Xi’an Famous Foods: It’s the Flavor that Matters
I don’t know about you, but I’d travel to the far ends of the earth for great foods. Like India for its curries, Morocco for its tagines, Spain for its tapas, Japan for its raw, well, everything, etc… Fortunately in NYC you only have to take a train to the right neighborhood to feel like you’re in a completely different country and taste the flavors of a totally different culture. And I’m not talking about an Americanized version of the real thing, I’m talking about an explosion of sensations upon your unaccustomed palate, something that’d be hard to experience outside the country of origin.
Xi’an Famous Foods used to be a place that I’d have to travel to the far ends of Queens to taste, and before Xi’an: China. But now, thanks to this clusterfuck clash of people, this weird social experiment that we’re all apart of, I can conveniently get Xi’an’s wonderful cold skin noodles ($4.00-$6.00), hand pulled noodles ($5.50-$7.00), or the Anthony Bourdain approved lamb burger ($2.50-$3.00) on St. Marks Pl. Thank God for this city!
This is not the kind of place you go for the atmosphere. In fact, it is bare of anything cute and quaint. High wattage bulbs light the room, the walls are stark white and the counter is stainless steal: it has the overall feeling of a hospital. But when you go to Xi’an Famous Foods you’re not going for ambience, you’re going for authentic Middle Eastern and Chinese flavor. And that’s something they have plenty of.
Xi’an Famous Foods
81 St. Marks Pl.
New York, NY 10003
Between 1st Ave. and 2nd Ave. [East Village]
Image from Mighty Sweet
