Thai Food & Seafood at China Lanzhou Noodle

by Iyath Adam

It’s easy to miss this spot with its non-assuming storefront and faint white sign in Dhivehi, but if you’re looking for some delicious food, then you should definitely check out Chinese Lanzhou Noodle. 

Previously known as Beef Noodle China – in fact you still have to search this name for the exact location – the restaurant is located on Nirolhu Magu in Hulhumale’ Phase 1. The indoor seating is spacious with lots of pictures of their food placed all around – so you can really see what you’re in for. The menu is quite extensive and features a range of seafood dishes as well as Thai and Chinese cuisine. 

We went with the full intention of eating A LOT, so we ordered up quite a feast for ourselves! To start off, we ordered Thai iced tea, tom yum seafood soup and shrimp gyoza. For our main dish, we opted for their stir-fried rice noodles in dark soy sauce, finishing off strong with mango sticky rice as our dessert. 

The servers were attentive, and the food was served relatively fast – especially considering the number of dishes we had ordered.

First up, was the Thai iced tea. The rich flavour of the Thai tea really shone through in this drink, and it was not overpoweringly sweet as Thai iced tea can sometimes be. Cold, creamy, and refreshing, it was the perfect accompaniment to the rest of the dishes.

Now, for the appetizers – tom yum seafood soup and shrimp gyoza. 

The tom yum seafood soup was a little less spicy than we’d have liked – but maybe that’s just because we went for the ‘medium spicy’ version. Nevertheless, the flavours in it were spot on – tangy, aromatic, and umami-rich with hints of ginger and lemongrass. The soup had quite a lot of seafood, including prawns, fish, cuttlefish, and mussels. 

Lightly crispy on the outside with a juicy, well-seasoned filling inside, the shrimp gyozas were certainly a treat. The mild flavour of the dumplings really works, especially when dipped in the accompanying salty, soy sauce.  

But perhaps the most flavourful dish of the night was the stir-fried noodles. The rice noodles of this dish were flat and short, with a surprisingly delightful chewy texture; this really brought out the savouriness and slight sweetness of the dark soy sauce, making for a deliciously rich and fan-favourite dish. 

On to dessert now!

The mango sticky rice was a wonderful end to our spicy, savoury meal. The mangoes were ripe and juicy, complementing the sweet, coconut-infused sticky rice. The extra coconut milk on the side had that light sweet-salty flavour – similar to mango sticky rice at Thailand itself – which really brought the elements of the dish together to create the perfect sweet, sticky, and lightly salty bite. 

Overall, Chinese Lanzhou Noodle delivered a well-rounded mix of flavours – spicy, sweet, sour, and savoury. Whether you're a fan of Thai/Chinese cuisine or just looking for something new and tasty, it’s certainly worth trying out!