When I made it to Kenmare street, I was elaited. Though my friend had canceled on me, I was still going to give Ramen Lab a try. It was friday after all, I’d just gotten off work, why not. When I finally made my final approach to Ramen Lab though, it looked like it decided to cancel on me as well, closed.

I stood dazed for a moment, what now. The yakatori place adjacent looked fly, but I was in noodle mode, and they had nothing on offer. After another moment, defeated, I decided to get going. However when I walked a little past the awning, on the other side of Ramen Lab,, a pleasant surprise greeted me, an outpost of none other than Xian Famous Foods.

Xian Famous foods first opened in Flushing years back. It became popular spot for locals, in a rundown food court on Fulton Street. Then gained additional notoriety after being featured on several prominent television shows. So what’s so special about Xi’an Famous, well it begins with noodles.

Xian famous, like many places these days, is variations on a theme. And noodles are the building blocks for the majority of their dishes here. Fresh noodles paired with a variety of meats, herbs, and spice, and broths. If you aren’t into spicy food, Xi’an famous is probably not for you. The food is quite hot, but not so much so to take away from the flavors, more of a synergy, enhancing them.

You can get many noodle soups here, But my favorites are the dry noodles,(ok not necessarily dry, but not submerged in water). I usually will get one of two dishes, the hand pulled noodles with cumin lamb or the spicy and tingly beef hand pulled. Both are spicy, and both showcase the excellent texture of the fresh noodles. On my most recent visit I got the beef, and was suprised yet again with the tenderness of the beef. It really is satisfyingly soft, and dissolves in each bite.

Beyond these noodle dishes, which I would suggest, the lamb burger is also a popular dish. Its filling and has similar flavor profiles to the noodle dishes. A good spot of quick bite, and a drink borough wide.