Xi’an Famous Foods

Love the noodles and soup! As great as I could get from that northwestern part of china. Yum!

So good. Hands down one of my favorite meals in New York EVER.
Order the famous N1 — spicy cumin lamb hand-​ripped noodles. The noodles are hand ripped, cooked al dente, and hearty enough to soak up all the spiciness. My plate was given a rather generous portion of spicy cumin lamb. I usually avoid lamb because I don’t like the gamey taste, but this lamb meat was incredible. It was tender, flavorful and paired nicely with the noodles.
My friends and I also shared the tiger salad which is a salad consisting of cilantro, green onions, celery, long-​horn pepper slivers, dressed in a sesame vinaigrette. This was phenomenally good and flavorful on its own without being overpowering. We also ordered a plate of spicy cucumber salad — diced Asian cucumbers, tossed in black vinegar, garlic, and chili oil. This was also a nice addition to our meal because it offset the spiciness of our other dishes.
I’ve seen Xi’an Famous Foods featured on God knows how many travel shows and features, and for a very long time, it has sat on my New York list of things to eat. It was everything I hoped and wished it’d be — unpretentious and delicious. And cheap. Do yourself a favor and stop by one of the many Xi’an Famous Foods establishments.

I am in love with the concept and the story of how this former hole-​in-​a-​wall food stand transformed into a culinary sensation… it’s the epitome of the changing food/​culinary scene in America and Xi’an Famous is the model that many other Chinese restaurants should aspire to.
The flavors are bold and truly addictive. For first-​timers, the dishes may appear a tad oily, but remember that’s where ALL the flavor and goodness are coming from. Prices are amazing and I make sure to stuff myself with some of my favorite dishes. namely the numbingly-​spicy cumin lamb hand-​pulled noodles, the cold skin noodles, and the lamb burgers.
I do think Xi’an needs to improve their service and the names/​description of the dishes… truthfully, «cold skin» noodles just sounds awkward and tad strange (just my opinion).
So OUT with Panda Express/​PF Changs, and IN with Xi’an Famous!

when visiting new york, eat here twice! my cousin and i had such a great meal here the first time at their brooklyn location, we decided to eat here again and try a different dish. the bowls are huge and definitely filling for two average sized girls. it’s affordable when you’re not trying to pay $ 20 a meal for every damn meal in new york. each time we ordered a noodle soup dish and each time it blew my mind. the noodles are cooked to perfection and so chewy. the broth however is always oily but full of flavor.
service was super fast and efficient… and no one was ever rude.

The food was good. The service was not. And I’m not a harsh critic yo, just look at all the 5 Star reviews I wrote! But man, some people are just not suited for customer service jobs.
It was a Sunday morning and my friends got here a bit earlier than the shop opened. We stood outside for 5 – 10 minutes before the cashier finally came out and did all her «opening the store procedure» and went back inside and sat behind the register. We weren’t entirely sure if she was done or if we were allowed to go inside so we waited outside.
Turns out she was all done, just didn’t bother letting us know that they were officially open.
Excitedly we enter and go towards the table, past the cashier. It was all our first time there so we didn’t know what to expect. It wasn’t until we sat down, settling in towards the back, the cashier decides to tell us «Uh, you have to order up front.» Girl, why didn’t you say anything when we walked past you?
So we go up there to order, and I had asked if my dish could be mildly spicy, which was an option based on the signs. My friend got hers spicy, and when both our dishes came, they were exactly the same, color wise and taste. I go and tell the cashier if there’s anything she can do because my stomach can’t handle it, and she just straight up says no.
The thing that pisses me off though is, they’re the ones who messed up. When I ask for mild and you give me the same spice level as my friend’s, and you don’t even try or PRETEND to fix it, man, that’s where the issue is.

