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One of my friends told me about this restaurant so I decided to give it a try. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the entire building. The restaurant looked very clean with no garbage or debris on the floors or on the tables. The staff: The staff here are friendly, and they greet you and thank you with a welcoming smile. Prices: The prices here are pretty much similar to other ramen/noodle shops anywhere you go. Basically, it is a decent price for what you get now a days. Taiwanese popcorn chicken: This was cooked thoroughly and was delicious when you bite into it. This was definitely worth ordering if you decide to come here. Ultimate Lanzhou beef noodles: My brother said this noodle soup was not spicy at all. In fact it had too much of the black vinegar taste instead. The beef was cooked thoroughly, and the noodles were just all right with nothing special. Lanzhou beef noodles: The soup base for this noodle soup was very bland as if it was just soaking in water. The beef did not have flavor but was cooked thoroughly. The noodles would have tasted a bit better if the soup base had a little flavor to it. Overall: I might give this place a try again if I ever come back down to the Princeton area. Otherwise, I probably would not take the 1-hour drive down here just to dine at this noodle shop. A suggestion would be that they should try to perfect the soup base as the noodles are already good.
After several years, I recently revisited Lan Ramen during Princeton Reunions. The quality of the food (in particular the noodles) unfortunately seems to have gone down a bit, especially the noodles. The interior is still as beautiful as in the past, and it's still one of the better options in Downtown Princeton, in my opinion. In my past experience, many of the dishes here tasted fresh and clean; next time I would stick to their non-noodle dishes. On my most recent visit, I tried the following dishes (roughly in order of most to least enjoyed) -L4 Fiery Lamb Stew of Lanzhou with Wide Noodles ($24+$4) - I actually prefer the lamb stew now to the version I tried in the past: it's very flavorful, decently spicy, has a strong cumin flavor, and clings well to the noodles. The bone-in lamb is good. However, the noodles were very soft, not bouncy at all, and shorter and thinner than in the past. I would recommend getting this dish here, but I'm not sure if the wide noodle add-on is worth it. (Side note: I'm sad that they no longer serve this on a sheep-shaped platter). -V7 Water Spinach ($20) - good and fresh, not overly salty. Quite garlicky. P4 Shredded Pork Tenderloin with Baby Bamboo Shoots ($18) - I think this is their version of 鱼香肉丝, and I liked it. The pork texture is good, and it comes with shredded bamboo and a few wood ear mushrooms. The flavor is slightly sweet, vinegary, and spicy. The red oil at the bottom is spicier than expected, so gets spicier toward the bottom of the dish. -D1 Black Sesame Munchkin ($8 for 5 pieces) - much worse than before. These are black sesame and walnut tangyuan with a peanut coating. It tasted like frozen store bought tangyuan; the peanut coating was coming off in several places. The filling is much sweeter and fattier than before; I found it too sweet. -N5 Beijing Zha Jiang Mian ($16) - this wasn't good. The noodles were too soft, and the sauce was very oily yet watery; the flavors tasted watered down. Service was nice, but it was really busy when we went and the servers seemed a bit overwhelmed (e.g., our vegetable dish came after the dessert). I believe that there is a 2% credit card fee, according to a sign on their wall (I forgot to double check my bill for this).
I went there for lunch during a weekday in the summer of 2025. Some Chinese colleagues suggested this place. Parking was a bit tricky as this is pretty much in the middle of Princeton downtown. The place was not very crowded. We ordered several dishes and shared them. The food came relatively quickly and was quite tasty and plentiful. The service was very good. We were quite happy with our visit.
Stopped by on a Monday for lunch with my husband. We were seated right away despite being quite busy. We ordered 2 entrees and 1 appetizer. The monster spicy noodles weren't as spicy as we hoped for but was a nice warm bowl of hand pulled noodles on a cold November day. We chose the wide noodles. The caramelized pork with steam buns was my husband's favorite. I wish that it came with 6 buns as we had to finish the rest of the pork with white rice. The homemade pork potstickers were cooked nicely. Slightly chewy skin (iykyk). Also available with seafood or vegetables. Food was 3.5/5 Service was 5/5
We went here for an early dinner at 5pm on a Saturday eve and snagged the last table they had. Not sure if they take reservations but if they do I definitely suggest getting one. We started with the Taiwanese popcorn chicken and it was really good.. crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.. just perfect!! We then got the ultimate lanzhou beef noodles and the shabu shabu beef with GLUTEN FREE noodles!! We personally preferred the shabu shabu beef. The portion sizes are huge for the entrees so keep that in mind when you order. I took my leftovers home and I had enough for 2 more meals Will definitely come back to try the other stuff on their menu!!
