The Secrets Behind New York's Most Famous Spicy Noodle Dish - Prime Time

[@EchoSixMike]

I like how the young man simply says, "It has to taste good" when confronted with the usual accusations of authenticity, etc.

[@fitrianhidayat]

He's the owner of the restaurant, his employees are the ones cooking, so..

[@christinaroseth5485]

I'm sure that means he makes the food decisions as well

[@XenonKirito]

When you are the owner and somewhat the head chef... Recipes can always change over time.

[@ExarchGaming]

Which is an admirable position to take, where he isn't concerned with authenticity being from China. Italian Chefs will take your head off if you deviate one single detail and use a similar name. (I saw a guy make a parmigiano reggiano STYLE cheese, he had it in the title exactly like that, and some dude from italy gave him hell over even calling it parmigiano reggiano style cheese, because it only comes from a specific region in italy, and you can make whatever you want, but don't say it's anything like what we make here ect"

[@eliadbu]

@@ExarchGaming for European there are some products that are like trademarks, if this guy would tried to sell in Europe under that name (even if Style was added) he would get sued. for them you can't have in the name their trademark unless it meets the criteria for that trademark. they take those products very seriously because it is part of their culture and heritage and reputation (if that cheese was not like in the original it gives them bad publicity). let say this behavior does not develop in vacuum, copycats and knockoff required those sort of measures.

[@tosht2515]

Dude gave $60,000 to the Suicide Hotline after Bourdain's death. Very nice gesture. 👍

[@jojojaykay]

Tosh T I believe it was actually $73.5 thousand

[@Hyper88]

Tosh T His show allowed Xi'an to flourish

[@tosht2515]

+jojojaykay Very cool. I read about it the day after Bourdain died. He pledged one day of profit and estimated approx 60K.

[@imhellag]

Man, glad he did it too. Bourdain blew up his business and changed he and his family's life.

[@itsthatbeeguy]

Man that's great.

[@Koalavo]

i love the hosts on this show.. they don't get in the way and ask only important questions

[@kanalithviper4744]

Ahhhh I remember when this was a small stall in New York China town. Me and my dad used to go there, sit down and share a bowl since I was 7 at the time. Good memories. Then the father passed it down to the son and he expanded it so much and I love seeing how the franchise grew up as I did. It holds a special place in my heart.

[@Shornetastic]

What a cool humble dude. Love Prime Time! Please make more weird sausages!

[@adriftdog]

@@hornetgamingtv insult or compliment?

[@yulinyang4600]

I love this man's attitude about "authentic" food. Everyone has their own definition of "what is an authentic xxxxx". And especially in China, to be able to make authentic local food is a basic requirement yet the hardest part for a chief (known as "众口难调"). Sometimes it makes me think that being "authentic" is too over weighted in our food culture that it stops the revolution of the food. But anyway, all of it is just about to make people happy, some of us just like a great tasting experience, and others are having a special memory of certain foods. It is not about right or wrong, and I'm happy to experience all the varieties and then find "authentic" one for myself.

[@mosnaidei]

These guys did a sick tribute to Bourdain a few days ago since they owed a lot of success to them, was really cool

[@jiv32]

link pls?

[@mosnaidei]

Google xian famous foods, it's on their insta

[@toejamr1]

rizzo69ca nah, you’re just old. “Sick” is the new way people complement things to a high degree. Language evolves. It’s just how it is.

[@staytight6340]

Whos bordain? Is it the guy who hung himself on a doorknob?😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ousarlxsfjsbvbg8588]

Stay Tight e how is that even possible? Is bordain in this video?

[@mayorlagerbeer]

I love these 2 guys, one is super serious and is super interested in what you have to say and the other is just there and happy to participate and it really balance them out nicely.

[@AsHlEy20271]

I've been to Xi'An for a school expedition before and I have to say, those noodles are soooo good that I've been making them at home to get a taste of what I had there. A fun fact bout the noodles is that the slapping action in the making makes the sound "biang", so the noodles were named after that, called "biang biang noodles". It's also the most difficult Chinese character to write, with 56 strokes, which became the challenge between my friends to write the word and actually remember how to write it :p

[@yuchen5957]

Yes, the word "biang" is here zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi%C3%A1ngbi%C3%A1ng%E9%9D%A2#/media/File:Bi%C3%A1ng_(xingkai).svg

[@karennvuong]

HI Ashley! Can you PLEASE tell me your recipe to create the dough to make the noodles? I would love to try and make this at home.

