauce

Garlic Noodles (Vietnamese: Mì Tỏi, pronounced [mi˧˩ tɔj˧˩]) is a noodle dish that originated in San Francisco, California. Created by Chef Helene An in 1975, the dish is known for its rich garlic flavor, and has become a popular item in Vietnamese, Asian-fusion, and mainstream eateries across the United States.

History

Garlic Noodles were created by Helene An at Thanh Long, a Vietnamese restaurant located in San Francisco. Chef An, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1975, sought to create a dish that would appeal to American tastes while incorporating traditional Vietnamese flavors. The result was Garlic Noodles, which blend Vietnamese and Italian culinary techniques. The dish became a signature offering at Thanh Long and is typically paired with seafood, such as whole roasted Dungeness crab and butterflied prawns.

Popularity

Since its creation, Garlic Noodles have been adapted by various restaurants and chefs across the United States. Different variations of the dish, such as Spicy Garlic Noodles and Soy Butter Garlic Noodles, have emerged in numerous Asian-fusion restaurants. The dish’s influence expanded when it was featured by Chef J. Kenji López-Alt in The New York Times, further popularizing the recipe among a broader audience.

Garlic Noodles became especially well-known at Thanh Long, where they contributed to the restaurant’s growing reputation for seafood in the 1980s. High-profile patrons, including celebrities, were regular visitors, which increased the dish's visibility. By the late 1980s, the success of Thanh Long helped propel the An family’s expansion into other restaurants, such as Crustacean in San Francisco and Beverly Hills. Garlic Noodles are now referred to as San Francisco Garlic Noodles, and considered a classic dish at Vietnamese and Asian restaurants nationally.

Internationally, Garlic Noodles gained attention when French food critic François-Régis Gaudry featured a variation of the dish on his television program Très Très Bon. The dish was also popular at the Crustacean restaurant in Saudi Arabia, reflecting its appeal to a global audience.

Secret Kitchen

Chef Helene An in Secret Kitchen

The concept of the "Secret Kitchen" was introduced by Helene An as a way to protect her family's proprietary recipes. The Secret Kitchen, present in An family restaurants such as Crustacean, is a private cooking area where only select family members are allowed to prepare certain signature dishes, including Garlic Noodles. The kitchen is designed to maintain the confidentiality of the methods and ingredients used in these dishes.

In 2004, the An family sought to trademark the term "Secret Kitchen" to protect their recipes. This effort was documented in The Los Angeles Business Journal, which outlined the family’s legal actions to secure their intellectual property. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal discussed Helene An's motivation to establish the Secret Kitchen as a defense against imitation.

The family also trademarked "AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles" in 2010 to protect the specific dish from imitators. Despite numerous imitations of Garlic Noodles across various restaurants, the original recipe remains protected within the Secret Kitchen.

See also

• Vietnamese cuisine
• List of Vietnamese dishes