We were in Rochester MN for 2 days. I looked at Yelp's Top Ten and noticed First Meeting Noodle. Right up our alley. Watching your noodles being pulled and boiled is a true treat. We ordered Sichuan Wontons in Chili Oil and Scallion Pancakes for a first course. The wonton noodle was the best I've ever been served. We had Green Beans and Curry Chicken Noodle for mains. We brought lunch ingredients to make sandwiches at our conference. Instead, we returned for more wontons and pancakes. Our companion was interested in calamari (spent ~45" too long in the fryer) and a bowl of chicken noodle soup that was too big to finish. I thought the broth was good, but I'm partial to a saltier ramen style broth. Shops with hand pulled noodles should offer small scissors. You could pull on a single noodle in your bowl like forever! read more

So, the 19-year-old declined to go out for the evening, which meant "Road Trip" for the old guys- well, maybe older guys. We are not over the hill yet. We had already eaten at the Kernel and Pizza Ranch, and everything that we viewed on Yelp had ratings of 1.8 or below. I found the First Meeting Noodle in Rochester, Minnesota, 38 minutes away, so yeah, road trip! When we arrived, we found hotels all around; the area looked newly built or well maintained, and parking was easy. We entered the restaurant, were quickly seated, and were given menus. I ordered soup, and my trustworthy technician ordered noodles with vegetables. We agreed that it was worth the drive, and we couldn't stop talking about the cook tossing massive noodles in the air. He was our hero for the evening, and he definitely had mad skills. The restaurant was well maintained, with clean restrooms, and they always had someone clearing and cleaning tables. read more

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We walked into First Meeting Noodle for a late lunch on a Sunday at 1PM and there was surprisingly a line of customers waiting for seats. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes before getting a table. Beef Burrito ($9.50) - We ordered with cilantro on the side as one of the people in our party has the mutated OR6A2 gene. It's a pretty simple dish. I'm not sure if they make their scallion pancake in house or not. It's rather dense and not really that flaky, salted well and has the thick hoisin sauce to boost the sweetness and saltiness. The beef is relatively tender roasted beef shank, sliced thin, dressed simply. Most of the flavor here is from the hoisin. (4/5) Oil Splashing Noodle ($10.50) + Beef (+$3.75) - Starting with the pulled noodles - these are excellent. Pulled long with very consistent thickness, so everything cooks to the same delicious level of bounce. The hot oil sauce, unfortunately is sub par. It's far, far too sweet, almost like eating a dessert, and while there's a balanced amount of vinegar acidity and some nuttiness, there's no heat at all despite the redness of the oil. There's also a good amount of chopped garlic and peanut right on top, but they get lost in the sweetness. Ordering with beef just adds some sliced beef shank, the same as used in the burrito. It's a fine addition albeit not very exciting. (2/5) Taiwanese Tomato Beef Brisket Noodle Soup ($13.50) - Again, the noodles are excellent here, although they get softer the long they sit in the soup, which is to be expected. The broth here is also far too candy sweet, although this a bit more flavor complexity here from the beef braising spices, the beef itself, and some tomato umami. There's just enough flavor that the broth doesn't feel bland, but it's still very weak compared to a good Taiwanese beef noodle. There's a couple of slices of tomato, an almost invisible amount of pickled mustard (suan cai? zha cai? I can't tell given how little they give). Finally the beef brisket which is also quite weak. It's lean and I believe not braised for long enough, resulting in it being very tough and stringy. (2/5) I feel like these dishes have been adjusted too far to suit the Midwestern American palate. The food served at First Meeting Noodle is far, far too sweet for my tastes - it's a bad sign when a dish that's supposed to be spicy and umami foremost, then tangy, has sweetness as by far the strongest flavor. Then again, this is probably the only hand pulled noodle place within an hour drive, so maybe I should give them some slack. Bathrooms - Two individual rooms, one for men, one for women Food: [2.66/5] Service: [ ] Other: [ ] Final Rating: 3/5 read more

