Day 22 of eating at 100 Asian restaurants in Maryland, and I’m back at one of my favorite Asian spots in all of Howard County. Chin Xi’an Style’s tucked inside Ben Gong Tea in Ellicott City, which sounds random until you taste the food, then it makes total sense.
This is Xi’an style Chinese, meaning Shaanxi province cooking built around hand-ripped biangbiang noodles, cumin-heavy meats, and serious spice. I know I say a lot of places are good, but their food’s ridiculously good, and I mean it. My usual order’s the 3-in-1 hand ripped noodles and the hot oil dumplings, and honestly, both are that good. If you’ve never had Xi’an food before, this is such a fun place to start, Nomsters. Let’s get into it.
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What Makes Chin Xi’an Style a Standout Spot?
Most Chinese spots around here lean Cantonese or Sichuan, so a place doing real Xi’an food is a treat. The owner’s actually from Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province, and it shows in how specific everything is. Their whole thing is hand-ripped biangbiang noodles, those wide, belt-like noodles the cook literally slaps against the counter to stretch (that thwack is where the name comes from).
Beyond noodles they do murgers, which are Xi’an style flatbread sandwiches, plus cold dishes, cumin lamb, and seasonal specials like liangpi cold noodles. Their tagline’s ‘Not Just Spicy. More to Savor,’ and that nails it, the spice is there but so is real depth. It’s the kind of specific, do-one-thing-well spot I love.
What to Order at Chin Xi’an Style
Real talk, I keep my order pretty simple here, but these are the two things I get every time, plus a drink I love.
3 in 1 Hand Ripped Noodles ($15.96)
These are the star. You get those thick, chewy biangbiang noodles topped three ways at once: spicy hot oil, zha jiang (a savory fermented soybean sauce), and tomato egg. The big tip, and do not skip this, mix everything together really well before your first bite so every strand picks up all three sauces. Done right, every strand picks up all three sauces at once, and it’s SO good. So yum!
Hot Oil Dumplings ($6.25)
A total must-order! The filling’s super juicy, and they finish them with these fiery aromatics on top that I love. Fun surprise on my last visit, there was corn tucked into the filling, and I was not mad about it. At six-something for a plate, they’re a steal, and I’d get them every single time.
The Sour Plum Drink
If it’s in stock, grab their sour plum drink (suanmeitang), a sweet-tart plum cooler I really like. It was sold out when I went this time and I was genuinely bummed, so learn from me and order it early.
Want to branch out past my usual? A few more things on the menu worth knowing about:
- Murgers (Xi’an flatbread sandwiches) with fillings like 12-hour braised pork, cumin lamb, or cumin beef
- Other hand-ripped noodle bowls, from classic hot-oil to cumin lamb and a northwest-style beef soup
- Liangpi cold noodles and a lineup of cold dishes, several of them vegetarian or vegan
What Is a Murger, and What Makes Xi’an Food Different?
Xi’an (Shaanxi) food is its own whole world. It sits in northwest China along the old Silk Road, so it leans on cumin, chili, lamb, and hand-pulled wheat noodles way more than the Cantonese or Sichuan food most of us grew up on. A murger (rou jia mo) is often called the original Chinese burger, chopped seasoned meat stuffed into a griddled flatbread bun, and it’s one of the most famous street foods in Xi’an.
So if you see biangbiang noodles, cumin lamb, and murgers on a menu, that’s the tell you’re getting the real Shaanxi deal. For a great deep dive on this spot’s noodles and murgers, Baltimore Magazine wrote a whole piece on it.
Keeping My Order Simple (and Why That’s OK)
Not gonna lie, I almost always get the same two dishes here, so I can’t give you a play-by-play of the entire menu. But that’s kind of the point, when a spot nails the thing it’s known for, I’m happy to be a regular. The noodles and dumplings have never let me down, and I trust the rest based on how dialed-in those two are. Next time I might branch out to a murger or the cumin lamb noodles. For more of my Howard County favorites, here’s my full guide.
The Vibe and Experience
Here’s the fun part: Chin Xi’an shares its space with Ben Gong Tea inside the Princess Shopping Center off Route 40, so it’s got this mini food-hall energy. You seat yourself first and then order (the staff will point you the right way if you’re unsure), and yes, you can grab boba from the tea side to go with your noodles. Parking’s easy in the shared lot. It’s a casual, easy spot overall, good for a solo lunch or a low-key dinner with a friend.
Good to Know
- 📍 10045 Baltimore National Pike, Ste A10, Ellicott City, MD 21042 (inside Ben Gong Tea, in the Princess Shopping Center off Route 40)
- Hours: Su-Fr 11:30am to 9:30pm, Sa 11:30am to 10pm (hours can shift, so it’s worth a quick check before a long drive)
- Dine in with table service, or order online through their website, DoorDash, or GrubHub
- Free parking in the shared shopping-center lot
- Vegetarian and vegan options are marked on the menu (several cold dishes), and allergen info’s listed per dish
- They’ve got a second location in Jersey City, with a Fairfax, VA spot on the way
Is Chin Xi’an Style Worth A Visit?
YES, especially if you’ve never had Xi’an food or you’re a noodle person like me. It’s earned a permanent spot on my Howard County short list, and the 3-in-1 noodles plus hot oil dumplings are the combo I’d send anyone to try first. It’s a must for me. If you want even more of my favorite hand-ripped noodle spots in the state, I rounded them up right here.
Have you guys made it out to Chin Xi’an yet, or is there another Xi’an or hand-pulled noodle spot in the DMV I need to try? Drop it in the comments, Nomsters. And if you’ve got a friend who’d drive an hour for the right bowl of noodles, send this their way, this is the one.