Ahoy there, homies! Welcome back to Five Things, Racket’s recurring rundown of new, new-to-us, or otherwise notable Twin Cities restaurants.
This week we’re highlighting a new addition to Nicollet Avenue's Eat Street family: Meet Up Noodle. It's the first Northwest Chinese restaurant to plant its flag in Minneapolis, and perhaps the first in the greater metro. This bustling restaurant serves up a unique offering of hand-pulled noodle soups, cold vegetable and noodle salads, flatbread sandwiches, and an array of other delicacies from the northwest provinces, where complex dishes are influenced by proximity to the Middle East and Central Asia.
Ready to meet Meet Up Noodle? Here are five things to know before you go.
1. Think Cumin and Lamb, Not Sesame Chicken
Don’t get us twisted: There’s nothing wrong with sesame chicken, per se, but this isn't Americanized Chinese food—it's authentic, real-deal Northwest Chinese food. What does that mean? Cuisine that’s steeped in culture from the Turkic Uyghur population and Muslim Hui people who reside there.
These dishes lean heavy on meat, wheat, and spices like cumin. Due to local farming practices, the north of China also uses dairy more than other parts of the country, and noodles are made from wheat gluten instead of rice. Given the historic presence of the Silk Road passing through these provinces, along with the local Muslim ethnic groups present, it’s no surprise that the cuisine has absorbed Middle Eastern flavors.
2. Opt for the Recommendations
Among the signature menu items at Meet Up are the spicy street food mainstay Rou Jia Mo ($7.95, a Chinese burger made on flatbread with cumin, ground lamb and spices) and the Xi’an Cold Rice Noodles ($13.95, a vinegar-heavy noodle salad tossed with with cucumber, chili oil, wheat noodles, and peanuts).
Looking for even more spice? Check out the Shaanxi Oil Splash Noodles ($13.95), colloquially known as Biangbiang Noodles; this popular dish's moniker is onomatopoeic, named for the "biang" sound the dough makes when it hits the table. A heaping plate of thick, hand-pulled, and belt-like noodles drenched in spicy oil, the meal was made popular by laborers in Xi’an who needed to dine quickly—no time for extra noodle pulling!
3. The Flatbreads Are Where It’s At
The Chinese flatbreads section of the menu includes a few different options for Rou Jia Mo and other similar sandwiches. Think cumin-dredged minced meat sauteed in onions and peppers and heaped between steaming fresh bread. You can choose between the crispy Tonguan-style bread or the fluffier, thicker traditional flatbread with fillings ranging from pork to lamb to beef. Like a plussed-up Sloppy Joe from heaven, these sammies are delightful. The spendiest of the bunch is the beef wrap with scallion pancake at $12.95, but the others don't get above $9.
4. But Really It’s All About Those Hand-Pulled Noodles, Baby
Unsurprisingly, the hand-pulled noodle dishes are where Meet-Up really shines. Choose from thin and flat to wide and hand shaved—go nuts! These noodles come complete with a pair of scissors to cut the strands when they get too unwieldy. Our suggestion? Opt for the Lanzhou Lamian ($14.95), a traditional beef noodle soup originating from the Gansu region’s Muslim Hui population. Razor-thin-cut beef medallions are piled on top of springy hand-pulled noodles swimming in a rich, clear beef broth. It’s all topped with cilantro, slices of white radish, and leeks. It was by far our favorite dish of the night, and a must-try for first timers.
5. Go With Friends and Share! Rejoice!
As the name suggests, Meet Up Noodle is a place to break bread. And by bread we mean noodles. We went on a Friday night at 7:30 and the place was packed—the dining room teeming with chatty groups of friends and couples. Meet Up's lively, playful, and jovial atmosphere is a welcome addition to the culinary scene; it feels like a community dining experience with spectacular food. Bonus: It won’t break the bank. Our bill for three appetizers, a noodle soup, a flatbread, and two bevs (a traditional sour plum drink and Genki Forest Lychee sparkling water) came to a very reasonable $60. Plan on hauling home leftovers.
Meet Up Noodle 碰个面
Address: 2 E. 26th St., Minneapolis
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
