KOMPAS Eats: Xi’an Impression
Earlier this week, some of the KOMPAS team went to dinner at Xi’an Impression, a small Chinese food joint next to Arsenal Stadium. The place is tiny, with not more than 12 tables, tightly packed together. Xi’an Impression is not your local Chinese takeout joint peddling orange chicken and sweet & sour pork. This place specializes in street food from the Chinese province of Shanxi, and more specifically the city of Xi’an.
We came with what can only be described as very basic knowledge of Xi’an cuisine. I had researched what we were supposed to order, and from there, we just hoped for the best. It’s a very no-frills kind of place, with modest charges for corkage, so make sure to grab a couple of brewskies if you’re scared of a little spice.
We, unfortunately, did not realise that the corkage fee was so low, otherwise, we’d have gotten a few too many beers (it was just that kind of day). We settled for the tap water. Anyway, onto our dishes.
The first dish that arrived at the table was the Liangpi, or cold wheat noodles with gluten. It was soaked in chilli oil and was oh so good. It’s one of the signature dishes of both Xi’an Impression and the Shanxi province. The noodles were perfectly springy and al dente, the gluten soaked up the chilli oil like a sponge and exploded with flavour in the mouth. The cucumbers and bean sprouts made everything feel fresh and every bite a little bit unique. It was absolutely perfect. 9.5/10
The next dish to arrive at our table was the Boneless Chicken in Ginger Sauce, which, to be perfectly honest, I am not sure is a Shanxi speciality. Regardless, it came highly recommended. It turned out to be my favourite dish of the whole dinner. I was ready to drink the sauce, lick the plate, and then order another serving of the sauce to just fill up a bottle and carry it with me and sip from. 10/10
Next came perhaps the raison d’être of Xi’an Impression, the hand-pulled noodles. We got the highly praised Biangbiang noodles in Special Chili Sauce with Chunky Beef. The noodles were really long and springy, and they absorbed the chilli oil really really well. The meat was also really tender, and the dish was extremely solid overall. We wouldn’t call it life changing, but we’d definitely get it again. 8/10
Finally came the most disappointing dish of the evening, the Chinese Pork Burger. The moment it landed on our table, I knew it would be underwhelming (courtesy of watching perhaps all of Strictly Dumpling’s videos). The perfect pork burger should have a crispy shell, be fluffy on the inside, and have a ton of porky goodness inside. This one, unfortunately, was far from perfect. The shell was a little chalky, and the filling was sparse. It was greatly improved by dipping into the aforementioned ginger sauce, but not enough to redeem it. It’s entirely forgettable and you’re much better off ordering a second helping of the Liangpi.
As you can see from the photo above, we absolutely LOVED Xi’an Impression. It was a delicious dinner and if it was socially acceptable we’d have gulped those sauces right up. It was also a very filling meal for two for 30 quid, so truly a rarity in London. You should absolutely go and visit them if you’ve got the chance. As we mentioned, the place is pretty small so be prepared to wait for a table for a little while.
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Food: 9.5/10
Overall: 8.5/10
Total for 2 people was £32.51.
117 Benwell Rd, London N7 7BW. Tel 020 3441 0191. http://xianimpression.co.uk/
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Originally published at KOMPAS Blog.