Freshly made food with authentic flavors. The chow fun is chewy and bouncy. Rice is fluffy and filling
When my friend and I visited on a Wednesday afternoon, we were seated immediately! The restaurant was in this cute downstairs space on the corner, and the interior was also cozy. The Lanzhou beef noodles were delicious; I asked for spice on the side, which the server was able to accommodate. My friend ordered the scallion and ginger noodles, which were SO good (I would order them again). The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the eggplant fries; while the sauce that came w/ them was delicious, the eggplants were bland, and the batter was really thick. Honestly though, I was overall really impressed by the variety of foods and the affordable pricing of everything. I would come here again!
That was some of the best ramen and dumplings I've ever eaten. It's a fun atmosphere here too. The food is very fresh and high quality. I think it's the best I've tasted locally. The quality is unmatched. The dumplings (goza) doesn't have mystery stuffing it has actual fresh veggies that you can see. Friendly staff.
Hand-pulled noodles piqued my interest in this place, especially after reading all the positive reviews on Google. I visit with my husband for lunch while we're in the area. It didn't disappoint! The braised beef noodle soup was delicious, and so was my husband's lunch. My appetizer arrived while I was still eating my main course, but I didn't mind because the portion was generous. I'll definitely be back with my family. The menu offers so many delicious options that I'm eager to try more in my next visit.
Very disappointed with Lan Ramen. First off--despite the name, Lan Ramen is not a Japanese ramen place. Their noodle dishes and the rest of the menu are distinctly Chinese. I had looked at the menu online beforehand so I was not surprised, but it's something that could be easily missed. Don't expect to see shoyu or tonkotsu ramen on the menu. My party was given water and menus right away, but we sat for 15-20 minutes before a server came by again. One of us has a gluten allergy so we were pleasantly surprised to see that most of the dishes on menu can be prepared gluten-free. We asked to order the crispy spicy chicken gluten-free, but our server responded "Sorry, it's not really gluten-free. I know the menu says it can be made gluten-free but most of the entrees aren't really gluten-free because of breading and sauces." I appreciated the heads up from the server, but I was confused as to why the restaurant would misleadingly label those items as having a gluten-free option. Thankfully, the noodles are the one thing that can actually be made gluten-free. We ordered two bowls of lanzhou braised beef noodles--one extra spicy with regular noodles, the other with gluten-free noodles--as well as the lanzhou home-style noodles. The food came out fairly quickly, about 10 minutes after ordering. As the server was handing us our bowls, he said, "I don't remember which one is which; you guys will have to figure it out," and left. Given that our noodles had different spice levels and one was gluten-free due to an allergy, it felt inconsiderate to leave us to determine who ordered what, especially since all the bowls looked identical. The bowls were filled with broth, noodles, a few pieces of beef, and a massive amount of fresh spinach on top. The menu mentioned the noodles would be topped with spinach, but the amount just overwhelmed everything else in the bowl. I ended up picking out over half the spinach to get it to an amount that would even stir into the noodles and broth. The amount of meat was disappointing for the price ($17-$18 per bowl, plus $3 extra for gluten free noodles). I had about five pieces of beef and one piece was entirely fat. All three of our broths had very little flavor. The home-style broth was supposed to have hints of sesame and peanut butter but it tasted almost identical to the braised beef broth. None of the broths were spicy, despite being marked as such on the menu--not even the "extra spicy" bowl had a hint of chili oil. After the server dropped off our food, I did not see him again for the rest of the meal. Our waters were not refilled a single time. We waited 15-20 minutes for the check after we finished eating. Finally, I went up to the hostess stand and paid the bill there. I won't be coming back. There are many noodle places across NJ and NY with better service and tastier noodles.