[@AnhTrieu90]

@@karennvuong kzbin.info/www/bejne/epTZXoB6a8RneqM

[@andrestapia7329]

Im making tryin this recipe

[@freddywong7139]

good to hear that, your knowledge about Xi'an 's noodle is even more that a part of Chinese people :P

[@TheRuby101]

I actually tried this place in Manhattan on my last visit to NYC because of this video. I tried this noodle dish and it was amazing. That said, my favourite was the cold noodle vegan dish. It was superb. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant. The location I went to was quite small and cramped. Go earlier to get a bit more space or you'll be waiting for seats. Also, don't wear white. It was a bit messy, but that's probably because I'm a clutz. Delicious.

[@Stonehedged]

I can confirm that these noodles are incredibly delicious but BRUTALLY spicy. The hard part is being in pain and refusing to stop eating because it's so good. Bit of culinary masochism involved

[@savagekruger77]

I can confirm, bruh I literally enjoyed it so much I pleasured myself by basically lighting a cigarette while eating it

[@TenderheartPC]

Culinary masochism is my favorite kind of masochism

[@CookingWithCrocker]

Culinary masochism!! I love that! Best comment ever!

[@saudh8446]

Had this in 2015 and I still have dreams about this dish- it’s that good

[@YummYakitori]

I’m Chinese and I haven’t tried Xi’an food before. The food in every part of China is very different. Where my ancestors came from it is more of a coastal region in the south therefore the main staple is rice and the food tends to be lighter tasting and there is more seafood. Xi’an is pretty much inland and in the north therefore the main staple is maize & wheat, the food is hearty & spicy and more red meat (lamb, beef etc.) is used instead.

[@WesNYC10001]

Correct

[@fajarsetiawan8665]

Szechuan and Guangdong?

[@jW-kr5xn]

The more north you go, the spicier the food gets

[@Vision33r]

@@jW-kr5xn Not true, Sichuan is not exactly the North and it is the capital of spicy Chinese food. Viet and Thai are in the south the food also gets spicy. Food in Beijing is not known to be spicy.

[@GGWP-gm5cq]

Vision33r the exact should be “the more northern u get, the heavier the taste profile becomes”. It doesn’t have to spicy, it could be salt. Southern region usually have a lighter, more elegant taste that u can find on other cuisine like Japanese and French. They developed a focus a balancing savory, spice and sweet, and put heavy emphasis on the form of presentation. They are elegant, precisely well balanced,and look beautiful. The northern region have a more emphasis on “feast”, where foods presentation no longer has a artistic fine dining pursuits, but more focus on sharing and having a good time with friends. Northern region, north east in particular, have less natural resources for agriculture than the abundant south, therefore foods are pickled and preserved and people develop a saltier taste. Stuffs from casual barbecue kebab to high end Peking duck have more spirit similar to American and Korean foods, they taste good and they are plenty.

[@PrairieDoggin2024]

I love how these dudes don’t interrupt the speaker

[@kongmw]

I remember these guys back in that underground location in flushing. damn i'm old af

[@ChurroWaffles]

kongmw i think they’re still there. Its Mike Chen’s fave spot.

[@Alice429800]

There's the spot near Golden Mall that using to be Biang! That location is nice right now because air conditioning! lol

[@GDIGhostStalker]

Fred Fonacier III their original stall in the Golden Mall basement is closed because they could only serve so much in such a small spot. Their main Flushing location is now where Biang used to be.

[@thesheepthemightythecrazy]

they are still there :P they just opened a bunch of other locations since then.

[@GDIGhostStalker]

craziii3 they weren't as of 2 months ago when I went to eat at Tianjin Dumpling House the next stall over in the Golden Mall basement, their original location has been closed for a while.

[@joeykarate3148]

Xian noodles are beautiful

[@damianrhea8875]

Now a fast popularized KZbin channel based in Toronto, Canada specialised in wheat-based Silk Road Chinese cuisine is by a Chinese Canadian woman who came originally from Xi'an. The channel is in Mandarin Chinese and even Chinese from other parts of the world find her food and teaching fascinating and excellent.