Bought both the stewed pork burger and spicy cumin lamb burger.
The rice flour buns used for the burgers were interesting. A bit denser than the typical Asian rice flour buns (what you are served with Peking Duck and Taiwanese pork belly burgers), nonetheless they were still tasty and had a really nice pan sear on them. They also absorbed a lot of the flavor from each respective meat filling.
Of the two, the cumin lamb burger was the tastier burger. The cumin and other spices were both aromatic (you can smell the cumin immediately) and flavorful; imparting flavors so reminiscent of Middle Eastern cuisine. The shredded lamb meat was very moist, not too gamey, and had just enough delicious fat.
Stewed park was solid. The shredded pork was pretty much the consistency and texture of pulled pork but a little more moist. I found it’s flavor tasty but there was just wasn’t enough flavor. Maybe mentally having that pulled pork like texture made my palette expect some form of BBQ sauce, but I would have loved it if there was some Hoisin (essentially Chinese BBQ sauce) served with the stewed pork.
These were pretty filling and substantial «burgers» and considering the relatively low price point, a really worthy foodie experience for anybody to try.
I’m sure they’re famous noodles are even better!

Xi’an Famous Foods is a quick and cheap Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Take any train downtown and plan on walking 10 – 15 minutes. I came here because a friend highly recommend it. I’m glad I did.
It was raining and we were running through Chinatown when we arrived. it’s a small dingy space. There’s a huge menu that covers the entire left side wall. You order first and then sit down in the back. There are labels for Vegetarian on the bottom of each picture.
The food is different than your typical Chinese American fast food joint. They specialize in western Chinese dishes. I ordered the stir-​fried cold-​skin noodles ($ 6) and spicy sour spinach dumplings ($ 7). The cold-​skin noodles are not cold! They’re warm and really chewy. The dumplings come in a bed of sauce. The dishes can get messy, so best to have napkins and clothes you don’t want to get dirty. FYI: Dishes tend to be oily.
It’s a great spot to take friends unfamiliar with Chinatown to get some authentic Chinese food. I recommend bringing a group and picking a few dishes to share.

After walking through Chinatown my wife and I were lucky to stumble across Xian (thanks to Unilocal). We went here for an early lunch and there weren’t many people in the restaurant. We ordered the most popular dish– the spicy lamb. The dish was so flavorful and the hand pulled noodles were perfection. I think the combination of the great and authentic flavors and reasonable prices make this place a great lunch stop in NYC.

I’ve lived in NYC all my life and FINALLY made my way to a Xi’an location. Figuring I had all of the time in the world to visit one of it’s bazillion locations in NYC only made me delay that decision to try them even longer. Unfortunately, the lead up to eating here just did not live up to the massive expectations I heard about their amazingly delicious noodles. Maybe it was just that this place is so overly hyped that my expectations were way in the stratosphere.
This location is not huge, but there’s ample picnic table style seating in the back of this stuffy restaurant. The process is simple — place your order at the cashier and let them know if you’re sitting in or not. If you’re sitting in, just plop your behind at a seat in the back and they will call out your receipt number. There is NO table service here so get ready to get your behind back up because the food is ready extremely (and questionably) quickly after you order. The fact that you can’t see the kitchen or where the food is prepared and having it arrive to the ground level via a food lift/​shaft makes it extra sketchy, but I proceeded to eat the food at my own peril anyway.
We ordered 2 of the proclaimed most popular items, N1 (Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles) and B2 (Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger):
N1 — SPICY CUMIN LAMB NOODLES
The noodles were stuck together and extremely oily. After we were done eating it, there was a pond of oil just sitting on the plate. Some might love getting a clogged artery from the oil, but we aren’t 2 of them. The beef was dry and, if it weren’t for the oil, basically had no flavor. The dish was also EXTREMELY spicy and if you’re not into spicy foods, you can tell them to lower the spice level.
B2 — SPICY CUMIN LAMB BURGER
The bread was a bit hard, like an arepa, which meant the bread basically had no moisture. The meat was minced and dry as well. The meat was pretty spicy and, unfortunately, this was one item we could not lower the spice level of.
Honestly, I don’t really understand the explosion of Xi’an. The food quality is really sub-​par compared to other Chinese restaurants. But Cudos to the owner for the genius behind their marketing and expanding to areas that other Chinese restaurants would not venture to.