Lan Ramen is a delicious Chinese subterranean hole in the wall on Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton, NJ. It specializes in Lanzhou hand drawn noodles with well made sauces and soups to please the savage beast within. The family stopped in this week to celebrate an important birthday and the purchase of a new electric vehicle by the lovely woman sitting next to me. An app (Thin Sliced Tripe in Hot Chili Sauce), and then onto the mains (Baby Lamb Chops - excellent, Mapo Tofu - soft, silky and nicely spiced, Ultimate Lanzhou Noodles w Sliced Beef - as good as advertised as the most popular dish on the menu, Dry Lanzhou Noodles with Soicy Beef moderately hot, and Big Chicken Plate - dark meat chicken, red onion, jalapeños, potato and tomato that was stew like). Everything was really delicious and as folks who are a mixed Chinese/American family who always look for something unique in our wheelhouse, were impressed with the whole spread. We just wondered how Lan Ramen had escaped our attention for so long? Needless to say, it will escape it no longer. The somewhat haphazard service was the only reason for this 5 Star report.
Welcoming atmosphere, staff friendly, food is fresh and very tasty. There Homemade Noodles very delicious. Seafood bowl had the right amount of spice for me. Awesome experience. We come back.
We ordered the Beijing zha jiang noodles, the Ultimate noodles, popcorn chicken, wonton shrimp with spicy peanut and pickled carrot and radish. The zha jiang noodles were incredibly bland. It tasted like oil with meat sprinkled over it. The broth for the ultimate noodles was literally water mixed with chili oil. The popcorn chicken was very crunchy and the flavor was good, it was honestly the best dish out of the five. The wonton tasted store bought and the peanuts had no spice to them all. The pickled carrot and radish were exactly what you think it is. Overall, the food was mediocre at best. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't good. Although they have a large menu, I doubt I would come back to try the other things.
11 months ago
4 years ago
Such a vibe. Enter off the street and down the steps into a small seating area. Several tables line the wall with half bench seating. There are a few stand alone tables and a counter area with seating as well. We sat right away and received water in mason jar glasses. After ordering everything came out pretty quickly. For appetizers we got the pork soup dumplings and Taiwanese popcorn chicken. The portion size was generous and felt more like a meal. The chicken was tender pieces of dark meat with flavorful crunchy coating. My dumplings were filled with delicious hot goodness that really hit the spot. For the main course we had Mongolian beef and home style ramen. The beef was so tender and full of flavor. The ramen bowl was large with a generous portion of ramen and and thin slices of beef. The broth was tasty and comforting. After getting our food our waiter seemed to forget about us. We waited a while after finishing for him to return but he never did. We had to ask the busboy for to go containers and a different person brought our check. read more
10 months ago
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3 years ago
Ordered three dishes and two noodles - every dish was delicious and authentic! Service was good and the dishes came out really fast as well. The best chinese food in the area! Would definitely come back! read more
10 months ago
3 years ago
This is such a cool place. The service was excellent and all of the food came very quickly. Highly recommend starting with the pork potstickers (add the sauce). We also had the Mongolian beef, the fiery lamb stew, and the ultimate ramen. Everything was delicious! read more
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TLDR - delicious beef noodle soup! Eggplant fries are my new favorite thing, Great view of the kitchen from counter seating, waitstaff could be more attentive I've walked past this restaurant a few times before and I'm so glad that I got to try it out for the first time! Ambiance - clean and cozy seating area. - open kitchen! I enjoyed sitting at the counter seating area to watch the staff cook! It was so cool to see huge flames fire up around the woks - warm lighting Service - Waitstaff was friendly but seemed very busy since there was only one person taking care of the entire dining area. They could be more attentive My meal - eggplant fries: perfectly hot and crispy and paired with a sweet and sour sauce. - Lanzhou beef noodle soup - for the chili oil on the side so I could adjust the heat level. Beef was tender! Broth was seasoned well and had a good depth of flavor. Noodles were a bit over cooked but still slurp worthy Overall I enjoyed my meal and I'll be coming back to try their other dishes on the menu! read more
1 year ago
Absolutely disgraceful. Why does it say gf option=can be made gluten free at the top in BIG letters. And it says gf option next to every item and they said nothing here is gluten free and that it is outdated and that it can be contaminated in the same fryers. I don't understand this menu writing and they said the owner refuses to get gluten free soy sauce. This place has a lot of problems people with celiac need to stay AWAY from this place. ZERO stars. read more
11 months ago
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Cool manager - Kenny. Local. Convenient. Awesome interior. As soon as you walk in you get a cool relaxing loungy vibe to it. Staff is very efficient and accommodating. Food quality 9/10. Music is 10/10! There is really no need for improvement here other than bathroom- it looks like it has not been cleaned for awhile. Thank you for reading this and I hope you find this helpful! PS Manager - Kenny is a cool guy! He is doing a great job managing this place. Keep up the good work man! read more
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Jessica S.
