Xi'an Noodle House

Review

Xi'an Noodle House sits in a lane off Shengli Road, not far from Lotus Pond. It is run by a couple: the husband is a second-generation mainlander with Shandong roots and the wife comes from Shaanxi, who brought her hometown's belt noodles to Zuoying. Food media have covered it repeatedly, calling these the widest noodles on earth, and it appears on Zuoying food lists, familiar to both military-village residents and tourists.

The belt noodles are about four to five centimeters wide. Reports say the dough rests for 24 hours and contains no artificial additives; the texture is bouncy and soaks up the broth. Each bowl holds only one or two strips, and three or four pieces are filling. The braised beef noodle soup uses many herbal spices and comes with large, tender chunks of beef; the topped noodles use a lighter broth of tomato, egg and onion. There are also saozi noodles, cumin pork, green pepper with pork intestines and Xinjiang bone-in pilaf.

Diners often praise the chewy noodles, the wide and distinctive range of side dishes, fair prices and generous portions, and many say belt noodles with beef broth is the best match. Complaints include wrong orders at peak times, some side dishes being salty, and a feeling that beyond the surprise of the width the flavor is ordinary, so opinions are somewhat split.

It opens daily, roughly from 10:30 to 19:30, though some sources say it closes at 20:00 or 20:30; sources differ, so check before going. It is canteen style: you collect cutlery and side dishes yourself and staff bring the food. A parking lot is right next door, convenient for drivers. Expect to spend a little over NT$100 per person.

It suits anyone curious about northern Chinese noodles or looking for an affordable lunch after visiting Lotus Pond. First-timers should order braised beef noodles with belt noodles, plus green pepper intestines or a cold side dish; light eaters can share one bowl between two and add the pilaf to avoid leftovers.