[@joeykarate3148]

Damian Rhea what channel is this? Yours?

[@joeykarate3148]

Damian Rhea what scene is this is

[@lewigao]

Xi'an***

[@peanutbutter625]

Joey Karate if you can go here or other xian restaurants, try lamb paomo. I tried it in xian and its so good, but also very oily.

[@MakeSushi1]

*All of it looks tasty as hell!*

[@hanj31]

you can say that again.

[@yyysboy1]

im from where this noodle dish is famous in china, honestly, the noodle dish is a fusion in terms of the meat topping that goes in it (in other words, not exactly the same as the ones sold back home in china) but it still looks good with some pieces of meat like that tho. cucumber side dish is pretty close to authentic ones judging by the look of it. by the way, im making this noodle tonite, cant wait to eat it! so hungry!!

[@qyzong2463]

yyysboy1 v

[@newinspiration2108]

man, Xi'an just exposes some positive vibes and enthusiasm that draw us into his world!! cool and humble young businessman, too!

[@chefhudsonbernard]

I love this guy! He understands the past and questions it just so he can make something delicious AF! I can't wait to eat here.

[@gjgjgjaify]

I used to go to their restaurant(s) in New York as a child all the time and my dad would speak with his dad in Xi An dialect. Very interesting!! Their food was so good

[@nokoolaid]

Trevor James of Food Ranger is covering food from this area now.

[@dee_lulu]

Mostly, yeah. It's fascinating. I basically started watching him because Muslim Chinese food is rarely showcased and the way he connected to the people there is amazing, given that he knows how to speak their language.

[@andrewzone7601]

Tai Haole！！！

[@khosbayaryagaan7185]

At first I liked him, but constant uuuh-aaaahing every bite made me so annoyed so I stopped watching him, same with Mark Wein who might roll his eyes stupidly even he tastes piss.

[@antonio9288098]

Trevor is mad annoying

[@amyrivers9792]

Wow you both were really great at pulling noodles.

[@PaulYooTaeSung]

this guy is so chill

[@madcityy269]

Their food is freaking amazing. Can't wait to go back to New York and eat it again.

[@Ragnarok043]

wish they could bring Xi'an Famous Foods to the West Coast, so delicious

[@evenanangel5]

they need to sprinkle some locations in the midwest on their way

[@lesfa3313]

They’re a few on the west coast a few in southerner California.

[@joeykarate3148]

Lucky I spend time in Portland part of the year because we got people who do this. Sucks though no lamb, just beef.

[@Yves_Ka]

Wish he would bring it to Europe too

[@lukedavis6711]

There is one in Seattle

[@orangerightgold7512]

goddamn i know this guy. he used to help his dad run a little hole in the wall noodle shop in main street down in a basement kind of thing. I gotta go back to NY and check out his place, i miss his food.

[@imxd9698]

Xi'an is one of best restaurants in all of NYC.

[@worshipthecomedygodseoeunk4010]

love this guy's attitude about authenticity. people often criticize immigrant food as being not as authentic than on the homeland but really, no one has the same definition of authenticity, and honesty matters more. take experiences as they are, dont prejudge them just because its different than "what its supposed to be". everyone has different tastes

[@GDIGhostStalker]

Loved going to Xi'an Famous Foods a lot a couple years ago, especially their original location in the Golden Mall basement in Flushing and their place in Manhattan Chinatown, but now that they've pretty much increased their prices by 50% over the last year or so, I've stopped going so often. They're still really good even when I do go, even if I can't handle spicy food to save my life and only eat the least spicy noodle option.

[@inframinced6698]

Are you me? Same story, except I love spicy food. I mourn X'ian's.

[@Alice429800]

Yeah they've upped their prices but I think they're still quite affordable. Everybody needs to stay in business. I'm also pretty sure they upped the prices because minimum wage has gone up as well.

[@GDIGhostStalker]

Alice I'm aware. Everybody's gotta make a living and all that, and minimum wage did go up after all. I still go from time to time if I'm in an area that has one and I'm feeling like their kind of noodles, but like the portions are kinda small compared to what I can get for a comparable price when I'm in Chinatown. But for the midtown area, the price isn't too bad.

