Dan Dan Noodles

Make the sauce: whisk together the sesame paste, chilli oil, light soy sauce, vinegar, Sichuan peppercorn powder, sesame oil, sugar, and minced garlic in a bowl. The mixture will be thick; thin it with the reserved noodle cooking water just before serving.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling unsalted water according to package instructions until just tender. Reserve 3–4 tbsp of the cooking water, then drain the noodles. Rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking.

Heat the neutral oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the doubanjiang and fry, stirring, until the oil turns red, about 1 minute.

Add the minced pork. Break it up and cook, stirring, until browned and most of the fat has rendered, about 4 minutes.

Add the ya cai (if using). Stir-fry for 1 minute until combined and fragrant. Remove from heat.

Stir the reserved noodle cooking water into the sauce bowl until it reaches a pourable but still thick consistency.

Divide the noodles between two bowls. Spoon the sauce over each bowl — do not toss in advance if you want the sauce to stay layered. Add a generous spoonful of the pork on top.

Scatter the spring onion over the top. Serve immediately. Toss everything together at the table before eating.