Xi'an Famous Foods 西安名吃 | Midtown 45th&6th — Restaurant in New York

Xi’an Famous Foods is one of those places you hear about so much that by the time you finally go, you expect the heavens to part, chili oil to rain down, and a cumin-scented angel to hand you a steaming bowl of noodles. Instead… I got slapped in the face with mediocrity and a side of regret.

This chain went from a tiny shop in Flushing to 18 locations across NYC, which is impressive. But after eating here, I think they expanded faster than their flavor did. Honestly, the food tasted like someone hit the “mute” button on what Xi’an cuisine is supposed to be: bold, sour, spicy, and unapologetic.

Let’s break it down:

Liang Pi Cold-Skin Noodles: Traditionally, this dish should be tangy, nutty, garlicky, spicy. Basically the life of the party. Mine was bland, boring, and about as refreshing as a room-temperature glass of tap water. Sesame paste? Garlic? Chili oil? Missing. It was like the noodles showed up but forgot to bring their personality.

Hand-Ripped Chicken Noodles: The famous biang biang noodles should be thick, chewy, and glorious but the flavor was all jalapeños and no balance. Spicy? Yes. Tangy and complex? Nope. It felt like the cook ran out of vinegar and just said, “Eh, throw in some green peppers, they’ll never notice.” Spoiler... I noticed.

Spicy & Sour Pork Dumplings: Finally, something that worked. Thick chewy skins, juicy filling, a sauce that actually made me smile. If this meal were a talent show, the dumplings were Beyoncé and everything else was a failed juggler.

Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger (Rou Jia Mo): The star dish of Xi’an, hyped on every TV show and food blog. I was ready for fireworks. Instead, I got dry flatbread and lamb so overcooked it could’ve doubled as jerky. The cumin... the whole point of the dish was MIA. It was like ordering a margarita and getting a Capri Sun. Truly offensive.

Ordering here is touchscreen easy, the space is fast-casual, and I don’t mind that. What I do mind is food this famous tasting this… forgettable.

Maybe I’m just spoiled coming from California, where Asian food actually smacks. But in Midtown, Xi’an Famous Foods felt like the “lite beer” version of Xi’an cuisine: all the calories and carbs, none of the buzz.

Final verdict: Save your hype for something else. Unless you really, really like dumplings, or want to practice disappointment in a controlled...

I'm usually not so interested in chains since there are so many options in the area, but this place has built such a brand we were interested in stopping by.

We grabbed three dishes, which was more than enough food: Cumin lamb "burger": Meat was tender and well-flavored. Also plentiful. I do feel as if the "buns" were a bit dry and added essentially nothing to the experience. Lamb spicy/sour dumplings: I can see some thinking these may be a bit sour from the vinegar but I actually quite enjoyed these. Plump amount of meat, dumplings didn't break apart while eating. Spicy cumin lamb noodles: These were the highlight, for sure. While I do prefer noodles to be cut into more manageable lengths, I do appreciate the hand-pulled nature of these. There was a ton of meat and the noodles themselves were perfect in texture. I was a nervous because it seems like they prepare a lot of the noodle portions ahead of time and are just waiting for people to order them, but these didn't seem too pre-prepared at all.

The ordering process is quick and easy. The tables are first come, which can be tricky if it gets crowded. The sauces and utensils are also self-served. I do wish there were cups of some sort to transport the sauces/chili oil, as we ended up using the top of our container so it all mixed together.

The vibe is cool, appreciate the music. I do wish they had a tap water station, but luckily there is a market across the street with plenty of drinking options that no one seemed to care...

I highly recommend this Chinese take out spot. Although, it’s priced like the other corner takeout places the quality and taste is far above. I ordered the vegan liangpi and vegetarian spinach dumplings in sauce. Both were absolutely delicious. Liangpi with their soft rice noodles, fresh and crunch sprouts, and spongy seitan. The sauce was light, tangy, and savory, with some oil. The dumplings were densely packed with spinach and tofu in a thin green wrap. To my surprise the dumplings could serve as a main dish for how weighted they were, a rare occurrence for vegetarian dumplings. The sauce was also that same zingy, savory, and had that yummy oiliness to it. The only thing I would recommend is that the two sauces be a little more diverse in flavor, but I don’t want to complain because both dishes were so delicious. I had someone else try the dumpling, and initially they were hesitant, but they went in for another dumpling after trying that sauce. Yum!! Wish I had run into this place before. When I went in for the takeout the place was clean, well kept, and had a sweet smell to it. The service was also excellent, the people there were so kind when I asked questions. It got busy and I could see why....