Whenever I crave a bowl of noodles, I always head to Chinatown or Flushing. In these predominantly Chinese neighborhoods, you can find lots of restaurants that sell authentic hand-pulled noodles, known as lāmiàn.
The name of the dish is derived from the manner in which the noodles are made. Lā means to pull or to stretch and miàn means noodle. This distinctive technique originated in China, and involves repeatedly stretching and folding a lump of dough until thin, long strands of noodles are produced.
In some restaurants, the chefs will stretch the noodles right in front of the customers before throwing them into a boiling pot of water to cook. It’s quite entertaining to watch. The video below was filmed in Xi'an Famous Foods, which is known for its Northern Chinese dishes.
