Dancing Noodle, Fine Hand Pulled Noodles

Nothing warms the soul on a cold winter day like a piping hot bowl of noodle soup. China is known for its love of rice, but is equally known for its noodle dishes. There are a fascinating number of noodle varieties that differ by the the ingredients that they are made, their shape and the type of dish in which they are incorporated. One of the more unique types of noodles are la mian, which literally translates to "pulled noodle". Made famous in Lanzhou Province in the Northwest of China, chefs of this noodle require great precision and hand dexterity to properly form the noodles. La mian are formed by pulling, twisting and folding the dough after which strands of noodles magically appear. I was excited to hear that Winnipeg's food scene now included a Lanzhou-style pulled noodle restaurant and had to check out Dancing Noodle for myself.

Located in a small strip mall on Pembina, Dancing Noodle is a small restaurant with an unassuming interior. With just a few tables, chairs, and minimal decor, you come here for the food and not the ambiance. A small menu, but offers a variety of Northern and Southwestern Chinese staples including the famous Lanzhou beef noodle, cold dishes and some appetizer type dishes.

In Chinese cuisine, noodles are either served in a broth or dry (either hot or cold) with sauce. Wanting to try the various offerings of Dancing Noodle, we started off the evening with a cold Dandan Noodle, a popular dish originating from the Sichuan area of China. Variations of this dish are either served in a chili oil-based soup, or here served as a cold mixed noodle. Under the noodles is a peanut and sesame based sauce that needs to be mixed with the noodles before eating. Minced pork, fried onions, scallions, and roasted peanuts round out this savoury dish. I loved the aroma of the noodles with the scent of garlic and spice permeating the entire building. The hand pulled noodles here are cooked al dente and thick enough to soak up the flavours and robust enough to not become soft and mushy with all the sauce. Speaking of the sauce, there was just enough sauce to cover the noodles and impart some flavour but I felt the peanut-y and satay like sauce could have had a stronger presence in the dish, disappointing.

Dancing Noodle's signature dish is the Traditional Lanzhou Beef Noodle. You can pick from 6 different varieties of noodles starting from either round or flat noodles at three thickness levels. We opted to try the round, medium thick noodles. The La Mian was an amazing harmony of soft and chewy and well complimented by the fragrant broth. The combination of herbs and spices used to make the soup brought an incredibly deep flavour. Thin slices of beef and daikon were not seasoned, but the soup made up for any lack in flavour. However, the real star was definitely the la mian, perfectly cooked and soaked in the flavour from the soup but thick enough to stay firm and not become soggy. And while I wish there were more beef served in each bowl, what was given imparted a delightful aroma and depth to the broth.

Another Sichuan-inspired dish is the Cucumber Salad. Smashed cucumbers are tossed in a soy-based vinaigrette including vinegar, sugar and garlic. This is a great refreshing dish and a great way to start a meal or cleanse the palate.

Another traditional Lanzhou meal item is a beef and scallion wrapped pancake. And while we thought Dancing Noodle's Beef Burrito was their version of such, what came out turned out to be completely disappointing. First off, the thick tortilla wrapper used was too thick that it began to take over the entire dish and while the interiors of sliced beef, spice and lettuce was tasty, I could not help but be overwhelmed by the incredibly doughy and starchy wrapper. A disappointing, unauthentic and overpriced dish.

Dancing Noodle gives Winnipeg a taste of a more remote and unique part of Chinese cuisine. The noodles themselves are worth the price of admission, incredibly tasty and chewy and while the dishes they use the noodles in have some room to improve, the authentic sauces and flavours used justify a visit. Just ignore the unauthentic and overpriced Beef Burrito.