Monkey Joyce and I were looking for a more substantial meal after small bites and hard drinks. So as per our usual we sought out noodles. At this point, her love of noodles have rubbed off on me and I associate the thickest ones with her.
So a quick search and a drive took us to Cambie Street, to the newest location of Old Xian’s Food. This is one of their many locations specializing in hand pulled noodles and spicy dishes. With nothing like it in the neighborhood, this serves the community well.
The concept is a blend of cafeteria meets market, with the restaurant being divided and split in two, literally. Over head hanging sides mark both halves, with the restaurant’s name scrawled on the ceiling.
The aesthetic and the need to digitally leave your name on the waitlist dilutes some of the heritage this brand brings. We were given a seat at one of the very close set tables. There was just enough room for our two bowls of noodles. The servewarr is a plastic red and white. I found the disposable spoon out of place.
Everything on the menu sounded delcious and I was overwhelmed by choice. Therefore, as usual, I had Joyce order for us, knowing that we would share anyways and that we like the same flavours.
The Hot spicy oil on braised beef noodles was perfection. We got it with the thick cut biang biang style noodles and not only were they tasty, but fun to eat as well. There is something so viseral about biting down and tearing sheet of starchy noodles down to size. The texture was a delightful chewiness and they held the sauce like carpet. Hearty and warming beef broth with mild heat, comforting in its familiarity.
Our second choice was the strewed lamb noodles, but this was sold out. Just as well as they don’t do knife cut noodles, and that is the type of noodles we like best with this. Instead, we took our server’s recommendation.
The Chongqing noodle with peanuts and cilantro had so much noodle by comparison, and it felt tedious to have to gnaw through. The crunch of the roasted peanuts helped to cut into the spice, and the sour persevered vegetable offered a nice contrast. It was an exciting flavour that transformed as you worked your way through the bowl with a warming and tingling spicy broth.
In short, I can fully recommend them for your future noodle craving, and I would like to return to try more of their dishes for a fuller assessment of their offerings. Maybe next time I will spend a little at the shop as well, there were a few snacks that caught my eye.
Old Xian’s Noodle House 老西安面馆
4008 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2X8
(604) 708-0767
oldxiansfood.ca
