Xi'an Famous Foods

(Midtown Location)
24 W. 45th Street
New York, NY 10036
(347) 294-0022
Website

Xi'an Famous Foods is a multiple-venue operation in Manhattan with a lot of press, and a wide following. I was in Midtown for some business, and I decided to give that location a shot, because Midtown is a food desert for cheap eats.

The space is small inside, just a counter and a wall menu in the front, but you can see the food being prepped, which is always nice.

I also like the simplicity of wall menus (with pictures of course).

It didn't take too long, and was relatively cheap. I was able to find a seat in the back dining area by playing hawk.

The spicy cucumbers were a bit of a let down. They were spicy and oily, but not much else. I think I am spoiled by most of the places in both Chinatown's.

There was literally no flavor. Where was the ginger, garlic, sugar? Where was the umami?

The stewed pork burger at about $3.50 was my favorite piece of the visit. A nicely grilled bun, and fatty, flavorful meat, this alone saved the 3 cheesesteak rating from spiraling down to a two (or one, dare I say it).

The meat was nicely spiced, with some kick, but had this rich fattiness that kept me coming back.

Look at the fat glisten, and the meaty shreds with pieces of skin.

The pork Zha Jiang hand ripped noodles was "a savory-sweet pork stew, tossed with biangbiang noodles and a generous portion of cucumbers, scallions, celery, and chives." This was a decent dish, but again, there was spice and not a whole lot else. I am used to multi-faceted noodle dishes, with contrasting flavors. The noodles had a nice spring to them, but I can think of many better variations.

The "Concubine chicken" was the biggest let-down. According to the menu "Our biangbiang noodles mixed with pieces of bone-in dark chicken meat, sauteed, stewed, and mixed with our secret house sauce." The bone in chicken was a pain to eat, and the tiny pieces of meat on the bone left something to be desired. Again, the sauce was one note.

Pieces of bone were so hard to find, they were small and jagged = choking hazard. No thank you.

I eventually combined the noodle dishes, and suddenly it had a lot more complexity.

Still not worth going out of your way for. Next time I would try some of the cumin lamb, and definitely get another Chinese burger.

Yummy Lan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House

131 N 10th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2222

One of my favorite places to eat in Chinatown is Nan Zhou, the hand drawn noodle house I have been frequenting for a long time. I read about Lan Zhou opening over on Midtown Lunch a while back, and had finally made my way over – it's just so hard to steer away from my original favorite. Also, I hate that it's called "Yummy" Lan Zhou. Much like I hate when people say "nom." That's fine to say if you are eating fish sticks dipped in ketchup and are five years old. However, as you are likely neither a child nor the Cookie Monster, I hope you feel the same way.

They offer a table-side condiment bar to spruce up your order, always a plus in my book. They also one-up the original Nan Zhou with a container full of pickled cabbage on every table. Mixed with a little soy, vinegar and chili sauce, it was a quick snack while waiting for my noodles.

I stuck with two of my favorites, the pork with soy sauce and the peanut sauce noodles. These two are great because they are cheap, and they really let the noodles shine. Plus, I am hardly ever looking for a soup. That being said, they give you a small bowl of broth alongside the noodles that aren't served already swimming in it. Though it was kind of bland on its own, with a bit of sprucing up (some cabbage, vinegar, and chili), it was quite tasty.

The pork with soy sauce was delicious. It was different than what I am used to, not as salty, but the flavors and richness of the pork pervaded the GIANT bowl of noodles, creating quite a cohesive dish. The peanut sauce noodles were another winner. This is such a simple and incredibly cheap ($3!) bowl of comfort, I can hardly pass it up on every trip.

It's best to add a little bit of chili oil to the mix just to give it a bit of burn, and you will be well fed, without breaking the bank. The peanut sauce is thick, rich, and oily, which helps it coat the noodles and allows for maximum nutty flavor in each bite.

I can't say for certain which place is the better noodle house. Both have very tender and delicious hand drawn noodles, but Lan Zhou might edge Nan Zhou for value, if for nothing other than the extra broth and cabbage. They are both dirt cheap (my bill was $12 with tip), and each is worth a try for yourself.