Noodle News

5 Dallas restaurants twisting out artisan hand-pulled noodles

Noodle master Willy Lu.

Beijing Brothers

For many people, noodles serve as nothing more than the vessel for a sauce. But fortunately, Dallas has a few Asian restaurants doing noodles where they put as much attention into the noodle as what goes on top.

Hand-pulled noodles, also called "la mian" in Chinese, are noodles literally pulled by hand. Before machines were invented, hand-pulled noodles were the only kind. To make them, you start with dough — flour, water, and salt — then fold and spin until you get many thin strands. The more you pull and twist, the skinnier they get.

Experts who've done it over and over are able to get the perfect consistency and stretchiness. Atmosphere and humidity have an effect on the outcome. The longer you do it, the better you get, says Andrew Chen, founder and chief noodle-maker at Monkey King Noodle Co. in Deep Ellum.

"I always equate it to sushi chefs," Chen says. "It doesn't take too long to learn how to gut a fish, but there's a big difference in the guy who just started versus the sushi master with years under his belt who delivers a refined experience."

Chen sees hand-pulled noodles as part of the overall artisanal movement, in which diners are coming to appreciate exactly what goes into their food.

Many Asian restaurants make a variety of noodles, using techniques such as cutting and tearing, usually done behind the scenes. But a few put the noodle-making process on display, letting you watch as the noodles are twisted and spun.

You go for the show and stay for the noodles.

Chen is one of a small group of noodles masters in Dallas-Fort Worth. Another was the famed Zhang Xue Liang, aka Charlie Zhang, who was at Royal China for many years, then went to Imperial Noodle in Richardson, although he is no longer there; he has reportedly returned to China.

You can enjoy hand-pulled noodles — as well as the show of making them — at these restaurants:

Beijing Brothers
Chinese restaurant in Coppell is from Yang Sun and Willy Lu, one of Dallas' top noodle guys. They've been doing hand-pulled noodles since they opened in 2016, and are about to open a stand at the Legacy Hall food hall in Plano, where they'll feature items prepared using traditional Chinese methods and authentic ingredients, such as Peking duck, hand-pulled noodles and Yangzhou fried rice.

Dragon House
New restaurant opened in Southlake in April, where it's doing authentic mainland Chinese food in an upscale setting. The menu is expansive, with Szechuan, Shanghainese, Americanized Chinese, dim sum, and even a few Thai items, such as pad Thai. But they're really slaying diners with their hand-pulled noodles and dumplings.

Monkey King
Monkey King founder Andrew Chen helped nudge hand-pulled noodles into hipster terrain when he opened this restaurant in Deep Ellum, where it has served as an exemplar of this artisanal trend at its finest. They make their noodles by hand, which you can watch through an exhibition window while you wait for your order.

Royal China
Longtime Chinese restaurant was one of the first in town to do hand-pulled noodles, as a showcase for the skills of the famed Charlie Zhang. He has since left, but the restaurant still does noodles in-house, although for now they're doing mostly cut noodles.

Tei An
Tei An is Japanese, not Chinese, but you can't have a story about hand-made noodles in Dallas without them. Chef-owner Teiichi Sakurai elevated noodle-making into artisanal status with his soba noodles, which are hard to find in any restaurant across the U.S., never mind Dallas.

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Burger News

Northeast burger chain Slap Burger set to smash in Richardson

Slap Burger

Smash burger from Slap Burger, coming to DFW.

A buzzy burger concept from the Northeast is coming to Texas: Called Slap Burger, it's a small smash burger chain based in New Jersey, and it's opening its first Texas location in Richardson, at 888 S. Greenville Ave., in a center called the Arabian Village, taking over a space that was previously occupied by a CBD shop.

Slap Burger was founded in Paterson, New Jersey as a smash burger joint that adheres to the principles of halal, including using meat from halal purveyors and avoiding certain ingredients such as pork. (Their bacon and hot dogs are made from beef.) Halal has been increasing in popularity, due to both a growing Muslim population as well as a rising demand for "ethical" clean-label food.

Slap now has five locations in the Northeast — two in NJ and three in NY — as well as an expansion to Tampa, Florida.

They specialize in smash burgers, loaded hot chicken tenders, and cheese fries topped with slap sauce. They make a decadent banana pudding dessert, and they also keep late-night hours.

Their burgers are four ounces, featuring the lacy and crispy edges that are a signifier of a smash burger, topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and pickle on Martin's potato buns, which they toast on the outside, leaving the inside of the bun soft.

They do two other burger styles: the Slap’N Melt, which features cheese stuffed into a beef patty, then seared so the exterior is hard and the interior is melting cheese; and the Slap N Jack, a double patty burger with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pepperjack cheese.

Other menu options include hot dogs, as well as fried chicken in a number of ways: as a sandwich with pickles and cole slaw on a griddled bun; as tenders; in a loaded platter over choice of mac & cheese or fries; or chicken & waffles, with choice of an Oreo or Fruity Pebbles waffle.

Alcohol is not allowed at a halal restaurant, but Slaps has house-made lemonade in a variety of flavors such as dragonfruit, strawberry, orange Curacao, and mango.

Shepherding the concept to DFW is Adam Shawish, the enterprising owner of Arabian Village, who is transforming the center into an exciting foodie destination with businesses such as Arwa Coffee, recognized as the first Yemeni-style coffee shop in DFW.

Shawish was inspired after visiting Slap Burger while on a trip to the Northeast, seeking interesting concepts that might make a good fit at the center.

"One night, my wife and I had already had dinner, but I was determined to try it and they were open late," Shawish says. "I fell in love with it on the first bite. Texas has a lot of burgers, but I said, 'This is my type of hamburger.' It's very simple, not mixed with anything, the buns are not too soggy — just a pure burger experience, not like anything else in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Shawish says that construction is underway and they hope to get it open by Christmas.

"My office is right next door," he says. "Every time I get ready to go home for the day, I ask the kids what they want for dinner, and I can't wait for Slap Burger to open so that I won't have to ask."

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