Lao Di Fang

I’ve had their house noodle special. Their broth is some of the best I’ve ever had, and they have a pepper oil that’s worth the walk by itself.
I really liked the beef in the noodle soup. But the other pieces were a bit chewy and seemed to be sides and ends just for flavour. So maybe try their beef noodle?

I’m not sure why this place gets such rave reviews but I found it substandard. The noodles and broth were average – nothing exceptional. They don’t have one of those wind-​blocking structures in front of the door and it was January, so the restaurant inside was cold and breezy. I had to keep my jacket on. The tripe tasted extra funky, so left it in my bowl. Plus, one of the owners (or their relatives) got into quite possibly the stupidest argument I’ve ever heard. There was a poor/​homeless-​looking man sitting near the door and another man (one of the owners?) was telling him that he is willing to help him out (presumably financially). The homeless man told him «leave me alone, I know you just want to steal my money». The owner cursed at him and said «why would I want your money?» And they yelled at each other for half an hour. It ended when the owner nearly physically attacked the homeless man (luckily other restaurant staff intervened) and the homeless man left. Great way to run a business. I know that all you hipster, in-​the-​know, white New Yorkers love these joints for their «authenticity». So, I’ll say that you’re lucky that you don’t understand Mandarin or Cantonese. Had you had to bear witness to this level of stupidity and unprofessionalism from the owner of an American diner I doubt if you’d be back.

Ok, so now we are heading back to my wheelhouse. Food from Gansu Province, known for the hand pulled noddles… We stopped in this little storefront the other day with the boy and had a really lovely meal. A place where you couldn’t spend more than 30 bucks if you wanted to.
We started with a plate of expertly made noodles. So fresh, cooked perfeclty, topped with a peanut butter and sesame sauce. I added a little vinegar and some smoked chile sauce. Jax was such a fan of these, pre-​chilis. It was 4 dollars and some of the best pasta I have had in recent memory. So comforting. I will have to make these at home.
We had a bowl of their hand pulled noodles in soup. This was their house special bowl. There was tongue and tripe and duck and beef and a perfectly fried runny egg and vegetables in a really rich soy based sauce. Couldnt have been more than 5 bucks.
That soup was my favorite until I tried the spicy beef soup. This was extraordinary. Spicy and rich and those noodles were made moments before hitting the soup.
I am telling you, you want this soup. It’s on the special board, it’s like 5.75 i believe.
Dumplings. Very bread, with a little piece of lamb in them. They called them juicy dumplings. They offer three types of dumplings, I would try something else next time. Good but, not in keeping with the others. But, super cheap and is the type of thing that could keep a family of 4 full all day. So, I understand the point, its just not my favorite.
But, someone liked these alot! He also like the duck, the tripe, the egg and the peanut butter noodles. He found the soy broth to be a bit to salty for his liking i believe.
Anyway, go here, it’s cheap, it’s delicious. Also not picture a bowl of pork ribs in broth. Super porky, not for everyone. Total bill was 20 bucks.

What a find! Super traditional hole in the wall. I’ve passed it by and thought about going in… but I’ve finally decided to try it because I’ve been craving noodles (ramen was the first choice but my broke ass can’t afford it).
Anyway, I ordered their roast duck hand pulled noodles ($ 6)… omg heaven on earth :) they didn’t provide much meat. 2 pieces were mostly bone. But the noodles! So fresh and delicious– just like my grandma used to make it in Taipei!
The little girl (shopkeeper’s daughter) kept running around and saying that she’s tired (I wonder why.) and then she kept opening the door while I was sitting at the table next to the door, freezing my butt off. So adorable!

Hand pulled noodle are prepared fresh. We had ox tail soup and the roast duck soup with hand pulled noodles. The sesMe noodles outrageous too. The staff very courteous. The place is clean. What a gem. So glad we found it. Cant wait to go back.

Watching the guy pull the noodles was already kind of a treat for us. It’s a small sit down place but not a lot of seating. It’s a real, legitimate, Chinese place with lots of things that may be new to you. Jump in, give it a try. No one talked to us but the service was good enough. It’s kinda down the alley, but like others say, don’t let that stop you. Had the pulled pork hand pulled noodles, chicken fried rice, juice dumplings and the duck noodles… All great. The kids really liked the fried rice, so you can’t go wrong.

If you’re looking for a place that is not touristy with really good authentic food, definitely try this out of the way place. Staff were welcoming to us newcomers. We had three dishes for the two of us, peanut noodles (added chicken at our request), shredded pork fried noodles, and dumplings. All that and a Coke for $ 13. Delicious! I’m full and my mouth is watering as I’m writing this review.

