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Apr
14thYellow River Convert: Shaanxi Noodles Done Right

I must admit i didn’t see what the fuss was all about on my first visit to Yellow River 黄河水陕西面馆(huang he) as my friends were all chanting their merit and praising their noodles. I found their offerings average at best! Fast forward a few months, I have changed my mind completely. It started a month ago as a “convenient place to grab a quick bite” during an intensive capoeira workshop in the vicinity. previous experiences made me think twice before agreeing and i strongly considered sneaking next door for a hotdog. Boy I’m glad I didn’t. The staff at the gongti location is super friendly no matter the time of day. They display an unusual amount of patience with those of the Genus-Expatus who are Mandarin-challenged as far as taking orders and even keeping the dialog simple enough to get things done. I’m sure being in constant contact with laowais has helped that attitude and I sincerely hope they keep it. The menu is simple enough, plastered in photos all over the wall that actually are quite representative of the dishes. What you see is what you get!!! There’s also a side board with a few chuanr options that should not be regarded as an afterthought. I’ve gone through a number of items there over the past week given that I average 2 or 3 stops/week and while just about everything was good and premium quality, some dishes just stand out: Youpo Chemian (油泼扯面): Sticky noodles topped with veggies dressed [...]