By Josh Goldblatt
“54! Please respond!”
These words poured forth from the mouth of Jason Wang, co-owner of the Xi’an Famous Foods empire, much as hot, intoxicating oils pour out of bubbling cauldrons and onto Chinese noodles at the latest incarnation of Xi’an on Broadway between 101st and 102nd.
Mr. Wang was forced to call out orders as he moments earlier had fired the cashier, an earnest-enough seeming fellow. When I first entered the new store, Mr. Wang was reprimanding the young man. Not long after that, Mr. Wang approached the cashier and said, “That’s it, you’re fired.” Well, Mr. Wang’s other restaurant, Baing!, has a star from the Times, so it’s not uncommon for regarded chefs to be, um, intense.
Back to Xi’an: the place itself has exposed brick and concrete floors. Music from the golden era of hip hop played. Fragrant odors wafted through the air.
Despite some minor logistical issues – it took close to 15 minutes for my order to be called out, compared to much shorter waits at other locations – the food was solid. I started with a spicy cucumber salad, which was soaked in chili oil and mixed with green chilies. For anyone who hasn’t had Chinese-style cucumber salad, it’s worth trying, although the chili oil was not coating the cucumbers very well.
For my entree, I dined on stewed pork hand-ripped noodles. The noodles were amazingly chewy and scrumptious, not quite like any noodle you’re likely used to. As opposed to the cucumbers, the noodles are excellent vehicles for soaking up the intoxicating oils and spices. There is a lot of complexity here, and the heat was a welcome layer of taste, although not overbearing.
This is an absolutely fresh, intoxicating and welcome addition to the neighborhood.
To read about Josh’s previous local food adventures, click here.
A friend & I went on Saturday to check it out. Long line! Waited 30+ minutes….well worth it. I’m hardly a food critic, but really loved the stewed pork noodles, as did the author of this article. Inexpensive, totally delicious, and would go back (many times!).
If you want real, authentic Chinese food — go to Chinatown. Pick at restaurant that is frequented by a mostly Chinese clientele.
The food will be good and inexpensive. Also,you will be support an area that is still hurting from the aftermath of 9/11.
The food at Xi’an Famous Foods is from a different part of China than most of the restaurants in Chinatown.
Who. What did the cashier do to deserved on the stop firing? That’s rough.