You can take a look at our scores down below. Our favorites are the biang biang noodles without soup. Our favorites are Mount Qi Pork and the Spicy Lamb Cumin. If you do decide to eat at Xian’ Noodles do try their noodles in soup. It’s not exactly conducive to taking out, but perfect for eating in. Their starters are also quite good and a great value-we like the cucumbers, bean sprouts and garlic broccoli. Their “burgers” are simply meat and bread, but you can see from the pictures below they stuff it with a lot of meat. Cumin Beef is our favorite here. The one area they fall short when comparing to other Seattle restaurants are the won tons and dumplings, which are not up to par with places like Dough Zone or Little Tings.
Xi’an Noodles
Recommended by: We met a couple at a house warming party that we had just seen at Mike’s Noodle House right before. We asked for some of their other favorites. They recommended Xian Noodles in the University District as a place that specializes in biang biang noodles at a reasonable price. After visiting, we’ve made it our main take out spot.
Description on the Xian Noodles’ website: Authentic Western Chinese Food from Xi’an City, hot pot, dry hot pot.
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address: 5259 University Way, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: Cumin Beef Burger, Cumin Lamb Burger, Stewed Pork Burger, Garlic Cucumber Salad, Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles, Stewed Pork Hand-Ripped Noodles, Won Tons in Chili Sauce, Mount Qi Pork Hand-Ripped Noodles, Bean Sprouts Gluten Salad, Dumplings(Chive/Shrimp/Pork), Stewed Pork Rice
Comments: We’ve eaten at Xian Noodle’s exactly one time, but we have done take out quite a few times since discovering this place. It’s one of our go-to take out places. We ain’t gonna lie, the simple aesthetics(we are talking about The Ave after all) of Xi’an Noodles space, make it a perfect place for take out.
Xi’an Noodles is known for their biang biang noodles, which are named after the sound the noodles make as it’s being slammed against the table/counter while being made. The noodles are wide, thick and hand ripped that allows sauce to stick to the noodles.
They also have “burger” or Rou jia mo that are also quite good. It’s marinated meats between crispy flatbread.
If the Chinese food you’re expecting is General Tsao’s Chicken, Egg Foo Young or Egg Rolls, open your mind and try some authentic Chinese food. We have friends who we’ve introduced to Xi’an Noodles and had to “trick” them into trying some dishes by not telling them what’s in it until after they’ve tried it and all have been converted. After saying they enjoyed the dish, we then tell them it was lamb or intestines and explain what makes the dishes “tingly”(Sichuan Peppers, illegal in the US untill 2005).
All dishes here are below $10, but to be transparent most are at the $9.99-$9.95 price, but still pretty good value.
Recently Xian Noodles made Seattle Met’s 100 Best Restaurant. Honestly, one of the reasons Xi’an Noodles is our go to take out spot is proximity, but it also has to do with bang for the buck, how easily you can split up the dishes for a family/group and because it just simply tastes really good.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.25
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.75
Overall: 4.50
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
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- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers Cashier recommendations to visit in the future: When we asked the cashier, Eldon, if he could recommend another place that he enjoys eating at, he advised he doesn’t go out to eat much, but the place across the street, Snowy Village, has really good shaved ice desserts. We can’t pass that up. Visit coming soon.
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