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Just another great night out eating some fresh homemade noodles. I love the chili wontons and I enjoyed my pork belly noodle dish. If anything. The only complaint is I always feel rushed and I can never finish my appetizer before my entrée shows up, but I guess that's not a bad thing. I do like the fact that the staff basically leaves you alone the entire night and you never feel like they're gonna push any more food on you small cozy place but always serves good portions and flavorful food. I look forward to returning again. read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Cute small sit down spot. The noodles were freshly made and you can see them pulling noodles while you're sitting waiting for your food. The sauce the for the wonton is so delicious. The sauce for the wonton had the perfect hint of peppercorn that made it addicting to eat. Both of the noodle dishes were delicious. The fresh noodles were chewy and springy and cooked perfectly. The sauces were flavorful. The spicy chicken wings tasted like an Asian buffalo flavor like what Tony Cu said. read more

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Was in Rochester for an annual checkup and decided to try this place before heading back to the cities. It's out of the Mayo area and right by Apache Mall and a new Residence Inn. It seems to be a newer area and because it shares a lot with Residence Inn, there's plenty of parking. We arrived early for dinner so only one table was occupied. Service was great, very friendly, courteous & helpful. Ambiance has a moderm but cozy feel with lots of wood mixed with metal elements. Menu was pretty straightforward. We had the Cumin beef, dandan noodle & Lanzhou Beef Noodle. Everything was great and did not disappoint- comparable to similar restaurants in the cities. Dandan had a great peanutty flavor, lanzhou beef had just enough thinly sliced beef shank & the noodles were perfectly chewy. We were so full could barely eat the cumin beef which takes a bit longer to make than the noodles but worth the wait. Will definitely come back if in the area. read more

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Just wow. We decided to stop at this place on our way to Wisconsin and the parking lot was packed but the restaurant wasn't too busy. We got a table for two right away and had prompt service. We started with the Brussel sprouts which had really great flavor maybe some orange or something? They were great. I had the garlic chicken noodle dish which had phenomenal flavor. I did medium heat and didn't feel like there was any spice to it. We also had the shrimp fried rice which was great but definitely more mild and less flavorful. This was a great stop and we'll be back! read more

Highly recommend for some authentic noodles- coming from an Asian dude. Kids get a show when looking through the window to appreciate how noodles are made. Servings were a good size and the food was delicious. Staff was quick to serve and was friendly. The restaurant is small but very family friendly. read more

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Amazing new spot in Rochester! The noodles are the star of the show, hand pulled will never do you wrong! I especially loved the service, they were super quick, helpful, and kind. I felt very taken care of here:) I stopped by with an old friend here, and it was the perfect cozy spot to catchup. Both of our dishes were AMAZING! This is a new favorite of mine in Rochester, I will be taking my family to check this spot out too! read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Chongqing Spicy Noodle Soup - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Absolute 5-star lunch here! The restaurant is small, the seating limited, but the customer service is so efficient that tables were cleared immediately. The place was consistently full on this Saturday at lunchtime, but no one had to wait. (If you have a large party, be sure to call ahead!) Also, I noted they had a vigorous take-out business. Like other people, we were seated right away and immediately met our server to get drinks ordered. We ordered pan-fried beef dumplings to share. I had the braised egg and braised pork noodles while my husband had the Mongolian beef. The wait for food was minimal. The noise level was low, making it easy to talk, and it was fun to watch the incredible cooks stretching and twining noodles in the kitchen. The food was extraordinary. Truly artful stuff. This restaurant is highly rated for many reasons. When we were done, the plates were immediately cleared and we were asked if we were done. We were able to pay right away. Again, amazing, attentive service. We would gladly come here again. read more

