30 Mar Cheap Eats – Xi’An Famous Foods

Dining out in New York City can be pretty expensive if you’re not careful. Luckily, I stumbled upon an awesome joint that had my taste buds watering and I spent less than $10 for a filling meal.

My friend and I made our way to Xi’An Famous Foods in Flushing, Queens (it wasn’t our intended destination, but that’s a story for another day), which is known for their noodles and lamb burger. *Their new Manhattan location was recently voted “Best Noodles” by New York magazine.

It’s a teeny, no frills joint located underground but I kept an open mind. It turns out Anthony Bourdain is a fan of the place. And if it’s good enough for Anthony, I knew it was good enough for me.

I ordered the cumin lamb burger ($2.50) and the spicy and sour soup noodles ($5). The prices were right, and I hoped the quality matched as well.

The food was ready within minutes and I had a straight up food-gasm. The burger had chunks of meat, a little kick without being too spicy and the bread was soft, yet hearty. The soup bowl was large, had a flavorful broth with thick noodles and I loved the scallions and cilantro. The closer I got to the bottom of the bowl, the spicier it got!

I grabbed a sweet tea to cool my mouth down. It was $1.50 and came in a cute container.

For a total of $9 I had a filling meal that I’m dying to try again.

Opting for “ethnic” cuisine (Mexican, Ethiopian, Chinese, etc) can be a great cheap eats option. You save several bucks and get healthy portions.