Xi'an Kitchen Awards

Xi'an Kitchen Restaurant Review:

Terra cotta warriors, which honor Qin Shi Huang's army, might be the most famous attraction in Xi'an, but the city's stupendous noodles are also historic. Thankfully, Angelenos don't have to travel to northwest China to experience equivalents. Xi'an Kitchen's owner and chef imported the food of their youth to a City of Industry strip mall. The space features wood tables, photos of dishes and decorative paper cutouts on the walls. Stainless steel bins hide behind glass by the register, and tout cold preparations of thin-shaved pig ears, vegetables and more. Hand-made noodles are the main draw, including thick, irregular sheets topped with preserved pork, minced garlic, dried chile flakes and crisp bok choy. Hand-pulled noodles, which are about triple spaghetti's thickness, get tossed with cumin, onions, green peppers, cabbage and beef. It's possible to upgrade to off-menu mutton if you invest an extra dollar. Another dish involves shredded hand-made "pita" --- seared dough cubes bobbing in a savory mutton broth, which Xi'an Kitchen chefs top with tender slabs of mutton, vermicelli and wood ear mushrooms. Stir-fried meat and vegetable dishes are also available, as are regional skewers, which they dub "sha-bu," but only venture down that path after exploring the restaurant's noodles.