Beijing Top 5 Noodle Spots

beijing noodles

At 1949 Noodle Loft.

There are hundreds of thousands of noodle places all over Beijing, hole-in-the-wall places, stalls in dingey alleys and then the accessible expat haunt places. I’ve been too all types and have been ill repeatedly many times, so I’m going to recommend my favourite places that have had me returning.

Noodle Bar @1949
Tucked away in the Hidden City 1949, this noodle bar is a perfect hideout in winter—small and cosy. Diners sit on the 3 sides of the bar to watch the noodle master toss, pull and slice noodles. Portions are generous with plenty of soup—investigation of MSG has yet to be done, but it sure is tasty. The beef noodles is the best choice as the pork one comes a little too greasy for some and the vegetarian version uninspiring. Tables available outdoors in the summer.

1949 The Hidden City. Courtyard 4,
Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District, (opposite pacific century place mall south gate)
Tel: +86 6501-1949

Noodle Loft
Straightforward simple noodles in an eclectic setting, with steaming bowls of noodles to be garnished heavily with Northern flavours, chillies in chilli oil and lots of vinegar—just like how they do in Shanxi province. Everything is made fresh here, enjoy the bustle of noodle making activity and order the popular choices of beef noodles and diced pork noodles.
3 Heping Xijie,
和平西街3号
Tel: +86 5130-9655

Xiaolumian
Run by the same owners of The Schoolhouse Mutianyu, Xiaolumian is a good stopover for generous portions of fresh handmade noodles with organic vegetables on your way to/from the Mutianyu side of the Great Wall. Flavors here tend to lean towards the foreign palate, still the typical lao Beijing “zha jiang mian” is worth at go. Portions are large, so be sure to dine with friends.

Yingbeigou Village
Near Mutianyu Great Wall
Tel: +86 6162-6506
info@xiaolumian.com

Food in Novel
The simple yet little tacky interiors here include a real tree rooted in the centre of the restaurant. Noodles are done well and Yunnan’s signature dish of “crossing the bridge” rice noodles is a mandatory order. The dish comes with up to 18 ingredients including chestnuts and shrimps, or simply vegetarian. This place offers a good tasty option for vegans. Skip the choice of rice wine and order the papaya wine instead.
15-1 Dongzhimennei Dajie,
东城区东直门内大街15-1号
Tel: +86 8406-0237

Qin Tang Fu
The most reliable of Beijing noodle shops where every visit is consistently good. Service is always spotty, but the noodles never disappoint. Start with the cold buckweed noodles (the Chinese rendition of soba) with chillies and lots of vinegar before choosing from the beef, lamb or spinach noodles. The restaurant is best known for their “rou jia mou” pork stuffed between bread and the “yang rou pao mo”, a very heavy dish of unleavened bread bits in the lamb broth bath.
128 Dongsi Beidajie,
东四北大街128号
Tel: +86 6407-1211

3 Comments

  1. Alex
    Jul 20, 2011 @ 09:10:07

    Hey! You missed out on other kinds of noodle joints. I love daoxianmian (i’ve found 2 great places! one close to dawanglu and another at dongzhimen hospital)..! And did you know that Qianmen has just opened up their food street? Lotsa stuff happening there!!

    Reply

  2. baobabs
    Jul 20, 2011 @ 18:08:56

    For sure, there are tons and tons of noodle shops all around Beijing, but this is just my food poisoning safe list, some of the most delicious noodles I had are in tiny hole in the wall alleyways but I always get really sick after.

    I used to go for cold buckwheat noodles at this place at guanghua lu, it’s behind the guanghua SOHO (cheese looking building with holes) but it closed down more than 2 years ago.

    qianmen new food street! for tourists! would imagine it’s the equivalent of the hawker centre at esplanade

    Reply

  3. baobabs
    Jul 21, 2011 @ 20:53:52

    @alex on the topic of more noodles, someone on weibo recommended two cold noodles places.
    1. xinjiekou xinchuan noodle place (sichuan adjusted for the beijing palate), 2. hua tian at xianmen– spicy, sweet and a fresh tangy mix. age old secret recipe since they opened in 1943

    有两家人气面馆不得不提:一是新街口新川面馆的凉面,一是西安门华天的延吉冷面。新川凉面是按北京人口味改良过的四川凉面,吃起来糊辣甜鲜酸冲,小小店面从早到晚挤满了人。华天延吉冷面是1943年开业的老字号,冷面现压,面汤有秘方,酸甜辣咸爽,五味俱全。

    Reply

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