Haha. Thank you for the photos! They look great!
11 months ago
11 months ago
Back after a two-year hiatus thanks to Covid, Some of the menu items have changed. We started off with some rel reliables the traditional pork soup dumplings which were outstanding and the scallion pancake with beef again outstanding great ways to start a meal. The one dish that we were not pleased with which is causing a three star review in addition to our server's lack of knowledge of the menu, and more than likely she's new so I can't totally fault her, but the jumbo ginger tomato shrimp, which sounds wonderful on the menu, very odd that the skins are still on the shrimp when the shrimp is cooked. my first bite I couldn't understand what I thought was biting into cellophane, only to find out that its the shrimp skins that they keep on when they cook and they don't come off. that means you have to get your hands all dirty pulling the skins off before you can eat and enjoy the meal. never, never again will we order that dish. read more
Business owner information
Jessica S.
Wow!! That was so encouraging!!!! I truly feel so happy and so very…
2 years ago
A fun ramen spot in downtown Princeton! The AC was not working when I went which wasn't ideal in the summer, but the ramen was delicious. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
My first time in this area of Princeton. The restaurant is located downstairs and is on the small size but can accommodate for bigger group due to its larger booths. The decor is nice and subtle. Service was okay, was seated right away. They legit slam down two cup of waters down as soon as we sat down. The restaurant was busy so our waiter took some time to get to us. Our waiter was not attentive how he was with other tables, reasoning of a 4 star versus 5 star. He did advised a discount is awarded if you pay in cash, which they do have an atm onsite. Good to know for next time. The ramen came out really fast and it was good with the perfect portion. The star was the pork belly over rice. The pork belly was so tender and the perfect cook, it was delicious. read more
11 months ago
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4 years ago
They were suuuper busy we had to wait around 30 mins but definitely worth the hype! Everything was delicious I would def come again read more
1 year ago
This place was so great, especially after a day of travel. It was later in the evening and I just wanted comfort food and this was the answer. I got the not spicy beef, which didn't have a ton of flavor, but ended up adding a lot of flavor when I asked for chili oil. If I come back in town, I'd love to get the spicy braised beef- I feel like that's the best option. Also, the bar seating is perfect for reading, watching the kitchen and hanging out when you can't find anyone to get noodles with you. I'm long home now and keep wanting to find something so comforting closer to home. read more
This place is super cozy. They do not allow pets but they do allow service animals. The food itself today was a little dry. The meat in the soup was super over cooked. The homage noodle dish was good! Overall a good experience. A little on the pricey side for Asian cuisine. read more
4 years ago
Yummy ! & Not as spicy as it looks. Asked staff for a recommendation and was told to try the Braised Beef Noodle, so my husband ordered that one. We both enjoy SPICE, and the recommended ramen wasn't listed as extremely spicy so I decided to go with the Ultimate Spicy Beef Noodle. We enjoyed our dinner very much, and also had some of their Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken which was very delicious. However, if I'm being honest, it wasn't as spicy as I'd hoped for. I preferred the beef from the braised beef noodle, but the flavor of the ultimate spicy beef noodle. If we return to this location, I will definitely be ordering the braised beef noodle and asking them to make it extra spicy. I also watched a peanut noodle dish pass while we were enjoying our ramen, and would be most inclined to try that as well the next time around. The noodles are pulled by hand. I had their regular noodles and my husband ordered their wide flat noodles. He said he preferred my noodles over the wide flat ones. Environment was nice, pretty crowded but accommodating. You can also watch them hand pull the noodles at the bar. Staff were polite and knowledgeable. We overall had a great experience and would recommend on a cold day. read more
1 year ago
More info about Lan Ramen
4 Hulfish St
Princeton, NJ 08542
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(609) 356-0383
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https://www.lanramen.com
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Do they still have soup dumplings, they aren't on the menu anymore?
No soup dumplings anymore unfortunately
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