Went for the soup with duck, which I had with rice noodles since I’m gluten intolerant. The broth was tasty enough, though I doubt it was actually made with duck. Liked the accompanying spinach but the duck had a spongy texture and uninspiring flavor – my guess the result of being immersed in super hot broth. Won’t complain since it was only $ 6, but won’t be back.

I have an unhealthy obsession with beef noodle soup so I had to try Lao Di Fang sooner or later. I got the spicy beef hot pot and house special, both with hand-​pulled noodles. The noodles were chewy with a nice texture and consistency which surprisingly did not get soggy even as I took my time eatting. The broth hit the umami senses right in the head and was piping hot as it should be. They have a secret hot sauce that is not readily apparent but if you ask for it I guarantee it will MAKE the experience. It is a green jalapeño based hot sauce that gives everything an extra kick, but not too much where it overpowers the broth and taste of the noodles. I would recommend this place as one of the top 4 in Manhattan Chinatown, most likely #4.

Absolutely amazing food for ridiculously cheap prices. The noodles and dumplings literally blew us away. We had an order of steamed and also fried dumplings, the oxtail soup over hand pulled noodles, and hand pull noodles with peanut sauce. Everything tasted delicious. And then i got the bill… $ 15 for a table full of food… Are you kidding me! We left the place satisfied and just in awe. We returned two days later to also try out their roast duck noodle soup and the pulled noodles with spicy meat sauce. Also had an order of the steamed mini pork buns. Everything was again pure heaven. I was blown away by the roast duck and noodle soup. By far THE BEST roast duck soup i have had in years!
Another favorite restaurant in NYC to add to our list. This place is a true gem and i’m happy it is not some touristy place. If it wasn’t for Unilocal i would have never even found it :) I thank the other Unilocalers for recommending this place and highly recommend it myself as well. Support these hard working people with a visit, you wont regret it.

This place is great. Super cheap, friendly, delicious.
Don’t get put off by the outside or location. We were made very welcome and would have eaten their again if we had found it earlier.
After your meal take some time to wander the outside market area around the corner.

Had the house noodle special that comes with everything. The broth was light and tasty, and the duck, beef, and egg were tender and delicious. They give tons of noodle.

Delicious and super affordable fare. Highly recommend the sesame noodles. Got a vegetable soup dish but fear the broth might have been meat based. I would definitely go again. Can’t beat hand pulled noodle lunch for under $ 10
Seriously, so good.

Any true New Yorker knows that often the most small, unappealing restaurants are usually ones serving BOMB ass food — no matter what cuisine. This small restaurant is a family owned business serving authentic hand pulled noodles. The best part? Most menu items are under $ 7! No fancy waiters, air conditioning, candles, but my family of 4 all fed our hungry stomachs for under $ 30 (even after tip & tax).

We came here on a whim because we were walking to the Manhattan bridge. My husband noticed a very small Asian store that says hand pulled noodles. He wanted to try it. It was a little run down and small. They are not much on customer service but quality. They served us well though. Reminded me of the Chinatown Oakland restaurants we used to go to. I was surprised and very impressed their oxtail noodle soup and pork dumplings was very good. We saw the chef hand pull the dough and they were quick. The noodles tasted so good, soft and fresh. I will have to come back if I am in the area. I need to find more places like this in the Bay Area as there are not many. Totally recommend this place!

Best dumplings I’ve ever had. Authentic and in house made doughs. Also had noodles and chick fried rice. Awesome! Thanks guys!

On Forsyth, really not near anything. Shares a building with a salon and store that sells odds and ends.
Noodles are good, broth not as flavorful. They have spinach in their soups for the veggie.
And the juicy steam buns, which look like xiaolongbao in the picture on the menu, are actually the more doughy buns. They were pretty good, just really not what I expected when I ordered.
Will be back sometime to try the dumplings.
It was cheap — beef noodles $ 5.50, chicken noodles $ 5, and juicy steam buns $ 3

This place is one of NYC’s best kept secrets.
Simple, cheap, fast, no frills Chinese comfort food.
The juicy steam buns are a must-​have, the hand pulled noodles are amazing. The sesame noodles are also delish and alas, their dumplings are world class.
I love this place!

Excellent hand pulled noodles with solid broth and good amount of meat and greens. Tasty bang for buck. Spicy oil wasn’t quite to my taste, a little sweet. But noodles had good texture and really hit the spot.
Restaurant itself is pretty bare and it feels like a local joint that doesn’t have a lot of out-​of-​neighborhood eaters.

Finally found this gem in chinatown for when I need some comforting Chinese food.
This place is amazing. No frills. just a few tables and the kitchen. The staff is super nice.
I ordered the steamed buns (my fav), sesame noodles (so so good), dumplings, and 2 orders of hand-​pulled noodles.
Highly recommend