[@inframinced6698]

I can no longer personally afford to eat there, unfortunately. It's no longer affordable for everyone.

[@Alice429800]

Which location do you go to? All the prices vary by location and the ones in Queens are still quite affordable imo. $7/$8 dollars for a bowl of noodles is still decent. It's about the same as Lan Zhou Hand Pulled Noodles in Chinatown.

[@jsalama98]

Subscribed just for this show!

[@JustinZamora]

I can't wait to go here because of this video.

[@adriang3492]

I was lucky enough to try Xi'an cuisine in London this year and it's now probably my favourite Chinese food with Sichuan cuisine right behind at place number 2, pulled noodles are absolutely beautiful. I can only imagine how those lamb noodles taste like... dayum...

[@laurapasaribu]

The only secret that special food have is, when the owner or the chef said.. "Nothing special about it.." Magic happens there..

[@fitrianhidayat]

@array s or msg

[@ichlasulamal218]

@@fitrianhidayat definitely MSG

[@emilioombiga2599]

soo yummmy soo delicous

[@kijnek]

The lamb noodles is a dish that you will enjoy and then miss when you can’t get it. It’s so good.

[@thangpham9940]

Love how respectful the host is to the culture

[@rickylovesyou9063]

This guy share the same philosophy and spirit as Bruce Lee. The way he talks and his views come across like some spiritual successor in chef form. 😂

[@bryanr2885]

Ate here by pure chance last time in NYC and it was incredible. Can’t wait to go back!

[@TheATHLETE420]

So glad we have a restaurant in Las Vegas that specializes in the same type of food.

[@Exidose]

Going to NY in November from the UK, definitely going to be hitting this place up.

[@Anton0915]

It's freaking good.

[@donbrassco301]

Other Hidden Gems Too😤# Mate😉

[@dru1894]

Sometimes when you go to a restaurant you see online, it’s mega disappointing. It’s happened to me at least twice now.

[@felixliang7558]

Owner seems like a cool dude. Great that he made it.

[@peapoo4]

Jaaon made a great introduction and explained well about Xi'an food. Just by the look of it, I can tell it's far better than any of the so called "Xi'an" food I've tried in Bay area.

[@W3throwbacks]

His English is so natural, also explains Chinese culture well, love that

[@TsetsiStoyanova]

why am I watching this at 4am?

[@UnsolvedParadox]

Hah, same!

[@1982blvd]

Kitchen is so clean!

[@angelgirl9309]

I don't eat "authentic", I eat food which is delicious and made by people who know what can make you happy and full in a good way. This man clearly knows what he's doing. Great job

[@scottyta1062]

You guys are gonna get so popular keep it going, I hope you get a few million subs by next year

[@stephanieswang]

its so cool coming to this restaurant and seeing people of all cultures enjoying this food! something you wont see in many other places haha.

[@gabehartman6832]

Why did it take me 5 years to find this Channel? I LOVE IT!!!!

[@jonahgoldstein5811]

Bring these noodles to San Francisco!

[@REVALG]

Looks perfect to end a night of drinks.

[@quantumaquatic1767]

Were I live theres a small resturant in a narrow building that serves up these same dishes but the chunks of lamb they put in the soup with wide noodles and bockhoy are super marinades in cumin and other spices to the point it turns a reddish hue and it taste so damn good.

[@KayleeGridleyLimitless]

Those noodles look AWESOME. I live in NYC and im TOTALLY going there next!

[@tedatlas]

I like what the chef said about authenticity. Some people are way too concerned about getting what they consider to be the most authentic meal possible, not taking into consideration that sometimes a fusion or different interpretation of a dish can be better or just as good.

[@miltonfriedman3593]

One of the best noodles I ever had, when we lived on upper east side we used to go almost every weekend

[@TiffanyDing]

i don't even like lamb but their lamb dishes are insanely delicious, esp these noodles

[@sanfury]

then you like lamb....

[@basenvy]

OMG... at 12 AM... looks amazing - thanks for sharing this!

[@MsMrsoulman]

6:18 when the food is so good you starting to dance

[@Shichman]

Love their Liang Pi and Spinach Dumplings!

[@berylrosenberg704]

Besides the amazing noodles, food and lessons on Chinese food heritage, that Carolco logo tshirt is the bomb! I mean, I could be watching a Terminator movie and eating X'ian Famous simultaneously?!

