It’s taken some time but I’ve finaly found some good hand-pulled noodles in Auckland. Mulan No. 1 is located in an arcade off main drag in the central city. I entered with low expectations.
I expected serviceable noodles and perhaps a little theatre if you’re lucky enough to get into the kitchen when they pulls the dough. Instead, I left having had a proper meal and remembering why Lanzhou beef noodles has become part of their own cult following. I liked that the place didn’t try too hard.
It was busy but not packed when we dropped in on a weeknight; most of the diners looks like locals who knew exactly what they wanted. Beyond the namesake dish, I tried a few other things and honestly, everything held up.
Why Mulan No.1 Has Great Noodles
Mulan No.1 Lanzhou Beef Noodle
This is one of those places I walked past twice before noticing the entrance. If you rush by, you might easily miss arcade frontage. But once you’re in, it open up into a surprisingly decent-sized room.
There is these carved timber screens breaking up the space in the dining room too, they keep it open without closing it off. They don’t go overboard on the decor either, which I liked, just enough to add some character without going all theme park.
We was seated and given a teapot straight away which was a nice touch. I wasn’t expecting much from the tea but it was actualy drinkable, not the usual hot water with a vague memory of tea leaves.
I can never say no to chilli oil cold noodles. Shredded noodles with some good chew, not just all heat, heat, HEAT in the chilli oil, but real flavours beneath. A little more garlic wouldn’t of gone amiss though, but then again that’s me being picky.
Finally we got a couple of rice dishes, a yellow pilaf (with more beef) and braised beef over steamed rice. The braising was spot-on, nice and tender but not so much as to fall apart into mush; the pilaf had just enough richness to make it good, like how you expect rice made with stock and fat to taste. They’re not the flashiest things on the menu, but they’re solid when you don’t feel like having soup.
After spending a minute with the menu, it’s pretty straight forward. There is hand-pulled noodles in various widths. I appreciated this, as I went for the standard width and it was right.
The descriptions are clear enough to know what I’m getting. There is also a photo menu so I could point at what looked good. Beyond the beef noodles, they have quite a few other dishes too.
This explained why half of the tables around us has people eating things I didn’t recognise. And then there’s the thing everyone comes for: the beef noodle soup. It’s what it should be.
Hand-pulled noodles with just the right amount of bounce, clear broth with some depth, tender beef that hasn’t spent all day on a warmer. I polished off the entire bowl. It wasn’t enormous, so maybe that’s not saying much.
But I don’t do that often. I left feeling satisfied, not uncomfortably full. For good old fashioned Lanzhou noodles in Auckland, I’d send you here.
Nothing fancy, just good noodles done well. Do you have a place you keep going back to for hand-pulled noodles?
