Lan zhou hand pulled noodles and banh mi
After years of playing pick-up basketball, you kind of settle into your role. Of course all of this is dependent upon the competition. If the competition is weak, you have to be aggressive and take charge. If the competition is strong, and you know you can only play a limited role, well then you accept your role and try to do it as best you can. For example, if you're not the best guy on your team, you should just strive to do a few things well. Maybe it's rebound the basketball or maybe it's to hit an open 3 pointer to stretch the defense. Whatever you do, you shouldn't try to do too much. Much of the same rules apply on the food scene. Here in New York City, the food scene is the big leagues. This ain't no NBDL. This is the NBA, son. And only the best should apply. What's strange is that even here you see restaurants that try to do too much. They try to do things that's not in their repertoire. You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's that Middle Eastern place around the block that all of a sudden started doing sushi. Or that Hawaiian place on the corner that wants to do Thai food as well. And all those Chinese take-out places that serve french fries that need a little Cialis (seriously, have you ordered fries from a Chinese joint? goodness gracious, don't eat that shit. Go to McDonald's). This past weekend I saw one of my favorite hand-pulled noodle places at their (newish) second location. But here's the problem, they added banh mi's to their menu. I knew something was wrong when they put tomatoes in my sandwich...
One of the partners at Lan zhou hand pulled noodles is from Super Taste, so they definitely know how to do a good bowl of noodles. But they really don't know what's up with banh mi's. They actually put tomatoes in the one that I got... Yea, you're thinking who the hell puts tomatoes in a banh mi? I don't know. It don't belong, that's for sure. It's a shame because Super Taste does some things so well. They got some of the tastiest dumplings in Chinatown, and some of the best hand-pulled noodles with beef in spicy broth in all of the city. And then they try to do this? It's like turning on the tv and watching four white guys in a dunk contest or something. WHY?!?! Just.. shoot threes! In other words, stick with what you're good at. This is the big leagues, don't waste your time fucking around with that stuff you're not good at.
Just do your thing and do it right. I mean, I ordered the pork chop banh mi just to check it out but it was... sad. Who puts tomatoes in there?! The bread was just this soft roll that you get from a grocery store... no crunch on the crust at all. You figured also that if they were going to do a pork chop banh mi, they might try to do Vietnamese style pork chops. Nope. Or maybe get pork chops that were easy to chew. Nope. The sandwich was a fail.
I knew they were better than this. There's no way that a place that's called Lan Zhou Hand Pulled Noodles would screw up the noodles. I went back the next day to see what was up. Turns out it was a good move. Since this restaurant shares an owner with Super Taste, it's no surprise that their noodles taste almost exactly like Super Taste. There's even the plastic bowls, just like at Super Taste. The dumplings that came were super delicious as well. See, when you ask a three point shooter to do a 360 dunk, you get... crap. But ask the same shooter to drain open threes? Well then it's a thing of beauty.
Lan Zhou Hand Pulled Noodle
21 Division St.
New York, NY 10013
212-219-0889
Hey, where's this location? I went to Lan Zhou (the original- I think? on E Bway) a week or two ago and it was delicious goodness. Def not this location though because it barely had a sign and was tiny, and the menu was like, not that extensive. Actually, I pre-posted on it at 3buckbites.com - http://3buckbites.com/price/cheap/fried-dumpling-at-lan-zhou-hand-pulled-noodles-in-new-york-ny/ - will be posting about the noodles in a week or two.
Yvo
June 22, 2009 4:01 pm
Argh, that's torture... Time for me to go to Chinatown Paris and see what kind of stuff they have :p These dumplings look so good..
Deli
June 22, 2009 6:10 pm
This is the one on Division Street right?
Gordon
June 23, 2009 12:31 am
@Yvo,
It's on Division Street. Thanks for reminding me to post the address! So you're on 3 bucks bite now too huh?
@Deli,
Chinatown in Paris?! I gotta check this out...
@Gordon,
Yup, have you been there?
Danny
June 23, 2009 9:33 am
Does the bread on those sandwiches cut your mouth?
Jack
June 23, 2009 12:47 pm
Nah I haven't yet. I walked by it when it first opened but I was wondering if it was any good.
Gordon
June 23, 2009 1:01 pm
Know any similarly good hand pulled noodle places in Sunset Park, BK?
hungry
June 23, 2009 1:06 pm
Where should one go to get a *good* banh mi in the city? I've yet to have one.
Rochelle
June 23, 2009 8:47 pm
@Jack,
Nope. This bread was sooooooooft.
@Gordon,
If you stick with the noodles and dumplings you should be fine. They also have stuff on rice, which isn't really available at other noodle places.
@Hungry,
oooh, now that's a good question. I don't have an answer right now though...
@Rochelle,
There's a place called Banh Mi Saigon on Mott street. It's 138 Mott St, right below Grand st. It's inside of the jewlry store and it's $3.75 if I remember correctly. It's good!
Danny
June 24, 2009 10:01 am
Hmm...sound advice, but your first clue should have been trying to order vietnamese food at a chinese restaurant. It's like going to an italian place and expecting the tacos to be good.
All the same, asian places have been forced into a fusion menu because of competition not because of expertise or culinary vision.
Caveat emptor
Ming
June 26, 2009 9:07 am
Awesome. :o) Can't wait to go!
Rochelle
June 26, 2009 7:46 pm
just chiming in to say that i love all the nba comparisons.
Alicia
June 27, 2009 1:34 pm
So I had the banh mi at Saigon -
ahhhh .. so .. good .. I owe you one.
Rochelle
June 29, 2009 10:38 am
I saw your pic on photograzing and I recognized where it was from. haha. I didn't know they have a new place now...good to know, and good to know not to get a Banh Mi...
Jessica Lee Binder
September 25, 2009 10:07 am