Gosh, I really really love Xian. Sometimes I think I am tired of it but the minute I walk in and see all the delicious noodles and plates being ordered, I salivate with desire.
This location is just as good as every other location I’ve been to. Although it can be sometimes busy with a line out the door, it still is worth the wait. There’s seating in the back and I haven’t had any major issues with turnover of the tables.
My favorite dish in any location is their lamb cumin noodles but because I was able to sit down while eating with a friend, I went with a soup dish (my policy is to never do take out unless you can sit down and start eating in less than 4 minutes from transport, hence soup is not possible because I literally sprint home. Otherwise it would get too soggy by the time I get home!). I’ve tried the lamb cumin noodle soup, the oxtail soup and regular noodle dishes and the beef noodles. All are great. This time, I tried something new and got the Mt Qi Pork noodles in soup and yum yum yum. The taste of the pork and the soup was spot-​on. There was plenty of noodles and pork in the dish. The soup was full of flavor and spice. I will 100% get this dish again.
Never disappointed with Xian. Will forever and always crave it.

Yum! Definitely over-​hyped, especially in this neighborhood where there are oodles of places with comparable or better food (esp Spicy Village), but I still quite liked Xi’an.
I agree with the one reviewer who noted that you don’t feel gross, greasy, or heavy after you eat here, which is a bit shocking given the large visible quantity of oil. The noodles are great — the perfect chew with a bit of tug. The food is tasty and spicy, although the 2 dishes we had didn’t taste super different.

Heard so much about this place. Its been featured in almost every food show, so naturally i would try it when i went to new york.
The place is pretty small, prolly a seating capacity fo 15 people. Its really narrow but what do you expect? Its new york.
Most of their food are really spicy, so if you love spicy food, you’re in for a real treat! I tried the beef stew, the lamb burger, and the spicy cumin lamb noodles. All were good! Like what i said, its just really spicy!

Now I know the hype! This place is located as so many places and I always wanted to try it, but never have! Now that I have after 2 years, I don’t know why i passed it all this time. They are decently priced, great quick lunch or dinner, reasonably priced and good portions.
I tried the spicy lamb noodles and it was soo good! I highly suggest you change the spice level if you cant handle that much. I changed mine to medium spice and it was still spicy where you need water!
I cant wait to try other foods from here!

I’m rating Xi’an for how I felt *after* I left. .. Light and sprite. After a lunch full of noodles, I usually have a hardened pit in my stomach and feel slow and full. But not at Xi’an.
I ordered the requisite cold skin noodles (spicy) and was pleased. I could definitely feel, taste and appreciate the quality of the ingredients used. I really enjoyed the fresh cilantro that was included as well.
4 instead of 5 stars because I asked for the noodles spicy not extra spicy. There is a warning sign re. not ordering extra spicy unless you can handle it. I wasn’t sure, so ordered spicy. The noodles were tasty but still on the bland side for my palate — so I had to add extra hot chili sauce. I also ordered the spicy soft tofu soup and it was just «ok». I love soon doo boo at Korean spots — and thought the spice level would be on par w/​soft tofu Korean soups. Nope. So, my spice synopsis is that their spice levels are off but the overall quality of ther ingredients are great.

I came in not expecting too much given that this is a popular franchise. I ordered the spicy cumin lamb noodles and a chrysanthemum tea. The noodles tasted super fresh and definitely unique. There are a lot of hand pulled noodles in the area but nothing like the ones in this dish. They were wide and knife cut (uneven edges). The lamb was also good and not too gamey, which I liked. There was a good level of spiciness but it was not overwhelming. Washed it down with my chrysanthemum tea drink which had real flowers floating around at the bottom! Makes it seem more authentic I guess. It was slightly sweetened and refreshing.
Would definitely come back again to try the burger and liang pi! Big plus for no lines and quick service especially for a popular place.

Street style super delicious Xi’an food.
Xi’an cuisine is where good quality beef/​lamb meet best quality wheat (i.e. Have-​made Noodles/​burger bread).
Bold and rich in flavor, it is also where spiciness meet Chinese vinegar sourness with amazing add-​ones like celery and scallion (trust me, their hot pepper oil is addictive!).
All items on the menu are delicious! Try one noodle dish with your favorite meat!

