In Sichuan, the watchword is mala, numbing spicy; in Guizhou, the Chinese province to the south, folks prefer their food suanla, sour-spicy. Atop my serving of Guizhou cold vermicelli ($5), also known as dong fen or mung bean noodles, pinkish sour radish provided the gentle pucker.
This dish seemed to be the menu's most compact presentation of Guizhou's distinctive flavor combo; the radish, suggested the wall menu, is included by default. Ultimately I mixed it with the noodles, peanuts, scallions, a spicy red oil, and (not evident in these photos) what appeared to be dulse and some sort of preserved greens. The takeout menu, which is more extensive and includes serviceable English translations, also includes a Chinese-only annotation above the noodle section. For 50 cents, one can "add red sour" — surely a reference to the sour radish, added where you please.
Gui Zhou Miao Jia
136-55 Roosevelt Ave. (Main-Union Sts., inside a mini food court), Flushing, Queens
917-285-2535
