Qin West - Westwood

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
#1

Went in planning to get the liang pi but the Liuzhou soup seemed more exciting. Nice combination of spicy and various sour elements and lots of different textures in a complex broth. $20 bill for scale but it doesn’t really give the proper impression of what a huge serving this is. Ordered regular (maximum) spicy but the receipt said medium, well within my asbestos-palate comfort zone.

“Chinese cold dish” was very good. I’ve had these done better but only at places that have closed.

Seems popular, I was there from around 3:00 to 3:30 and around 20 other customers came and went. I don’t think anyone else spoke a word of English.

8 Likes
NYC food lover & fam coming to visit LA
#2

Good thing there’s no SAT “Verbal” section …

1 Like
#3

Doesn’t Lizhou style broth feature sea snails?

#4

I’ve been ordering takeout from the Chinatown location and, if you can believe it, the portions are even bigger than ordering in-house. I got two noodle soups and a mo for about $20 and was able to make four solid meals out of it.

And yes, the liuzhou said it was made with seas snails which I could taste though I didn’t find any in the soup.

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#5

“PS: The ingredient of the soup contains beef bones and river snails” per their menu.

And thanks for the report, Robert. I’ll have to try out the cold dish next time.

#6

The pig ear was a little soft for my taste.

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#7

I went there on Chinese New Year and asked the waitress if it was actually possible to have the snails they use to make the broth, and she seemed a little taken aback by that question like why would anyone eat snails. Strange.

#8

For me - as one who has bemoaned the lack of “real” Chinese food on the Westside for more than 2 decades - it is so hard to believe this plate of food is available in this location. Not to mention the soups and noodles.

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#9

would not be surprised if the broth is actually created in another location and transported in to the restaurant.

#10

I agree. I wouldn’t have found it strange if the waitress just said they don’t actually have the snails, but I just found it curious that she seemed a little put off (not personally, but generally) at the idea of eating the snails that they use to make the stock…

#11

FWIW, the Liuzhou rice noodles are called 螺蛳粉/luo si fen. The variations of “Liuzhou” above are… misspelled, and the Liuzhouers don’t call it Liuzhou rice noodles (like Thais don’t call the noodles “pad Thai”). See “luo si fen”:

The snails aren’t “necessarily” eaten along with the fen, but traditionally “definitely” used in stock.

Also, new “dry” Guilin mi fen being added to both stores this week:

(photo: @ivylinwei)

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#12

Really? I don’t know anything about river snails, but I assume it’d be like aromatics… Perfectly edible, but you wouldn’t want to…

#13

I eat here a few times a week and have seen them carrying out empty boxes that were marked “snails” so I assume they are making the broth on-site.

#14

i know for sure that some of their other sauces are made in a different location.
possibly the snail boxes are used to transport the containers of prepared sauce/broth from the cooking location to the restaurant?
or maybe not.

#15

wsg – I like your thinking. Do you work as some kind of investigator? Or maybe a writer of TV crime shows?!

#16

i was a big fan of columbo.
that’s as far as it goes.

BUT
i understand that YOU may have some inside info about investigations!

#17

Got the liang pi this time. Wow. We were halfway through the dish before I realized it might be vegan. (Not sure what’s in the sauce.) An Italian place could be proud of those noodles.

Tried the roujiamo. Nice little meaty sandwich. Did a rerun on the cold plate, awesome as before.

Great food, insane value.

6 Likes
Liangpi 涼皮 (mian/noodles) - where do you get your fix?
LA Chinese food is just as good as Vancouver's
#18

agree

#19

+2 Love that place, need to go back more often!

@robert, you’re in town? I didn’t care for the roujiamo that much, and I think they retooled their luo si fen a little last time I was there (flavor profile and toppings slightly different) but still delicious!

#20

Back home already. I would have liked the sandwich better if the bun had been toasted and the pork could have been spicy.

What’s the difference between roujiamo and mantuo, anyway?