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I stopped by First Meeting Noodle for lunch, and it was a very pleasant experience from start to finish. First off, logistics are incredibly easy here there is a large, open parking lot right outside the restaurant, so you don't have to stress about finding a spot. The vibe inside is great. My absolute favorite detail has to be the custom wall mural that says "Sad me + Noodles = Happy Me." It really sets a fun, welcoming tone. I also loved the open-style layout where you can actually look over and watch the kitchen staff prepare and cook the food fresh. The hospitality was excellent right from the moment I walked through the door. I was greeted and seated immediately. The staff is incredibly attentive; when I ordered some hot green tea to drink, our waiter gave me a fantastic recommendation to pair with it: the Sichuan Cold Noodle. The Sichuan Cold Noodles were excellent perfectly seasoned and incredibly refreshing for a midday meal. Paired with the hot green tea, it made for a fantastic lunch combo. This is a great spot to grab a bite in Rochester. Great food, welcoming service, and an awesome atmosphere. I will definitely be coming back read more

Absolutely delicious! 10 out of 10 would recommend. Excellent service, excellent atmosphere and excellent food!

Authentic noodles in Rochester?? Yes plz! First meal I had after moving to town and loved the authentic food and staff were so kind. You can watch them hand pull noodles through a window as well! Highly suggest! 5/5 food 5/5 service 5/5 vibes read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

I'd describe this place as very hyped but ultimately pretty average. It's not bad by any means -- it just didn't live up to the expectations or "wow factor" that so many reviews suggest. At the end of the day, it felt like noodle dishes I've had elsewhere, without anything particularly unique or memorable. I had this spot bookmarked for about a year and was finally able to try it. I was told the Garlic Chicken Noodles, Mongolian Beef Noodles, and Beef Noodle Soup were top sellers. We ordered the spicy cucumber starter and the Garlic Chicken Noodle plate. Food came out relatively quickly. The cucumbers were a letdown -- good, but lacking crunch and bold flavor. I actually had spicy cucumbers a couple days earlier at Hunan Bistro that were superb and set a much higher bar - I highly recommend those. These felt soggier and more muted. The Garlic Chicken Noodles were also underwhelming. It surprisingly lacked garlic flavor, the sauce leaned very sweet, and the dish overall felt pretty standard. The chicken didn't appear to be high-quality white meat and had a chewy texture that didn't impress. The noodle soups look great in photos, but after being disappointed with the first two dishes, we decided not to roll the dice on a third. If the initial items had been outstanding, we likely would have tried more dishes. Service was good -- attentive and quick with water refills. The $23 total felt a bit high for what amounted to noodles, vegetables, and some chicken. Based on the quality and portions we expected something closer to the $16-18 price range. Portions were also slightly smaller than anticipated based on other reviews. Overall, it was okay, and could have been better -- just not somewhere I'd go out of my way to return to given the hype. 2.75 stars rounds up to 3-stars. read more

A cute, clean and inviting unassuming hole in the wall. You get to watch them literally hand pull the noodles. Service is fast and hot! The wontons in chili oil were not too spicy, soft and very juicy. The tomato brisket soup with the hand pulled noodles was delicious. A deep, flavorful broth was a highlight. The noodles had a nice chew and beautifully shaped. The scallion pancake was crispy and a nice vehicle for collecting remaining broth. Please stop by if you are in the neighborhood! read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Taiwanese Tomato Beef Brisket Noodle Soup and scallion pancake - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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I'm from out of state and found this place on yelp. The wontons and chili oil, I've been craving them since I left Rochester last week. The Dan Dan noodles were really great, and you folks of Rochester are lucky to have this restaurant!! read more

The food was excellent and very fresh. Great attentive service! The menu includes many diverse items for large and small appetites, including healthy options. Lovely taste and presentation. The setting is comfortable and serene. We asked about options for dessert and tried a perfectly nuanced multi layered lemon cake, which was light and delectable. Ask for it, as it wasn't on the menu. A special ending for a memorable meal! This is a popular restaurant. We ate at an off hour so we did not have to wait for seating. A read more

Stayed at Residence Inn across the parking lot (very convenient) and we parked, the aroma from First Meeting Noodle enticed us to check-in and walk over for dinner. Small wait as there are limited tables, and a couple people in front of us. Large groups may want to call ahead. Steady flow of customers, both for dine-in and pick-up. Friendly Staff who greeted you as you entered, and checked on you throughout your meal. Good prices for some made to order food, which u watch as kitchen is visible & the magic is done in full view. Each dish we tried was unique & new to us. Everything was delicious!!! If we pass this way again - the Residence Inn & First Meeting Noodle will our be our spots. read more

