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The Noodle Bar
Xiao Lu Mian
The Noodle Bar
朝阳区工体北路4号院
Courtyard 4, Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-6501 8881 (Duck de Chine number - for information only, no reservations)
Hours: 11am – 9pm
Directions: The 1949 Hidden City complex sits directly behind (south of) the Pacific Century Place Mall (太平洋百货 – tai ping yang bai huo), between the East Third Ring Road and Sanlitun Bar Street, on the south side of Gongti Beilu. Walk around or through the mall and you will find the entrance to 1949 just opposite the back doors of the mall. Enter the courtyard complex through the ornamental black sliding gate and through the art gallery. Turn left out of the gallery space and keep following the walkway around past Duck de Chine for the Noodle Bar.
 What we think
Yes, it’s more expensive than your normal 6 or 8 kuai bowl of noodles in the alley, but take it as a guilty pleasure that’s worth every penny, like having steamed soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung. Here’s what you pay for: your noodles are not served in a plastic bag lined bowl so your vendor doesn’t have to do dishes; you don’t have to fish your utensils out from a murky wet tray, wondering if you needed that hep shot; there is no danger of someone walking by and sending some spittle loudly and perilously close to your shoe; and most importantly – the beef broth is bold and rich, reflecting undiluted slow stewed goodness, and is the perfect vehicle for the thick chewy hand pulled noodles made before your eyes. It also doesn’t hurt that the Noodle Bar is designed with an eye toward a small cozy sushi bar. In good weather, they set up tables in the courtyard for larger parties.
The menu is simple. All they serve is noodle soup (36RMB), and you can choose the brisket, tendon or tripe beef topping, all of which are accompanied by a healthy chunk of savory stewed daikon, or white radish. Or get the house special which includes all three beef parts. There is also a vegetable noodle soup option. A small collection of small cold plates rounds out the menu (6-22 RMB).
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Xiao Lu Mian – 小庐面
北京怀柔营北沟村(靠近墓田峪长城)
Beijing Huai rou Ying Bei Gou cun (kao bian Mu tian yu chang cheng)
Beijng, Huairou area, Yingbeigou Village (nearby the Mutianyu Great Wall)
Tel: 010-6162 6506
Seasonal hours: Always call ahead. Generally open on weekends and holidays from 11AM-3PM, March through November, or by private appointment.
$: These noodles are not cheap but read below why they are worth every penny. Noodles 19-26RMB; sauces paired separately, 21RMB.
  Directions: Located in the village adjoining Mutianyu Village below the Mutianyu Great Wall about a 90 minute drive from downtown Beijing; it is a 5 minute drive or a 20 minute slightly hilly hike from The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu; follow directions posted on their website: www.xiaolumian.com
What we think
Xiaolumian offers simple noodles, done right. Broad and chewy noodles are hand pulled to order, served with your choice of freshly made sauces. Munch on a complimentary platter of crisp locally farmed carrots, cucumbers and radishes with thick peanuty dipping sauce as you contemplate the basic menu choices. Our favorite is their Zhajiang sauce, one of the best in Beijing. Unlike most places that forgo the meat and rely on only a thick dollop of jarred salty bean paste, here you’ll find tasty bits of pork sauteed in a rich, fragrant, garlicky bean sauce. The stewed eggplant is an equally hearty and savory sauce, clinging generously to the noodles to flavor each bite.
For those who prefer a lighter palate, the chicken with ginger is a tender and fragrant choice and is especially good paired with the thinner carrot or spinach noodles sometimes available. The wild mushroom sauté is also tasty, though we prefer to order it as an extra textural topping to throw on our eggplant or zhajiang noodles.
 Besides their delicious noodles that fill you with comfort food contentment, the intimate setting of Xiaolumian’s small stone village house, their warm attentive staff, and the icy cold beers (or hot barley tea) that wash down the noodles all encourage you to relax and linger a bit longer, storing up the tranquility of the countryside for your drive back.
Luckily, the Mutianyu Great Wall and other nearby sections of Wild Wall are an easy excursion from Beijing, offering a ready excuse for a return trip and the perfect way to work up an appetite for your next noodle feast. For those with more time and seeking a complete countryside escape, China Countryside Hotels has built and renovated several properties in the area where you can spend the night nestled under the Great Wall.
Recommended dishes
Hand pulled flour noodles – 现做手擀面: small 19, large 26
(also option of thin pre-made carrot or spinach noodles)
Hearty sauces – 拌面酱, ban mian jiang, 21
美味炸酱 – mei wei zha jiang: bean paste with pork and garlic
美味茄子酱 – mei wei qiezi jiang: braised eggplant with hot peppers
美味蘑菇酱 – mei wei mo gu jiang: wild Mutianyu Great Wall mushrooms
猪肉馅水饺 – zhu rou xian shui jiao: Classic pork filling dumplings, 36
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