Dandelion Bike Noodles

Dandelion Bike Noodles... What's the scoop?

So what do you get if you take a middle aged couple, with a passion for motorbikes, a wanderlust for travel and a hunger for amazing food? A couple of hippies travelling Europe on a clapped out motorbike hitting festivals, serving foraged food and magic mushrooms. No, but not a bad answer.

You get us...

A couple of young at heart oldies who spend half their time travelling Asia, mainly by motorbike using the less travelled path. That way we experience the true Asian life, meeting amazing folk with stories to tell, with jaw dropping scenery and the best food offerings.

Those once in a lifetime experiences that bring tears to your eyes, and makes your heart leap... or maybe it was indigestion!

Over the past six years we have begged, borrowed and liberated recipes from our travels, drawing inspiration from Asian imagination and ingenuity. With my 30 plus years experience as a chef, I've worked with this countries heavy hitters., and at some of the top eateries. I've even managed to make a decent name as a stand alone chef, but I'm now ready for a new challenge!

Combined with the formidable miss B, a long term health conscious vegetarian. After many years working as a carer, she brings the imagination and arty side to the business. Plus she keeps me on track, which is a full time job in itself.

We have spent the last few years working with awe inspiring street food traders (you know who you are). Many of our friends, colleagues and family told us to do our own thing, so if this goes tits up its all on you! Seriously, it was miss B who said we should do it and live life without regret...

So here I present Dandelion Bike Noodles.

Allergies or intolerances - please speak to Ade or Ali to discuss

By choice we use rice noodles which are great if gluten is not your friend. Our soy sauce is gluten free also.

All our curry bases and pastes, lotions and potions are made old school by hand to bring out the best flavours. As a lot fish sauce and oyster sauce is used in Asian dishes we have come up with vegan alternatives without compromise on taste. No fish are harmed in the making of these alternatives, and no fishy aroma!

For anyone who has visited anywhere in asia and eaten the food will find, you are given extras to put on your dish to finish it off; herbs, spices and crunchy bits, that add aroma, spice and texture. We have endeavoured to do the same, so every dish will have a multitude of bits and bob's to mix in before you eat, so that you can make it to your own taste.

Below is a selection of the dishes we can serve.

  • PAD THAI

    The most well known dish in Thailand. Inspiration from so many places but especially a street food cart in Pai run by a happy couple nearest the river.

    Rice noodles, spring onions, beansprouts, crushed chillis, and peanuts. With our own vegan pad thai sauce, tofu, and a multitude of toppings. Egg optional

  • KHAO SOI

    So many Asian countries lay claim to this dish, so we are not getting involved (Ade has all the gossip!). Inspiration comes from Birds Nest Cafe, Old City, Chiang Mai.

    Rice noodles in an aromatic curry broth. Coconut and caramelised vegetable base, too many spices to mention, and topped with our usual suspects. Entry level of spice, if you like korma you will love this.

  • VEGETARIAN LAKSA

    A Malaysian staple with several variations and even more countries laying claim to it from China, Indonesia and Persia. We don't want to get involved we just love it whoever, came up with this dish.

    Our version is a combination of two flavours; rich spicy coconut broth with a sour kick of tamarind. Inspiration comes from a sad faced man with a cart by the street art, Concubine Lane, Ipoh.

    Rice noodles and mixed greens, in a rich spiced coconut broth flavoured with lime leaves, lemon grass and cashew nuts. A slight acidity from tamarind. Topped with a selection of many toppings (add evil genius laugh!)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • WHY DANDELION BIKE NOODLES?

    The name comes from the movie Tampopo, the story of a woman who runs a restaurant and is helped to cook amazing noodles by a mysterious truck driver. The film is about love, food, and a little martial arts. The chef is called Tampopo, which translates to dandelion

  • WHY A MOTORBIKE AND SIDECAR?

    As you travel Asia you see motorbikes everywhere. They are the workhorse. You see people and whole families of five or six travelling with their shopping, it is a common sight. They are used to carrying huge loads of goods; add a sidecar and it becomes a taxi or delivery service. Many become mobile restaurants feeding locals and foreigners alike.

  • WHY ASIAN STREET FOOD?

    We have been spending five months a year travelling in Asia for the last six years. It feels like home. The people, the culture, and for me the food has touched our hearts.

    A great person said "If you want to get to know a country, it's people and culture, it's through their food".

    As a chef for over thirty years, and having been privileged to have worked with the UK's best chefs, and in some of the finest hotels and restaurants in the country, I thought I had seen it all... until we travelled to Asia. It was like starting all over again. Amazing produce everywhere, so fresh and vibrant. Amazing cooks and food on every corner, pretty much 24/7. A food culture that seriously brings tears to your eyes and lump in your throat (or maybe that's the chilli).

    We also don't want to use the word authentic, as dishes in Asia have so many variations in each village, family or eatery, claiming their dish is authentic. Base ingredients are the same, but with variations on the way it's cooked and on what is plentiful at the time. Always cooked with great passion and an understanding of seasonality which we have so lost in the west.

  • WHY VEGETARIAN / VEGAN / GLUTEN FREE?

    Ali has been a vegetarian for forty six years now and it is a way of life. She is very healthy, never really gets ill, and always looks good. Her belief is about not harming animals and eating a rich diet of fruit and vegetables which is by no means bland or boring. She is even moving towards vegan and gluten free.

    I am not vegetarian but since travelling in Asia I have been swayed by the amazing things you can do with vegetables. As a chef it challenges you and your taste buds to push flavour boundaries, and the results are most of the time amazing. It leaves you less bloated, more energetic, with exciting tastes, textures, heady aromas and a great feeling of overall wellness.

  • WHY THE ECO BITS AND BOB'S?

    For one, in the six years of travelling we have seen so many changes to the environment and none of them good. We are not eco warriors, but believe if we all do a little it will make a big difference, and maybe save this beautiful planet.

    So we are using no gas, and very little or no electricity. We are cooking on coconut charcoal which is a by-product, with fewer emissions (plus it adds flavour to the food and a little theatre).

    We are using palm leaf plates; a renewable source and biodegradable. We are working with eco companies for our cleaning products, and our food is sourced as local as possible to cut down food miles.

    Lastly our business is a little bike and sidecar, not a massive truck. With no bells and whistles, it's all about the food we passionately believe in, the interaction we have with the beautiful people we have met, and the one's we look forward to meeting on our journey.

    Hope you enjoy Dandelion Bike Noodles as much as we enjoy serving them!