Punk Rock Noodle: Spicy Guizhou and Hui Delicacies Sans Pretense

In the lead up to our inaugural Hot & Spicy Festival on Apr 14-15 at Galaxy Soho, we'll Feel the Burn with a few of the vendors to see what fiery wares they'll be slinging come that rapidly approaching fine spring weekend.

There are many cool things in Gulou: CD stores, music shops, rock venues, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, but as is wont to happen with options, it can sometimes be hard to separate the good from the bad. One venue, however, combines elements from all of the above and melds into a wholesome mix that has built a solid base of regulars over the past seven years: Punk Rock Noodle. Opened by Chinese rock legend Lei Jun of Misandao frontman fame, who passed away at a much-too-young 40 in May 2015, and his wife Ma Yue, this bar-like eatery did not falter with the death of Lei but instead has continued to do exactly what made it so popular in the first place.

Consistent with Ma's Hui ethnicity, Punk Rock is a halal restaurant that offers a variety of noodles along with dishes like 8 Hammers (chicken drumsticks with potato chips, RMB 38), Mushroom Brothers (named after the Chinese indie movie directed by Zhang Guanglei), traditional braised mutton (RMB 58), and a wide array of drink options.

Upon our visit, the Guizhou fried noodles (RMB 38) stuck out for their abundance of chicken, chilies, bell peppers, and onion as well as a decent helping of Guizhou chili powder and shuiduochi (水豆豉), a specially fermented soybean also local to Guizhou. It's a hellfire spicy dish that will leave you wanting to raise your hand in a devil horn salute to show appreciation to the staff, most of whom also have side gigs in bands.

During a recent visit, we had a chat with Ma about the inspiration behind Punk Rock Noodle's spicy dishes as well as what we can expect from their booth at our Hot & Spicy Festival come Apr 14-15.

Traditional braised mutton (RMB 58)

What will you be bringing to our Hot & Spicy Fest?
We’ll reform our traditional braised mutton for the festival, which is paired with homemade pickles and Guizhou chili powder. It's a traditional street snack with a Western twist. It's made using mutton flanks, which are rich in flavor and soft thanks to their high fat content. The acidic homemade pickles on the side help cleanse the palate from the chili powder's extra-spicy kick.

Guizhou fried noodles (RMB 38)

What other spicy dishes do you sell in your restaurant? Which is the most popular and why?
We also sell Guizhou fried noodles (RMB 38), my signature dish given that I grew up eating them in my native Guizhou. They are stir-fried with fried eggs and Guizhou fermented soybeans, which are rich in flavor.

What drink will you bring to pair with spicy food?
Ice-cold fruit drink infused with coconut milk or an ice-cold can of fizzy Coke.

What’s the hottest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Hainan capsicum with bird's-eye chili peppers and fried rice.

What’s your go-to spicy comfort food?
Growing in a Muslim Hui family, I seldom ate spicy food until I met Lei Jun. But I became obsessed with spicy food in recent years, such as Hunan cuisine (I recommend Kailaideng, a small Hunan restaurant just west of Zhonghai), Thai-style spicy curry dishes, and Chongqing hot pot.

Join us at the Hot & Spicy Festival at Galaxy Soho on Apr 14-15, with over 40 food vendors onboard representing local spicy delicacies of China as well as the world. Grab a RMB 20 presale ticket by scanning the QR Code in the poster above.

Photos: Tracy Wang

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