Notts Noodles formerly known to us as Lanzhou Beef Noodles finally re-opened their doors this week to serve us more of their fantastic hand-pulled noodles. It really has been too long, almost two years, since they closed the shutters as we entered this pandemic

Today though I was delighted to see the Open sign in the window and the lights on as I popped over for a long awaited bowl of their soup noodles. Apart from the name change it was almost like old times, the men in the kitchen were still pulling their noodles by hand and the man on the counter greeted me with a ‘I think you have been here before?’ and a big smile.

MENU AT NOTTS NOODLES

The menu looked to be the same with all the classic combinations still available; ‘Braised beef noodles, Big Plate Chicken Noodle, Original beef noodle, Spicy Chicken noodle, and Oil spill noodle‘.

I wrote about the entire menu in 2018 in a post entitled “Lanzhou Beef Noodles – Eating everything on the menu” (read more here) a most enjoyable exercise that I undertook back then.

Now that they have re-branded I feel that I have to follow up with another post where I slowly work my way back through the list, a challenge that I look forward to completing again 🙂

Today though just for old times sake I was ordering a bowl of the Braised Beef Noodle soup

BRAISED BEEF NOODLE SOUP

The Braised Beef noodles soup was as always a huge bowlful filled to the brim with luscious beef stock covering copious strands of soft freshly hand-pulled noodles.

A scattering of chopped green coriander leafs and stalks float on top of a pile of thick soft chunks of braised beef, scallions float about, and the aroma of the meat stock wafts up as you get ready to eat

Beneath the surface of the stock you get a glimpse of the noodles that you are about to pluck out of the bowl with your chopsticks and just for a moment I paused to capture the moment.

Then one just dives in, dragging noodles out and up to your mouth rapidly both in hunger and in joy.

NOODLES

I am always amazed, even after all this time, just how much they pack into each bowlful of soup here at Notts Noodles aka Lanzhou

Even several minutes later after I had devoured the braised beef, slurped half the stock and sucked up so many noodle strands, there was still a normal portion of noodles left to be eaten.

I was certainly getting my money’s worth and I was without doubt back in my happy place as I feasted once more on the truly excellent home made noodles that they serve here.

It was just as good as I remembered and in my haste to satiate my desire for more I almost forgot to savour the moment, the memory banks remained full to the brim and I knew I can come back again.

So so happy to see the team from Lanzhou beef noodles back in the kitchen and I am going to have to get used to the new name Notts Noodles now although I am sure we will keep fondly referring to them as Lanzhou amongst ourselves.

I look forward to becoming reacquainted with the rest of the menu over the coming weeks 🙂

Located at 17 Market Street in Nottingham, they are but a short walk up from the Old Market Square and down from the Royal Centre Tram stop.