Hand-pulled noodles, freshly-made broth, and an open kitchen? Welcome to Noodle Bar, part of 1949 The Hidden City. Enter the tiny room and pick one of only 12 stools around the bar; with so few seats, everyone gets front-row tickets to the noodle-pulling spectacle.
Noodle Bar only offers one thing: (you guessed it!) noodles. But within that, there are plenty of choices: thick noodles, thin noodles, beef brisket, beef tendon, beef tripe, mushrooms…etc. You get the idea. And it’s all laid out on single-page menus attached to cute miniature clipboards, for your extreme convenience. Just tick the options you want and no need to fret if you’re coming here on your own—the menu is bilingual.
Their signature bowls cost 38 RMB and include:
- A monthly special featuring chicken, beef, lamb or pork
- Mushrooms and/or other vegetarian options
- Beef brisket, beef tripe, or beef tendons (the one pictured below has all three and this is our favorite! Who knew that tendons could be so tender and yummy!?!)
If you want to throw in a couple of sides, we’d also recommend the tea eggs (a Chinese staple, eaten at breakfast, lunch, AND dinner) and hot fried tofu.
Once you’ve ordered, you get to see your meal being made from start to finish. Each bowl of noodles is prepared to order with the raw wheat dough pulled, twisted, and stretched into the long, signature noodles before disappearing into the boiling broth.
Open from 11am to 10pm daily, Noodle Bar is located in 1949 The Hidden City, a series of single-story buildings built in the traditional Beijing hutong architecture—tiled roofs and all–, that surround a picturesque outdoor courtyard. The entrance is guarded over by immense stone warriors and a narrow brick walkway whisks you through the art gallery and then out into the courtyard past avant-garde statues and other installations. If you tell the wait staff you’re looking for Noodle Bar, they’ll indicate an unmarked door at the end of the courtyard.
Noodle Bar does not accept reservations but the turnover is quite snappy so even if there is a bit of a wait it shouldn’t take long to be seated at the horseshoe shaped bar, perfect for watching the noodle slappin’ show! Oddly there is no music and no dessert but you won’t miss them and they offer up 2 kinds of local beer directly at the bar.
If you go in spring or summer time plan to arrive early or stay later and enjoy the garden bar in the courtyard to avail yourself of the full cocktail selection. Plan to be there around dusk, it is the best time to watch the blue night fall onto the sculptures and installations.
Find them here:
gong ti bei lu, chao yang district, Beijing (behind pacific century place) 100027
北京朝阳区工体北路, 太平洋百货南门对面, 邮编 100027
Telephone: 86 10 6501 1949
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