The traveller's table: Oyster-topped noodles in Taiwan

KINMEN, Taiwan - More oysters than I've ever seen before cover the surface of shiny noodles in a bowl, with a lot of minced green onions smothering them. This is a specialty dish at Jindaode, a restaurant on Kinmen Island in Taiwan.

The recipe is very simple. The noodles used in the restaurant are mianxian, thin noodles that look like Japan's somen vermicelli.

Put boiled small oysters and minced green onions on top of the boiled noodles and you're done.

There is no soup and the secret ingredient of the dish is sauce flavored with scallion, which complements the noodles. Murmuring "Simple is best," I heartily ate everything.

In Taiwan, surrounded by the sea, there are a variety of oyster dishes. Oyster omelets are also famous on the island.

Fresh oysters are delivered to the restaurant every day by fishermen, according to Hong Suyi, 52, who runs the restaurant.

"The point is to boil them quickly," Hong said.

Mukai is a correspondent in Taipei.