I'm obsessed with Xian Famous Foods
So it's been a while I posted. But I haven't been this inspired by fast food since discovering beef kway teow in Geylang when I was 18. When Si brought me to this die-die-must-try Xi'an food stall in New York I thought it sounded good but never knew how much I would be obsessed. Maybe it's the cold weather outside that makes the intense savoury spicy Western Chinese dishes hit the spot even more, but the moment I had a bite I was hooked. We returned twice within an 8-day stay in New York. Xi'an Famous Foods has tiny stalls in Flushing, Queens and Manhattan and now I'm searching for a decent alternative fix in London. Help me if you can.
One of their signature specialties is the chilli cumin lamb hand pulled noodles which has lovingly hand torn meat and hand pulled fresh cooked noodles, then tossed together with spring onions, beansprouts for crunch, and gorgeous spicy chilli oil. Man, just typing it makes me drool. Other signature noodle dishes are the "Liang Pi" Cold Skin noodles but I was too obsessed with the hand pulled noodles that I didn't try it this trip. Next time. I can't wait for next time.
The noodles are rolled out fresh from small balls of dough, the long strips hand torn to make them rugged and hand pulled, then cooked to order in boiling water. The cooked noodles are then tossed with the spicy cumin lambs chunks, veg, and chilli oil and served to you piping hot. Simples!
Si's fave dish is the spicy lamb burger, which is where the Chinese and Middle Eastern fusion really shows. The "burger" is flat bread, kneaded out and pressed in a hot press to cook to order. Everything's cooked fresh here! It's like a really spicy and moist kebab burger. Mmm...
Specials of the day include slow cooked oxtail in a slightly tangy soy sauce. Plastic gloves are provided so you can rip the meat off the bone. Preferably have some noodles waiting for this additional meat, but we housed ours and ate these separately.
The Manhattan stall is about the size of a large service toilet only, and cramped in this tiny space you have one counter that allows max 3 people to stand side by side and eat. On the walls there are accolades from the likes of Anthony Bourdain and other food celebs. Xi'an Famous Foods have already won many fans, I'm just late on the bandwagon. And kind of obsessed. Sob.
One of their signature specialties is the chilli cumin lamb hand pulled noodles which has lovingly hand torn meat and hand pulled fresh cooked noodles, then tossed together with spring onions, beansprouts for crunch, and gorgeous spicy chilli oil. Man, just typing it makes me drool. Other signature noodle dishes are the "Liang Pi" Cold Skin noodles but I was too obsessed with the hand pulled noodles that I didn't try it this trip. Next time. I can't wait for next time.
The noodles are rolled out fresh from small balls of dough, the long strips hand torn to make them rugged and hand pulled, then cooked to order in boiling water. The cooked noodles are then tossed with the spicy cumin lambs chunks, veg, and chilli oil and served to you piping hot. Simples!
Si's fave dish is the spicy lamb burger, which is where the Chinese and Middle Eastern fusion really shows. The "burger" is flat bread, kneaded out and pressed in a hot press to cook to order. Everything's cooked fresh here! It's like a really spicy and moist kebab burger. Mmm...
Specials of the day include slow cooked oxtail in a slightly tangy soy sauce. Plastic gloves are provided so you can rip the meat off the bone. Preferably have some noodles waiting for this additional meat, but we housed ours and ate these separately.
The Manhattan stall is about the size of a large service toilet only, and cramped in this tiny space you have one counter that allows max 3 people to stand side by side and eat. On the walls there are accolades from the likes of Anthony Bourdain and other food celebs. Xi'an Famous Foods have already won many fans, I'm just late on the bandwagon. And kind of obsessed. Sob.