Street Eats: A Lighter Take on Zhajiang Noodles at Sanlitun Soho

After the opening of China World Mall and the Topwin Center, it may feel like Sanlitun Soho has lost its appeal as a foodie haven. And yet, this oft-overlooked complex is still a hotbed for creative food and drinks, including venues like Hakkenden, Pachakutiq, Red Dog, Kurotaki Chabann, Bobo, and Old Fashioned.

Tucked away on the second floor of building one in Sanlitun Soho is the eatery “Wo Nainaijia de Zhajiangmian, Jiushi Haochi!” (我奶奶家的炸酱面，就是好吃！, or “my grandma’s zhajiang noodles, so delicious!”). The name is spelled out in bold Chinese characters in black on a whiteboard, reminding us of the flashcards used to teach Chinese.

When we arrived on a Wednesday at around 1pm, we were surprised to see that there were at least 20 people waiting outside the eatery. The 5-square-meter space is more of a shop than a restaurant, able to only fit about half a dozen seated customers. They sell just two kinds of noodles, zhajiang noodles (zhajiangmian, 炸酱面) for RMB 19 and spicy liangmian (cold noodles, 凉面) and a couple of cold dishes (RMB 7-12), including garlic-flavored sausage, potato slivers, pickled cucumber, and spicy peanuts. Pair your meal with a local soda like beibingyang (RMB 6) or suanmeitang (RMB 8), or a classic like Coke, Sprite, and Fanta (RMB 4).

We ordered a set meal, including a serving of the popular zhajiang noodles, a cold dish and a suanmeitang, all for RMB 33. After a 20 minute wait, we were served the food in a paper box. The zhajiang noodles were still warm and covered with shredded cucumber, beansprouts, preserved daikon, and the sauce. Zhajiang literally means deep-fried sauce, and normally the sauce is made of fatty pork, soybean paste (think jianbing), and oil. However, this rendition moves away from the traditional Beijing-style zhajiang sauce, featuring beef tenderloin and chili oil instead, based on a recipe from the owner’s grandma. We found these noodles to be savory with a touch of sweetness. The diced meat in the sauce was flavorful and we also enjoyed the pickled cucumber, which was soaked in soy sauce enrichened with fried chili.

If you dine in, either choose to sit inside (facing the wall) or eat in the hall of the building. That's the best vantage point, considering one side of the venue is made of glass that is covered with graffiti. From far away it looks like the glass is covered with a messy net, and even customers without OCD will want to hire an ayi to clean it up. However, the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, with a fun background rock playlist that helped rescue the ambiance. Whether the noodles are made by grandma or not, we would love to come back for a bowl of these straightforwardly satisfying noodles.

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Wo Nainaijia de Zhajiangmian, Jiushi Haochi!
Daily 11.30am-9pm. 1221, 2/F, Bldg 1, Sanlitun Soho, Chaoyang District (5935 9757)
我奶奶家的炸酱面，就是好吃！： 朝阳区三里屯SOHO1号商场2层1221号

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photo: Tracy Wang, Dianping