If you have ever watched noodles being pulled by hand through the window of a small shop on Robson Street, you already know this one is going to hurt.
Noodle Arts, the Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodle restaurant along Robson Street, has officially closed its doors.
A Noms Magazine community member (Tom) shared the closure notice with us, which is also posted on the front door of the restaurant.
The notice, dated March 14, confirmed that the last day of service was March 16.
The letter, titled “Farewell for Now: A New Chapter Begins,” thanked customers for their support over the past eight years and credited the community with helping the restaurant survive the pandemic.
“It was because of you that we were able to persevere through the most challenging times of the pandemic,” the notice read, before adding that they had made “this difficult decision to close this chapter.”
There is a silver lining though.
The team made it clear that this is not a permanent goodbye.
The notice stated that Noodle Arts “will soon return in a brand-new way to continue serving our community.”
The restaurant opened in 2019 offering authentic Lanzhou beef noodle soup on Robson.
Owner Irene grew up in Lanzhou in northwest China, where her family owns 68 restaurants across the country.
She moved to Vancouver for a fresh start for her daughter and opened Noodle Arts to share the authentic Lanzhou beef noodle from her heritage.
Everything was made from a secret family recipe, and all noodles were handmade and hand-pulled on site every day.
Watching the noodle pulling happen right in front of you was part of the experience that set it apart from other noodle shops in the area.
Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles have a deep tradition in Chinese cuisine.
The dish is defined by its clear broth, hand-pulled noodles of varying thickness, tender beef, chili oil, and fresh garnishes like cilantro and green onion.
For those looking for Lanzhou-style noodles on Robson, IMRAN Halal Beef Noodle opened up just a couple of blocks down the street earlier this year.
Noodle Arts now joins other recently closed food spots in Vancouver, including Pho Q&M, MeeT in Yaletown, and Bacaro.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 1739 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC