05-05-2025
Why hand-pulled Chinese Muslim Lanzhou lamian beef noodles are pulling KL crowds
At the newly minted Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan in Bukit Jalil, Ma Yong Jie is hard at work.
The China native is hunched over a mound of dough, his face contorted into a rictus of concentration.
On a shiny countertop, he kneads the dough, then rolls it into a long log. When that's done, he cuts it in half, then hauls a piece up in the air and begins twirling it into twisted spirals, unearthing thick, ropey braids that kink and coil with each movement.
Yong Jie repeats this motion seven times and then begins stretching the dough, pulling it longer and longer and using his fingers to separate the emerging strands before folding it in half until eventually it begins to resemble long strands of thin, pliable noodles.
'It's done,' he says, holding it up for a captive audience, mesmerised by this theatrical culinary showmanship that showcases strength, agility, dexterity and a level of skill that takes years to finesse and hone.
Despite having done this for years, Yong Jie says each batch of noodles still requires attention to detail and precision and takes approximately five to six minutes to produce.
'I've been making Lanzhou lamian noodles for nearly 15 years. For newbies, it would probably take them about three years to learn how to make it well,' says Yong Jie, a Chinese Muslim who grew up in the Gansu province, which is in Lanzhou, China, the birthplace of the noodles.
The art of making hand-pulled Lanzhou lamian noodles requires years to master. Yong Jie, for instance, has been doing it for 15 years now. — Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan
For well over a century now, Lanzhou lamian noodles have been a huge draw in China, where they are considered one of the country's most popular fast foods.
In recent years, the noodles' popularity has transcended its motherland and iterations of Lanzhou lamian beef noodles are now available in restaurants across global cities like New York and London.
While Lanzhou lamian – or mee tarik – as it is better known locally – has been in Malaysia for about a decade, it is only in the past three years that the noodles have become a viral sensation, popularised by restaurants like Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan, which frequently commands large, swelling crowds. The history of Lanzhou lamian noodles
The noodles have a debated history, with some believing the carbs have ancient origins that date back to the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907), while a more popular tale is that it arose in early 20th century China. Many people also call Lanzhou lamian noodles 'China's first noodle dish'.
An article in The New York Times highlights how the noodles' rabid popularity can be attributed to a Hui Muslim man named Ma Baozi, who is said to have started selling a clear beef soup with the signature hand-pulled noodles way back in 1915.
How Baozi himself learnt to make the noodles is unclear, but these days, he is largely acknowledged to be the godfather of Lanzhou lamian beef noodles.
The meal eventually became a breakfast staple among the Hui Muslims in China and rose to national prominence when it was increasingly consumed across the country. In 2021, Lanzhou beef noodles was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item in China.
According to an article in China Daily, 800,000 bowls of the noodles are sold daily in China, with 2025 projections predicted to reach 900,000 bowls a day!
Additionally, every year in China, an estimated 5,000 chefs are trained in the art of making the noodles, with over 60% – like Yong Jie – ending up working overseas.
In Malaysia, the demand for mee tarik has been on a consistent ascent, in tandem with the growing local appetite for China-influenced culinary offerings like mala hotpot.
Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan, for instance, started out as a small stall in KL's Jalan Sultan operated by a Chinese Muslim owner.
It has since expanded to six outlets in the Klang Valley in areas like Taman Tun Dr Ismail, SS15 Subang and Bukit Jalil to cope with the soaring demand for the noodles.
'I think mee tarik became viral three or four years ago, just before the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were flocking to mee tarik outlets. Now it has passed the virality stage but it has become embedded in the culture of late-night dining. It's a popular option because it is popping up everywhere.
'With Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan, for instance, we are opening in different neighbourhoods so that people don't have to drive to the city for it. They can just go to a neighbourhood outlet.
The dough is an important component of the noodles and is made up of water and flour. — Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan
'And I think there is a huge demand for Chinese Muslim food, especially in terms of late-night dining. There is a lack of late-night dining options in KL, aside from mamak outlets. So we are trying to provide Malaysians with an alternative option for supper,' says Ili Sulaiman, the brand manager of Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan.
To encourage this late-night dining, the restaurant chain is open till 2am most days.
Authenticity is also integral to ensuring an experience that mirrors what Lanzhou lamian noodles are about.
Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan, for instance, only hires Chinese Muslim noodle sifus from China to make the famed Lanzhou lamian beef noodles.
So what goes into a bowl of Lanzhou lamian beef noodles?
The main highlight is of course the noodles, which are kneaded, twisted into spirals, hand-pulled and then manually split into strands that could be thick, thin or somewhere in between, depending on the restaurant and the maker.
Every batch of noodles is made to order, which means when you see the sifu pulling and twisting the noodles, he's making it because someone has just placed an order.
But the broth that laces the bowl is just as important too and cannot be understated. In fact, many purists believe that the experience of eating Lanzhou lamian beef noodles is divided equally between how good the noodles are and how good the broth is.
Consequently, each bowl of Lanzhou lamian beef noodles has to have a few key components that are epitomised by five colours – clear, yellow, red, green and white.
A bowl of Lanzhou lamian beef noodles should have five colours: clear, yellow, red, green and white. — Mee Tarik Jalan Sultan
The clear aspect is the beef broth, which is traditionally derived from beef bones that have been brewed for hours to extract maximum flavour.
This is complemented by the noodles, which are often shiny and slightly yellow. The white hue is achieved through the slices of white radish scattered in the bowl.
Coriander, meanwhile, makes up the green component, while red is courtesy of the ubiquitous chilli oil so prominent in Chinese Muslim cuisine.
Each restaurant or chef will then incorporate their own unique touch to the broth recipe, with many including spices like cinnamon, fennel and star anise in their soup base.
The final product is delightful – the noodles are springy and firm to the touch and yet have a pliancy to them that renders them utterly addictive.
This is complemented by the broth, which offers bovine undertones, herbaceous overtures and a lick of heat from the chilli oil in the configuration.
It's a meal whose show-stopping quality is that every single component is made well – and with care.
It's little wonder then that demand for the noodles has shot up so dramatically in Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
'Yes, that's why we're looking at going nationwide next year, because we see opportunities to penetrate the market in other states too,' agrees Ili.
For Yong Jie though, there is an immense sense of accomplishment in being able to elevate his hometown dish in a different part of the world.
'The noodles are now world-famous and I am so happy and proud to be a part of this success story,' he says.
