Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles
Lanzhou Noodles in London - Hand-Pulled Halal Beef and Lamb Noodle Soup
The noodle that defined a Silk Road city, served halal in central London
Lanzhou beef noodle soup is one of the most iconic dishes in Chinese cuisine. A clear broth, hand-pulled noodles, slices of slow-cooked beef or lamb, fresh coriander, white radish, and a spoon of chilli oil. In Gansu province it is served by the bowl on every street corner. In London, it is rare. Halal versions are rarer still. We pull our noodles to order.
What are Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles?
Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles (la mian) are made by stretching a single rope of dough by hand into long strands. A skilled puller folds and stretches the dough repeatedly, doubling the count each time, until thousands of fine noodles emerge from a single piece.
The technique developed in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province on the Silk Road. The Hui Muslim community there has been perfecting it for over 1,000 years. The result is a noodle with a distinctive chew - elastic, springy, and slightly variable in thickness.
For the full history, read our hand-pulled noodles guide.
How a proper bowl is built
A traditional Lanzhou beef noodle soup follows the "one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow" rule:
- One clear - the broth must be clear, not cloudy
- Two white - white radish slices
- Three red - chilli oil
- Four green - fresh coriander and garlic chives
- Five yellow - the noodles, slightly yellow from the alkaline water in the dough
We follow this structure with one halal-conscious change: we serve lamb-based or halal beef variations using HFA-certified meat. Same technique, same balance, same effect.
Why Lanzhou noodles are hard to find in London
Two reasons:
- The technique is hard. Hand-pulling noodles takes years of practice. Most Chinese kitchens in London use machine-made noodles. Hand-pulled is rarer because it requires a dedicated noodle puller on staff
- The cuisine is regional. Most UK Chinese restaurants are Cantonese. Lanzhou is from Gansu, far inland, with a smaller diaspora abroad
Add the halal requirement and the supply gets even thinner. The Greedy Sheep is one of a small number of London restaurants where you can sit down to a proper, halal bowl of Lanzhou-style noodles.
What else to order alongside
A bowl of noodles is rarely a meal on its own at a Northern Chinese table. Add:
- Pan-fried dumplings - the natural pairing
- Cold sesame cucumbers - sharp and cool
- Cumin lamb - if you want a wok dish on the side
- Rou jia mo - if you want bread to mop up
See the full menu for the rest.
The Greedy Sheep is at 8 Little Newport Street, London WC2H 7JJ. Open 12pm to 10pm daily. Walk-ins welcome.