Capitol Hill is home to some of the trendiest and most interesting restaurants in Seattle and in June 2020, the neighborhood welcomed ‘Biang Biang Noodles’, a delightful and spacious restaurant dishing up freshly made Xi’an style hand pulled noodles.
Meenakshi and I hit this place up last week, to satisfy some long overdue noodle cravings. Check out this short video of our experience at Biang Biang.
Our experience at Biang Biang
The first thing we noticed was the rustic yet trendy wooden industrial style decor. Perfectly complementing the vibe, was some soft traditional Chinese music playing in the background. We got a table by the aquarium, planted our jackets on the chairs and proceeded straight to the kitchen to watch the noodle making process. It was oddly satisfying to watch the freshly cut dough being pulled and shaped into long thick strips, ready to be cooked into delicious Biang Biang noodles.
What we ate
We got the Chicken Curry Noodles, Green Onion Pancakes, Sichuan Honey Wings and Milk Tea. The noodles were thick, smooth and just the right amount of chewy. The broth was potent and packed a kick! Alex, who manages the restaurant, informed us that the broth is actually a mix of 24 spices and condiments in varying proportions, that’s prepared in house in the Recipe Room upstairs, a well-guarded company secret, and for good reason. Both Meenakshi and I felt, however, that the winner was the delicious yellow chicken curry that was ladled over the noodles in generous proportions.
The pancakes were flaky and buttery, and came with a hot and sweet sauce. The Sichuan Honey Wings were crispy and juicy, and most definitely one of the better ones we have had in Capitol Hill so far.
What’s unique
The restaurant is an ode to Sia’s grandma, who taught her among many things, the art of making the perfect hand pulled Biang Biang noodle.
Fun Fact #1: The logo is inspired by the food loving Zhou Baije from the legendary Chinese novel, Journey to the West.
Fun Fact #2: The name “biang biang” is onomatopoeic: It refers to the particular noise when the noodles are pulled and slapped onto the table.
Alison Deng and Sia Zheng, co-owners of the restaurant, clearly take a lot of pride and joy in their work. We were told the couple flew to Xi’an in Central China to study with the masters of noodle making for several months.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience and will be back to try some of their other signature dishes like the Mala noodles and the fried baos.
P.S: The restaurant tends to get super busy in the evenings, so be sure to grab a table early.
How to reach Biang Biang?
The restaurant is conveniently located at the intersection of E Pike St and Belmont Ave on the South East corner. Here’s a list of the closest public transits and the best way to reach Biang Biang.
Closest bus stop: E Pine & Summit Ave or Seneca St & Boylston Ave
Streetcar: Broadway & E Pine St
4 Comments
Yummm! The food looks amazing!
Happy Wednesday!
Good it’s lunsh time here now
haha 😀
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