Lanzhou Ramen Near Me — 6 Spots

Lanzhou lamian comes from Lanzhou, the capital of China’s Gansu province, and is famous for the “one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow” ideal: clear broth, white radish, red chili oil, green cilantro and scallion, and yellow noodles. The broth is a clear, deeply aromatic beef soup spiced with warm seasonings, and the noodles are hand-pulled to order — a world apart from the rich, cloudy broths of Japanese ramen.

The best part of ordering Lanzhou noodles is picking your width. Shops typically offer a range — from ultra-thin “capellini-like” strands to wide, belt-like noodles, with several in between. Thin noodles soak up more broth and cook delicately; wide noodles bring serious chew. I love trying a different width each visit to find my favorite.

I get the classic beef noodle soup, pick a medium noodle width my first time, and add extra chili oil for warmth and color. A side of the thin-sliced beef or some braised sides rounds it out. Look for shops with “Lanzhou,” “lamian,” or “hand-pulled” in the name — they are the real deal and usually pull the noodles right in front of you.