The Handpulled Noodle | West Harlem — Restaurant in New York

Sometimes, you just want a casual quick food with strong flavor, instead of formal restaurant dining. We have been wanting to visit this spot for a while, so we decided to give them a try.

Although they didn’t have many customer in the inside, the kitchen was in full steam. It seems like they have lots of delivery orders. They only have counter table that goes all the way around. This is a self-service spot, no waiter service.

The way you order the noodle dish is to first pick the noodle style, then the preparation style, and finally, choose the level of spiciness. I went with Ribbon Noodles, Spicy Cumin Lamb, and Low spicy. If you are vegetarian, this dish can be made with seitan also.

It was a pretty good portion, lots of Ribbon Noodles and chunks of lamb meat which was tender and packed with flavor. The spice level was great for me. Not too spicy but had a little kick to it.

My hubby ordered the same thing, but with different style of noodle. He chose Ding Ding Noodles, which is chopped noodles. The Ding Ding noodles are their house favorite, and it can be described as mini Chinese gnocchi.

In addition to our noodles, we also ordered Mama’s Jumbo Dumplings to share. We chose Pork & Chive. They took a long time to come out, we were almost done with our noodles about the time dumplings came out. They were nice size, but I wouldn’t call it “jumbo”…but certainly tasty and filling.

It ended up being not-so-quick food, but we were not in any rush, so that was ok. The food was really good, much better than I expected. The price point is not “fast-food” price, but you do get delicious, quality food here that are made...

The folks at the Handpulled Noodle employ one of my favorite things about a great neighborhood restaurant: They don't try to be everything to everyone. Instead they maintain a menu that, at first glance, may seem too streamlined, but is in fact all killer and no filler. Everything they create has fantastic flavor using the perfect blend of spices and vegetables to complement the authentic array of noodle styles (the chopped ribbon is the perfect combination of authenticity and practical, bite-sized eating). Their dumplings are made-to-order and robust. The street eats section of the menu has a bao slider that has transformed my kids' willingness to try anything, and their scallion pancake is so textured that it could probably double as something to construct a sandwich with (not that I, uh, ever tried that when no one was looking). Their proteins are perfectly prepared, with a special nod to their braised pork, which is a must-try. And they bring the heat; their menu disclaimers are to be taken seriously, though I would offer that even someone with the highest tolerance for spicy will note that it's not heat for heat's sake; savory and mildly sweet tones come through their hottest dishes. Their delivery is flawlessly punctual, though I strongly recommend ordering directly from them and not the service platforms that take hard-earned money out of their pockets. The Handpulled Noodle reflects what a transformed Hamilton Heights looks like on its best day: inclusive, genuine, and food to warm your belly and heart. We...

June 2017 update:

We've continued to order from Handpulled Noodle and generally it goes well, but sometimes there are mistakes. I can honestly say that the owner's customer service is excellent. When I contact the shop re: the problem I've had, he immediately rectifies the situation.

Overall, very tasty. The dumplings are great! I quite like the sliders and salads too. i wish they'd keep the specials they sometimes offer (slow-simmered soups, for instance) all the time (very good). I'd give them 5 stars except for two key things: 1) delivery times are slow, even in the middle of a weekday; 2) the 'build your own' noodles with meat and veggies needs expansion. 'Veggies' just means lots of red and green peppers. How about Chinese broccoli, or regular broccoli, or basically anything other than just peppers?! Still, they're a huge asset to the neighborhood and I"m super glad they're here.

ETA: I got a response from the owner (a phone call) after emailing re: a very slow delivery and order mix-up. The owner credited me for the order (which I appreciated!). Based on his comment to my Yelp review, it sounds like there's a possibility of expanding the vegetable options. I'm sure the traditional pepper recipe is great for many people but expanding options would definitely be an improvement. Adding a star back given the great customer service I...