[@clippedwings225]

Prime Time!!! Excited as hell for this one.

[@asianleo24]

Omg the chili oil look so delicious, I want the recipe

[@tubetop123]

Enjoyed this video very much what a wonderful Chinese owner and so fluent in English, I could listen to him all day long

[@charlolbj23]

after I saw this video, I've started getting food from there like twice a week for the past 3 months...

[@hayzilla1999]

This was a great episode.

[@UNVIRUSLETALE]

I would really try to make those noodles, sounds really fun the stretching part.

[@evenanangel5]

going to New York just to go to this restaurant is on my bucket list

[@ThatGuy-zu2hi]

Well spoken young man

[@chinashorts1491]

That menu on the wall, LEGIT! That's a place I want to eat at. Seeing this makes me want to go back to China and eat.

[@dmc6436]

Had spicy cumin lamb noodles at xi'an a couple of years ago while in NYC and still think about it every now and then.

[@Scarlet-Worm]

nice and very clean kitchen

[@sonatak304]

Asian cumin lamb is one of my fav dishes of all time. Need to try their version!

[@joshstein4708]

Used to eat at Xian's spot in the east village all the time when I was at NYU. Some of the best meals I've ever had on those little plates.

[@13939014402]

03:08 "the face of your ancestor". 老干妈还挺健康呢哈哈哈哈

[@marcuss3063]

my favourite chilli

[@jpd4real]

awesome dude!

[@ArunaKhudan]

noodles look soooo good :) when i am in new york will def try

[@rebel8814]

I love how my favorite food as a child at home is now "Iconic New York Noodle dish"

[@kanalithviper4744]

Ughhh I love Xian famous foods. I remember when it was a little dirty restaurant and then when his son took over. Still love ot

[@sidneyboo9704]

Nice to see a young face in these restaurants. I don't think i see many younger generation taking over the parent's restaurants anymore.

[@frankzhang9160]

As a lamb lover, I think people do not appreciate lamb enough, but these people just showed the potential of lamb

[@riva7061]

Jason is great at presenting, would watch a cooking show if he was presenting it

[@horohorosrin]

MAN, this looks delicious.

[@imtired6614]

4:27 I'M SO PROUD THAT HE'S USING A PAPER PLATE NOT A STYROFOAM ONE AKSJDAJDLAKN

[@C7y323]

Haha pretty sure it's cause they're cheaper than plastic ones. All the Chinese places I've been to use paper for some reason lol

[@1425363878]

Finally something from you guys I can actually Eat here in China without having to take out another mortgage.

[@luisrojas3173]

Tony Bourdain put me on to these noodles but it was the lamb burger that hooked me on to this spot.

[@simonrai4327]

great video guys

[@ptroinks]

I love that he's wearing a Carolco shirt :D. That logo will always remind me of Terminator 2!

[@Isaac.D.grizzly]

That looks seriously good

[@rowluxillusion5235]

It's such great dish, loooooooove it.

[@sazonguzman3741]

That is a beautiful.. Dish.. Next time i am in NY.. I now know where to go.. Thank you.

[@stephan1465]

Those noodles are called Biang biang mian (Google it) and are quite traditional. Biang stands for the slapping sound an Mian means noodle. They also have the most complex Chinese character.

[@jxf1sh3r84]

Exciting to see they breakdown the lamb themselves!

[@AL-mm4vq]

ate this in Jan. Sooooooo good. I miss it. Open in LA please

[@RareGem-82]

Looks so good

[@Marcel1979K]

This looks awesome.

[@vargohoat9950]

i love lamb and very rarely get to taste it due to the crazy price of it here, that looks like absolutely heaven especially with the extra fat of the whole lamb in it, that really is the most delicious and flavorful part

[@jamesrozine8102]

Luv u guys!! You really seem to enjoy life, good for you!!!! ROCK ON!!!!

[@kholsk8857]

There are some dishes that you just know that they taste GOOD! This is one of them

[@gumzy3000]

The owner seems like a great guy. I am glad people like him are being successful. While I never tried these noodles, I kinda wish it was halal in order for it to feel truly authentic.

[@NeuroHead]

Oh man that looks so freaking good!