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The ambiance is that of a street restaurant so gives an authentic vibe. The food did not taste good. The Dan Dan noodles were so salty with no flavor. The wontons were ok. The garlic chicken noodles was the best of the lot that was ordered and at least could be finished. Took 30 mins for takeout. read more

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Food fast and hot but not your typical Chinese food, herbs were not of my pallet. I didn't enjoy it! Service was good! Ambiance clean fresh! Not bad by any means but not what I was expecting! read more

This place needs no production or lime light. Just go and taste the food. All I want from a noodle house was at this simple place. read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Green tea cheese cake - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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Made a special trip to try their noodles, and I have to say it was worth the drive! We were greeted promptly and shown to our seats. The dining area looked pretty new and inviting. I love how you can see into the kitchen to watch the chef hand-pull noodles. To start, we ordered the Wontons in Chili Oil, then a bowl of Lanzhou Noodle Soup and Shanxi Shaved Noodle Soup. The flavors were spot on and authentic. The wontons had more kick than I expected, which I really liked. The Lanzhou noodle was fresh, and the broth was comforting, light, yet complex. The Shanxi noodle had a delightful chewy texture, and the broth was unctuous and tasted like it was simmered for hours. After finishing the first two bowls of noodles, we had to order another bowl of Lanzhou Noodle Soup (because it was super tasty) and we also ordered their Sichuan Cold Noodles to try, which was refreshing and a great way to end our meal. The Lanzhou Noodle Soup was still our favorite. Overall, noodles were delicious, service was friendly and efficient, and prices were pretty affordable. They have a parking lot outside so finding parking was convenient. Highly recommend! read more

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Amazing noodles- attentive staff. I tried a variety of items on the menu over 3 trips and there was nothing that wasn't tasty.

Delish. Full stop. The kind of spot where the broth hits you first -- rich, steamy, layered -- and the noodles taste like someone's grandma is in the back hand-pulling them (in all seriousness: you can watch them pull fresh noodles while you wait). Every bowl feels intentional. The flavors are bold without being heavy, and the portions are that perfect "I could keep going but I'm already happy" size. Service is quick, the vibe is unfussy, and the food does all the talking. A spontaneous stop that turns into a new go‑to. read more

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Can you get any better than fresh hand pulled noodles? Everything we've had here is delicious. String bean pork belly stir-fried noodles, chicken curry noodles, Sichuan chili noodles, wontons in chili oil...you know when they ask 'if you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life?' - I would be happy with any of these. Service was super fast and friendly. If you're thinking about going, go! read more

On a hot humid day, The Cold Sichuan Noodles hit the spot. They make the noodles fresh here and all tastes authentic. Service was prompt and friendly. It is cool to watch the noodles being made live.. read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - View of the noodles being made - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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The best Chinese noodles house in town. I came back here after 10 months from Las Vegas. Very tasty excellent foods. Steve and Hai are friendly nice and very professional services. With warm smiles in the snow beautiful weather. Must try when you're in town. Very clean and nice environment .You can see chefs hands making noodles through the kitchen window... read more

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As authentic as it gets. Everything is delicious and the service is wonderful. You won't be disappointed.

We were driving through Rochester looking for a new place to try. This came up, so we had to try! It was so fascinating to watch them make the noodles right in front of you. It is a small space, but we went at an odd time and it was perfect. Service was quick and attentive. I started off first with the chili oil wontons. Add a bit of soy sauce and these are easily a 10/10. I would drive the 1.5 hours just to get them again. They are a bit spicy, peanut-y and chewy. Perfection. For entrees my husband and I tried 2 different things. We got the Mongolian beef and the Dan Dan noodles. We both agreed we'd get the Mongolian beef again next time! The Dan Dan noodles were good, a bit spicy though. The Mongolian beef was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. We will absolutely be back! read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Chili oil wontons - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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Best in town hands down, hands pulled noodles, great service, consistent, our families go to

