Set in another of the multitude of strip malls, on the corner of Haliburton Road and Hacienda Boulevard is Malan Noodles.
Malan Noodles is the Hacienda Heights outpost of a chain of fast food outlets based in Beijing. The claim to fame are the fresh hand pulled noodles, and the Lanzhou-style Beef Noodle soup. Lanzhou is the capital of the Gansu province, and located in Northwest China.
As we entered Malan Noodle we noticed that the high-ceiling, brightly colored interior, did feel somewhat fast-foodish.
The drill goes as follows, you either pick up an order sheet, or sit and someone will bring you an order sheet(we’ve seen the two distinct style of ordering here), and check off what you want. Then you either drop off the sheet at the counter OR, somebody will come and bring you some water and pick up your sheet.
They are very flexible here….
In case you have some noodle indecision, samples of noodle size are available for your review as well.
We placed our order, and soon enough, the young Hispanic Gentleman in the back pulled of a hunk of dough, and slammed it, kneaded it, separated it into two portions, and started pulling, eventually forming noodles for the dishes we ordered.
The Malan Cold Noodles($5.50):
First off, having eaten enough of this at home and with the In-Laws, I first wondered, where’s the cucumber, where’s the green onions…..but maybe it’s a different regional style. The peanut-sesame sauce was very one dimensional, and really salty. And pouring vinegar, and chili oil on it couldn’t save it. To me, it was missing a sweet component to balance out the flavor. The noodles, served in this manner, were just" ho-hum-bubble-gum", and lacking the slight amount of "chew" I desired.
The Malan Beef Soup(small – $5.00)
So, having no previous experience with supposed Lanzhou-style Beef Noodles, here’s what I thought. The broth was on the clear side, and not oily in the least bit. The flavor of the broth was mildly beefy, with a nice onion flavor provided by the green onions and yellow chives. I really couldn’t taste any additional flavor provided by the daikon, and strangely, even the taste of the cilantro was muted. Overall, a decent mild and clean tasting broth. The thin slices of beef(looked like brisket), had a good, strong beefy flavor, along with hints of……well, I’ll let the Missus take care of this, "enough with the cinnamon, and anise thing, OKAY! It’s five-spice. And not the junk stuff, real five-spice." Okay? I still thought the noodles were on the brittle side, and made up my mind to get small flat noodles the next time. And at five bucks a crack, you can try all the variations for under $40(I’ve included tax).
There are a few more interesting items on the menu, and most are very reasonable. And no, it’s not Niu Rou Mein, but worth a try, who knows this could be the future of Mickey D’s…..
Malan Noodles
2020 S. Hacienda Blvd
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Open daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Hey Kirk!
The Chinese seem to be especially good at “fast-fooding-isizing” things! Oh but fresh hand pulled noodles, we don’t even have that back home!
I love the idea of fresh hand made noodles, pity about the sauce. However, the soup sound slike it could be quite comforting.
I’ve heard endless raves about this place. Good to see put things in perspective.
BTW, you’ve been travelling a lot lately haven’t you?
Hi Kathy – What a great little niche, eh? Like watching those Krispy Kreme donuts, or Papa Beards being made….you can see you noodles being pulled by hand.
Hi Rachel – Yes, quite right. The prices aren’t bad either.
Hi Elmo – I think people love the Noodles with Brown sauce which is super salty, but is like Jajiangmein, and other stuff. As well as watching and knowing your noodles are made by hand. I’ll probably go with a thicker noodle next time.
The beef broth is supposed to be subtly flavored. This goes in line with Halal traditions and no soy too. Looks sorta like pho.
You should try the lamb dishes, especially lamb noodles with ‘sauerkraut’ or preserved napa.
One more thing…the name “Ma Lan” is a combination of a common Hui surname, Ma and the city, Lanzhou. Ma is a sinicized version of Muhammad, commonly adopted by Chinese converts during the Tang dynasty.
I’m guessing that the owner or chef is a Hui from Lanzhou.
Anyways, great site!
Hi Joey – So you are saying the Malan Noodles is an Halal establishment? I’m sorry but I’ve eaten at China Islamic, Tai Lung Shun(RIP), VIP Chinese, and Jamillah Garden – and the beef noodle soup is not what I would consider to be “subtly” flavor. I did not see any indication that Malan procured meat processed in accordance with the House of Halal? Oh, and there are “bean curd” products on the menu, so I don’t know what to think? Very interesting…..
Many Sino-“Islamic” restaurants in US do not strictly adhere to Halal standards. It’s just a case of business. They often serve alcohol, which is forbidden in Quran. The base clientele of the restaurants is primarily Han Chinese, so they must adapt their menu.
The owners will probably tell if the meat is prepared a la Zabihah.
Bean curd is halal unless pork or non-Halal products are used (such as coagulants).
Hi Joey – Thanks for the info. Your original comments kinda confused me. Have you eaten at Malan Noodles – not in China, but in the states? I don’t recall seeing any lamb(my favorite, BTW) on the menu….but I may be mistaken. As always, I try to understand what I’m eating, but in the end, it’s always my opinion….
kirk,
you’re either in S.D. or Hacienda/Rowland Heights…. whats up with that?
call me next time in H.H. 909 is not too far away… we can do Banana Bay or there’s even a Bob’s Big Boy if you wanna blast from the past..
Hi DCCF – Maybe trying for a dual citizenship? I’m waiting for you to get down to my part of the woods this October!
what is the dough recipe for malan noodles, how do they stretch, there must be a secret additive
The recipe for la mian (pulled noodles), simply consists of flour, salt and water, and oil. In Lanzhou, they do use and additive in the noodles, although people make the same noodles in their homes, and will tell you that the additive isn’t healthy.