Small restaurant with seating for about 14 people in the back. You order in the front before seating in the back of the restaurant. There are pictures of the food on the wall to make ordering a little easier. My friends and I ordered 3 dishes to share:
A1 Liang Pi «Cold Skin Noodles» (~$ 6) — I never knew cold noodles could taste so good! Hand pulled rice noodles with what tasted like tofu/​soy meat, bean sprouts and cilantro. I would definitely get this again next time!
Ns2 Spicy & Tingly Beef Noodles in Soup (~$ 9) — thicker rice noodles than the previous dish. The «soup» was very oily with a nice kick to it. The beef was very tender and is overall full of flavor.
Ns4 Stewed Pork Noodles in Soup (~$ 8) — tasted very similar to Ns2, just more soupy and a little less oily.

If you like strong bold flavors and like it spicy this is the place to be! I love every bite of everything I’ve ordered here so far or maybe it’s cause I love everything spicy.
The prices are very reasonable imo. The portion is a good size and the food is super yummy! The ordering is simple, just pick a number on the wall. BAM! and the food comes within 10 minutes.
Seating is limited on a busy night. I’ve had only eaten in for the freshness but I did box up some I couldn’t finish and let me tell ya it taste just as good microwaved!
The cumin lamb burger is a must try! The ox tails are very tender. Drinks are $ 1 per bottle/​can grab what you need then pay. Utensils are self serve with plastic forks/​spoons and wooden chopsticks also the spicy cucumber salad is a good veggie dish to go with your meal! L2 on the menu.

Damn, girl. Your spicy lamb burger blew me away.
But what’s with the gallon of oil in the spicy lamb cumin noodles?! Although the flavor was spot on (lots of heat & cumin) and made those pillowy, soft cloud noodles even that much more delicious, it really doesn’t need to be drowning in a tub of oil. Seriously, we had to tip the plate at one point to let the oil collect into a lil pond.
Who cares tho, amiright? Flavor is solid and the price is just right. Brb, just gonna smother my face into that sexy ass lamb burger.
Also, the cashier here was so on top of her game that her sweetness almost gave me diabeetus. Two thumbs up.

I am already a fan of Xi’an Famous Foods from the other time trying it out at a different location. This location is on the smaller side.
Came here to eat the Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodle soup (NS1) on a very cold day; it was around 14 °F /​-​10 C. The soup was much needed to warm me up. As usual, the lamb was so delicious and flavorful, it also had plenty of noodles to go with it. As for the soup, it was a little bit sour, but also cloudy and flavorful. This dish wasn’t too spicy, but it seemed to have large quantity of a chili oil in it… more than I would like. Basically everyone at Xi’an was blowing their noses from this soup.
Also, love love their Liang-​Pi Cold-​Skin Noodles (A1)! It basically tastes like a cold noodle salad, very refreshing. Especially recommended for a hot day! Another item to get is the lamb burger because it is a steal for the price (don’t have a high expectation though)
Recommended? yes, I recommend coming here for lunch.

Première revue en français pour motiver les gens de passage qui souhaiteraient tenter une cuisine introuvable en France.
XFF propose en effet une cuisine du Xi’an, au nord-​est de la Chine, et qui est très différente des autres cuisines chinoises. Beaucoup de porc et d’agneau, des nouilles, des bouillons, du cumin, et du très pimenté !
XFF possède quelques adresses à Manhattan et un endroit plus resto à Flushing dans le Queens, à tester également, mais avec une carte un peu plus élaborée. Les autres adresses sont plus faites pour manger sur le pouce, à des tarifs très raisonnables (moins de $ 10 pp). Il né faut pas manquer les petits hamburgers de porc ou d’agneau au cumin, qui ressemblent vaguement à des burgers et qui sont vraiment excellents. Ensuite, une valeur sûre pour se faire une bonne idée de la cuisine sont les Spicy Lamb Noodles, ou les Lang Pi, des nouilles froides surprenantes.
Il faut faire attention sur la carte à ce qui est épicé et ce qui né l’est pas, car même pour des palais avertis, ça arrache !
Ma préférence va à cette enseigne dans Chinatown qui est un peu plus grande que celle du East Village et qui permet en général se s’asseoir sur place pour manger. Si ce n’est pas possible, prenez à emporter et filez au banc le plus proche, avec un bon paquet de mouchoir et des boissons pour se rafraîchir !