Was seated right away and the servers were readily available for questions, ordering, clearing the table, etc. Inside seating was cozy. Sitting at the middle table felt more busy than if I had been seated in a booth, but was still a pleasant and enjoyable experience! The food is Delicious! The lamb was seasoned and cooked beautifully in the sandwich. Typically I enjoy shaved noodle bowls but on this visit, I preferred the Lanzhou pulled noodle. The noodles and broth were well seasoned and the broth well developed! The Shanxi pulled noodles were excellent; the broth had hints of both sweet and sour but overall flavor was a bit heavy-handed for my preference. read more

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Chongqing Noodle Soup from this restaurant is by far the best dish in Rochester. Very spicy but delicious.

Food - 9.5/10 yum! Exceeded my expectations for Rochester. Quite authentic as a Lanzhou beef noodle place. While not exactly the same and with as many diverse options as those in the 626 area in California, I can imagine myself coming here often (as long as I have a car / can find people with one!) Service - 9.5/10 very friendly, food came out pretty quickly. Could be a bit more attentive to water refill needs, but the food was amazing and came out hot and warm. Ambience - 10/10 I liked the name and the aesthetic of the place! Lol "初次见面" The bowl was also very big and served enough for the both of us and we even took some home! Got the recommendation to go here from a professor at Mayo Clinic. read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Lanzhou Noodle Soup and Chinese Hamburger / Lamb burger - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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Great place. Solid service, good food, what more can you ask for? Good vibes too. Would recommend

First meeting noodle is a legit ethnic food location in Rochester. The chili wontons, beef shanks, and scallion pancakes are very tasty and quite authentic as well and the perfect starters. I love the Lan Zhou Noodle soup and it does have a floral fragrance which I have only ever remembered tasting in China. Dan Dan noodles are impressive here as well. Service is great and the servers speak Chinese. Very kind people. The shop has a nice vibe to it as well. Highly recommend. read more

The food was amazing and fresh. You can watch the chef making the noodles fresh in front of you. Highly recommend.

The food was terrific and fantastically fresh, especially the noodles. We watched them make the noodles they were serving - cannot get fresher than that. They make their food in a visible well lit kitchen on the other side of large clear clean window. Entertaining and tasty. Possibly my new favorite Chinese noodle restaurant. My only worry is that they're about 200-250 miles from my home. Certainly will stop and eat here again someday. read more

Wow! This place is incredible. I got the Garlic chicken noodles and the scallion pancakes and it was seriously the closest thing I've had to a dish I've had in China. Service was kind and helpful. The setting is cozy and not too loud. You can see the noodles being made through the window too. 10/10 would recommend! read more

After reading many reviews my Dad and I decided to try First Meeting Noodles. We were the first people in the restaurant when it opened at 11:00 on a Tuesday. The three booths had reserved signs on them. So they wouldn't let us sit in a booth. We were seated at a tiny table. When we left the meal, all the tiny tables were full and you sit elbows to elbows next to another couple. But not one booth was being used. We ordered beef dumplings to come out first , then I was specific and told our servers to bring the wontons after and then we were going to split the Dan Dan last. We waited a long while and watched many take out orders go out the door. Then she brought all the items all at once and we had no space on our tiny table to eat. The iced tea was amazing and the service was very attentive as he refilled our glasses often. The beef dumplings were very tasty. I didn't care for the wontons but my Dad loved them. The noodles in the Dan Dan were so delicious. This was the star of the meal. The texture was perfect. Not too chewy but not mushy. Only two small leaves of bok choy but very fresh. Definitely will return to try more noodle dishes . read more

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Amazing taste! The restaurant was clean and well organized, the service was fantastic. Servers came multiple times to check in with me. Tried their chili oil wontons and garlic chicken fried noodles. Their wontons were 10/10 and would definetly come back for them! The noodles were great too. The quantity was great for the price! Looking forward to coming back and trying more of their food. read more

First Meeting Noodle - Southwest - Wontons - Chinese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota