Biang!
“This place is very similar to Xian Famous Food but ambiance is better and price is cheaper.”
“The lamb dumplings may have been more fresh than any dumplings I have previously had at Xi'an.”
“All the skewers are served in quantities of 3, prices are pretty fair it comes out to about $2 – $3 a stick.”
Biang!
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This place is a sit down version of Xian Famous Foods (owned by the same CEO). For the most part, their menu is the same, but Biang does offer dishes such as various skewers and the young chicken longevity noodles that are not offered at Xian Famous Foods locations. Biang is a non-tipping establishment and credit card minimum is $15. I ordered the young chicken longevity noodles (most expensive item on the menu $19), and my friend ordered the Mount Qi Pork hand pulled noodles. Food comes standard spicy (which is medium spicy, quite spicy for a person like me who doesn't like spicy food.), so do request mild spicy when you order if you could not stand spicy food.
I really want to like this place and give it more stars; however, my longevity noodles was salty and contained too much sauce (see picture), the noodles itself is chewy and has an udon-like texture which is good, but the whole dish is just too salty. My order came with 5 pieces of young chicken (diced with bones), but 4 out of 5 pieces of my chicken were bones and tendon. It would justify the $19 price more if they actually would give you more meat than just bones and tendon.
My friend had the Mt. Qi pork hand pulled noodles and he said he thinks the Xian Famous Foods locations' version tastes better.
For non-alcohol beverage, I recommend their huckleberry tea (tea with sweet and sour plum juice).
Overall, I would not recommend Biang. If you wanted Xian Foods, just go to the fast food version Xian Famous Foods location. One thing though, Biang's servers are nice and carry a smile with them all the time and our server even explained to us the origin of longevity noodles while she's chopping up the noodles for us with scissors.
still boasts the same excellence in hand-pulled noodles and skewers. Admittedly, I did look up recommendations off Yelp. And so, this is what we ordered that night:
-lamb skewers
-spicy soft tofu
-fried tofu skin skewers
-spicy and sour lamb dumplings
-spicy beef Biang! noodles
Lamb Skewers: two long skewers of Xi'an mildly spicy marinated lamb chunks
PROS
-definitely plenty to share among two people or three to four if you are planning on ordering more dumplings and skewers to share
-fantastic flavor: it isn't overly salty but just enough to balance out the gamey flavor of the meat.
-not overcooked: meat was not dry or tough, very juicy
CONS
-none
——-
Spicy soft Tofu: similar to the sweet tofu that they served with a sweet ginger syrup in dim sum. However, this is served with pickles and spicy chili oil and a salt-based sauce.
PROS
-tofu is super soft and silky, less of a bean-like flavor that most people can't stand
-comes out piping hot so don't burn yourself
-it's not as spicy as some people would think
-not super salty although you would think so given the amount of sauce on there
CONS
-a bit bland truthfully but still tasty.
——–
Fried Tofu Skin skewers: there are many types of tofu skins. While my favorite is the super thin kind that's almost as thin as paper, that wouldn't work for grilling. This is a thicker version that I believe they baste with spicy sauce.
PROS
-has the Szechuan spicy peppers that numbs your mouth! super cool
-Good amount for tofu skewers
CONS
-not the most outstanding thing that I've eaten
-not worth the price for skewers when there are other yummy and more filling things to try on the menu.
——–
Spicy-Sour Lamb Dumplings: I believe that in addition to their noodles, this restaurant also makes their own handmade dumpling wrappers. I've seen this before with one other friend who had to learn how to make dumpling wrappers by hand when he was young because his parents owned a Chinese restaurant. It's definitely one of those skills I want to learn so that I can teach my own kids or my friends' kids.
PROS
-ridiculously filling: the great part about handmade dumpling wrappers is that they are a little -chewier and thicker than store-bought dumplings
-great marinade in the filling: there isn't that gamey flavor that lamb has normally.
CONS
-none
——-
Handpulled Beef Noodles
PROS
-fantastic noodles: irregularly shaped, but so chewy yet soft and filling
-meat was super tender, it fell apart in your mouth
-soup was hot and warm and nice and spicy and sour and salty all at the same time
-ridiculously filling: my mum and I shared all the dishes and we were so stuffed, I definitely recommend coming with more than two or three people so that everyone can taste different dishes.
CONS
-none
….
I can't wait to come back and get more dumplings. Those were by far my favorite despite being a noodle girl at heart. There's nothing more than a good dumpling to fill you up. I'm looking forward to trying more things on their menu. I definitely like the whole "non-tipping" policy. The staff was superb and they weren't lazy which is what some would expect if they are getting paid a "salary" or at least something higher than minimum wage. However, it's just a nice little end to the meal and know that you just have to sign the check!
Yes it's pretty much "Xian Famous Foods for when you tryna impress somebody," but there's a few differences that I looked out for when I tried Biang for the first time.
– Skewers are decent here. My friend and I got 4 of the lamb and beef cumin skewers, and both were cooked well and definitely seasoned like they meant it. Buuut, paying well over $2 a pop took away from the experience, especially with memories of China (hell, even at some carts in Flushing) floating in my mind.
– XFF dishes here are more or less the same but more pricey as well. We got the standard cumin lamb noodles, but they were served in a small bowl that at least made it seem like we were getting less than the usual plate at XFF. I'm totally down with having ordinary tip costs spread out in menu pricing, but I feel like the dishes should still be equal in size compared to XFF.
– They don't let you split cards here. Shrug.
– Service was slow, especially toward the end of our meal. It took a very long time to get our check processed, and they actually came to bring us more water before taking the card back. Idk.
Look, it's nice to have a sit down location for this food. I think it deserves a spot like Biang, and it was great bringing my friend to experience it like this instead of bending over a bench at a XFF, but for a XFF fanboy like me, it's not necessary to come back to Biang when I can get what I want for cheaper at other locations.
This is my third review of Biang! at this location.
Biang is back, and better then ever. They had some (significant) hiccups getting adjusted to the east village location from Flushing, but now the quality is fantastic, the drink selection (some wu liang ye with your shao kao? hell yea) is fantastic especially with the delicious baijiu selection. As long as you don't go crazy ordering here (which, I must admit, I do sometimes)
I find it really weird that essentially they offer most of the same dishes at X'ian Famous Foods at cheaper prices with better atmosphere and waiter service?!
I didn't expect the menu to be so similar to X'ian. There are maybe a few dishes and skewers that aren't available at X'ian. With one of them being the chicken longevity noodles. I would probably say those noodles were the best thing I had during my recent stay in New York. Udon like noodles stirred fried in a savory and spicy sauce with chicken, roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and onions. It's also the most expensive thing on the menu at $19 but the dish is shareable and worth the money!
We sat the bar and had great service with regular check ups and waters refills. No need to tip since they're following the no tipping policy.
Basically the same as X'ian but in an actual restaurant setting. The ambience here is nice, and food taste as good as x'ian. There are a few more options here as well.
I typically order the liang pi (cold noodles) and it's delicious! For those who can't handle spice, I would recommend that you tell the waiter first since the dishes are rather spicy. The skewers were tasty as well.
Living in NYC feels kind of like living in a bookstore. You're constantly overwhelmed with all the options to eat/read and while you end up picking out some good options that are notable and well regarding, you don't always get to the classics that everyone else has read/eaten at. That said, I've never been to X'ian. And I really do make an effort to not go to the same places twice, but I still haven't made it there. Thus, my experience at Biang was outside of the context of ever having been to X'ian.
That said, I was pretty into this place. I can't remember the last time, if ever, I've had chinese noodles. I came here Monday night during that horrendous rain storm, so a bowl of spicy, comforting noodles was very welcome. This place is a good space. Tables are nicely spaced out. Staff very friendly and helpful. Pretty friendly on the wallet too. While I don't consider myself to be a wuss when it comes to spice, the squid skewers I had definitely had my gulping down water like it was my job. I had the pork noodles with soup and they were soft, flavorful and plentiful. Pork was cooked perfectly as well. Definitely a good choice for a frosty winter evening.
When it comes to Biang!, think Xi'an (as it is run by the same people!), but trade sit-down service in a chic dining area for Xi'an's well-known fast-casual service, plus a menu expanded with more appetizers, namely a large array of skewered meats.
I definitely dug Biang! Their menu is pretty expansive, with a large list of hand-pulled noodles to choose from. With my usual two dining cohorts, we opted for fried pork dumplings and cucumber salad to start; bless them, they made those apps completely non-spicy for a big ol' baby like me. Ha! Spicy sauce was served on the side, much to my friends' pleasure. Both dishes were scrumptious. The sauce that the cucumber salad was served in was borderline addicting; we were all trying to pick out the flavor notes and thinking of how we could make it at home. Haha. Stewed Pork Biang Biang Noodles were my entree; they were similar to their sister dish at Xi'an, the N4. They were just as delicious, though I certainly would have loved a little bit more cilantro. I love when they are liberal with it.
The price points at Biang are seemingly a bit higher than Xi'an, but it should be taken into consideration that one, this is a sit-down joint with a more expansive menu and waiter service, and two, tips are included in the price. So $11 for a bowl of noodles is actually pretty decent. Hell, it's still cheaper than most ramen places! Ha!
Sometimes, it's nice to just grab and run with some hand-pulled noodles. Other times, it's nice to sit and enjoy them at leisure. Thank goodness you can sit and enjoy them at Biang with no rush.