Let’s be honest: Ithaca has no shortage of Asian restaurants. From high-end spots to Ithaca classics, there’s a wide range of options to satisfy your craving. That’s ironically what makes me so eager to try more Asian restaurants when the opportunity presents itself—I’m always curious to see if these restaurants are carving a new niche in the eating scene.
This was my task at Xi’An Street Food, a spot in Collegetown serving food from Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in China. From true street food like ròujiāmó (which is referred to by westerners as a “Chinese hamburger”), to hand-pulled noodles, to persimmon donuts, Xi’An street food vendors offer a plethora of unique foods. Xi’An Street Food is a restaurant that is trying to bring this vibrant culture to the doorstep of Cornell students and the larger Ithaca community alike.
When my sister Zoe Wang ’28 and I walked into Xi’An Street Food, I immediately noticed the warm, ample lighting and cleanness of the space. We ordered at a tablet kiosk, and sat ourselves. Our food arrived within just a few minutes.
We started with a classic appetizer, cucumber in chili oil. The cucumbers were thickly-cut and slathered in chili, packing a punch while also being refreshing. For our entrees, we both tried a ròujiāmó. Zoe tried the stewed pork bun, a pork-belly-stuffed house-made crispy flatbread with green pepper. While the flavor was slightly too subtle for our tastes, the pork was tender and the flatbread had a pleasant, crunchy texture. The spicy cumin lamb bun I ordered was by far the better of the two—the spice level wasn’t too overwhelming, and the mix of lamb with veggies like red onion gave the sandwich a great balance.
Although I wouldn’t say Xi’An Street Food blew me away on the first try, I enjoyed branching out and trying ròujiāmó for the first time. And for the price—only seven to eight dollars per sandwich, depending on the filling—the restaurant seems like it’d be a great spot for college students to stop in for an affordable lunch or a late night snack. If I ever go back, I’d love to try their biangbiang noodles (the name “biangbiang” comes from the sound the noodles make when they’re slapped on the table when making them!), to get a fuller picture of what Xi’An cuisine has to offer!
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