Chin Xi'an Style Restaurant 秦张记 — Restaurant in Ellicott City

Don't quite understand the 5 stars review here. I was quite excited when I saw the 'coming soon' sign weeks ago, but now it is on my 'do not go back list'.

Let's first talk about the plus side: they give you a nice bag and containers for the take out order.

The negative: Food portion is extremely small. I spent almost $50 and ordered take-out for two and thought it is enough. But I ended up cooked extra food at home. If you don't believe me, go to the photos section and look at the noodle dishes. Yes, they look really small in the photo, and you will see that acutal size is even smaller when you sit at the table looking at the actual dish. Those noddle dishes costs ~ $14 - $16, not cheap. I don't have big appetite but I can finish two noodle dishes and still not full. Taste. I had a mixed feeling. The murger tastes good but small. There used to be a resuturant called Xi'an Gourmet in Rockville, the marinated meat in baked bun (they call it murger at this resturant) tastes more authentic in my opinion. On the other hand the noodle tastes horribly bad. Maybe it is because I ordered takeout, when I got back home (5 mins drive), the noodles are really soggy and transforms to a not-separatable small sticky ball, with tiny amount of meat and source.

I saw one review mentioned Xian style resturant from NYC and saying this is comparable. I don't want to be judgmental. There is a Xian style restaurant called old Xi'An very close to Wall Street. I've tried the stewed pork hand ripped noodle there several times. The noodle comes 3 times more in portion in comparison with the 'same' stewed pork noodle here, and it is really hand ripped since you can see the cook working there. It tastes way way better and has much more source and meat. And the price is much cheaper. And the location difference: Mahatton vs suburb... Let it sink in...

Again, I would say that there are a lot of very good Chinese / Korean / Japanese restaurants at local. This one is defensively not on my list and I won't go...

Nestled in a bustling shopping center alongside Honey Pig, Chin Xi'an Style Restaurant is a hidden gem that specializes in handpulled, numbing Szechuan noodles.

During our Saturday lunch visit, the restaurant was buzzing with activity. Limited seating means you might have to wait 5-10 minutes for a table during peak times, but trust me, it’s worth it. The atmosphere is casual yet vibrant, perfect for a quick meal.

We started with the 12 Hour Stewed Pork Hand Pulled Noodles and the Spicy Pork Noodles, alongside the “you pick 3” cold dishes: dried tofu skin, sweet heat cabbage, and shredded potatoes. We couldn’t resist adding a Spicy Cumin Beef Murger, served in a crisp baked flatbread.

The handpulled noodles were undeniably the highlight. Each strand was perfectly al dente, with just the right amount of chew. The stewed pork noodles stole the show—flavorful, tender, and the kind of comfort food that warms your soul. The spicy pork noodles were a bit of a letdown in comparison; while enjoyable, they lacked the bold flavor profile that made the stewed pork so memorable.

The cold dishes were a delightful accompaniment. The crunchy texture of the shredded potatoes and sweet heat cabbage provided a refreshing contrast to the chewy noodles. They added a nice touch of variety to our meal.

As for the Murger, it was decent. The cumin flavor was prominent and well-executed, making it a satisfying choice to round out our meal.

Overall, Chin Xi'an is an excellent spot for those craving authentic Szechuan flavors. The noodles are the star, and with a few tweaks to some dishes, this place could easily elevate itself to must-visit status. If you find yourself in Ellicott City, make sure to stop by for a taste of their handpulled noodles—you...

I went to this restaurant last night and it was the worst dining experience I have ever had. There were no servers to help at all, so I had to order through the self-service machine. Since it was my first time here, I accidentally chose take-out instead of dine-in. When I asked a staff member if they could switch it to dine-in, I was refused, and I ended up standing and waiting for 30 minutes until my order was ready.

What made me really angry was the food itself. I ordered lamb paomo, but what I received was a cold lamb soup. When I opened the take-out box, the soup spilled everywhere and got all over my hands. On top of that, it was completely tasteless. Even worse, the glass noodles inside were completely raw and inedible. The bread that came with it was just as bad—it was ice cold, hard as a rock, like it had just been taken straight out of a freezer.

This is absolutely the worst Chinese restaurant I have ever been to. No service, no explanation, and the take-out food was basically unfinished and disgusting. Making me wait 30 minutes just for that was unacceptable. I felt sickened by the whole experience. As a Chinese I has never had a worse experience in Chinese restaurants like this.

I didn’t take any pictures because I just threw it and left the restaurant. I don’t want to taste it any more after I opened the box. 🤢 But believe me this experience is real...