Bowltiful

If you’re looking for some chewy, slurpy, hand-pulled noodles, then Bowltiful may have to be your next destination. Specialising in Lanzhou (pronounced lan-joh) noodles, a Chinese-Muslim style of noodles originating from northwest China, Bowltiful is as authentic as you could hope for, with all the noodle chefs being trained for at least 6 months in the art of noodle pulling. Their teachers are none other than Lanzhou masters, expert noodle pullers who have trained for at least 3 to 4 years themselves, so you know you’re getting the real deal. Their broth has no soy sauce in it, which means a cleaner, lighter taste, delicately flavoured with herbs and spices and simmered for no less than 4 hours. Bowltiful is also proudly and authentically halal, with some vegetarian options for good measure. 

Noodles are front and centre at Bowltiful, although they have plenty of side dishes to choose from as well. Of course, their speciality is their famous clear-broth noodle soup, topped with beef, sliced radish, chilli oil, coriander and green onion. The noodles are hand-pulled to order, and have a whopping 9 different options for your preferred width and length. You can choose from dry noodles or soup-based, and garnishes include beef brisket, lamb offal, soybean paste and minced beef. If you’re more veggie-inclined, you can go for stir-fried tomato and egg, or stir-fried mixed vegetables. 

Each bowl is customisable with additional toppings, so you can build your ideal meal. Also being served up are their signature lamb skewers, tea-braised eggs, and steamed Bao with either beef and onion or lamb and carrot. If you’re looking for some side salads, they have a little bit of everything from spicy beef tripe and spicy chicken salad to shredded tofu and hot and spicy potato slices. They also have their own honey jujube tea and honey hawthorne tea. 

With the Swanton Street venue marking Bowltiful’s third location in Melbourne, you can also stay in the suburbs and chow down in Box Hill. You can also watch the expert chefs roll your noodles right through a window, and inside the store, they have singular booths for solo eaters or plenty of tables for groups. If you’re a chilli oil addict, Bowltiful also sells their homemade chilli oil to take home in a jar.  

Image credit: supplied