Same Great Noodles, Fancy New Digs of Bei 27 Hao at Nali Patio
No, this is not your average hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop noodle shop. Instead, Bei 27 Hao considerably spiffs up the experience of grabbing a bowl of Lanzhou lamian at its new location on the first floor of Nali Patio.
It is indeed surreal to step into a spot with concrete walls, flashing LED displays and pulsing music better befitting a nightclub or art gallery than a restaurant that serves some of China's most humble, yet most beloved fare. What's more: Bei 27 Hao now has one of the most narrow interiors we've seen at a restaurant, with a lengthy, Last Supper-style table to boot.
Despite these quirky aspects, we're happy to say that the restaurant's noodles aren't nearly as out of character. Our bowl full of 打烊拌面 (dǎyàng bàn miàn) featured stringy, wholesome noodles, a generous helping of crumbled beef, a sprinkling of fresh cilantro (don't scoff, arrogant foreigner; xiangcai is divine!) and an enticing hint of spice in its aftertaste. Despite the all but avant-garde atmosphere, the bowl of noodles only costs RMB 30, making for a very affordable lunch in the typically steep Sanlitun, on par with the prices of far dingier noodle joints.
As we mentioned upon its initial opening at Taikooli North in 2014, some of the restaurant's dishes are too fiery for summer but ideal for this chilly season. That fact combined with Bei 27's new digs mean there's plenty of incentive to pop in. Many of the old favorites like 臊子面 (sàozi miàn, RMB 26) looked like solid alternatives to our drier 打烊拌面 when a waiter brought those soupy bowlfuls to several patrons seated near us. Meanwhile, the 牛奶鸡蛋醪糟 (niúnǎi jīdàn láozāo, RMB 19) grain and seed speckled rice porridge or the glistening and gelatinous 年糕 (niángāo, RMB 16) honey lined rice cake both looked like tempting desserts. There are even RMB 7 plastic bottles of 胡萝卜素 (húluóbo sù, RMB 7) carrot juice, meaning Bei 27 Hao is a strong contender for the title of most authentic Lanzhou joint in town, practically giving the similarly outfitted Bun and Noodle in Andingmen a run for its money.
Bei 27 Hao is certainly busier than that sleepier hutong counterpart. Several patrons sat outside during our lunchtime visit this past Friday, waiting for a spot to become vacant. Despite that bustling pace, the staff had a warm demeanor, happily bringing up a photo-filled version of their menu on their phone apps for laowai customers like us who may have trouble deciphering a few of the dishes on the pictureless hard copy. That being said, Bun and Noodle has a delightfully homey vibe that's more conventional than many Sanlitun joints like Bei 27 Hao – so in effect, they each serve as microcosms for their respective neighborhoods.
All in all, we enjoyed the authentic eats and sleek modern trimmings at Bei 27 Hao, and we were pleased to see that it has survived the recent spate of closures, in order to continue its run as one of the best bang-for-your-buck lunch joints in Sanlitun.
Bei 27 Hao
Daily, 11am-11.30pm. 1/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang (8418 5849)
北27號：朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园1层
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Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
Photos: Kyle Mullin
