The portions here are HUGE and I appreciate that. Got to take plenty of leftovers home for extra meals. Came in on a Sunday night for dine-in and were the only ones there so service was fast. It's a small spot, but it's clean, bright, and inviting. Handcut noodles were pretty good, and you get to choose the type of cut noodle from 6 different choices. The broth flavor could have been deeper, so the spices are what make up the flavor. Note that the menu only offers beef noodle soups. If you don't eat beef, then you'll have to order a different dish - stir fried noodles or big plate chicken. This place is not vegetarian-friendly. FYI It says xiao long bao on the menu in both english and chinese, but it's not XLB. It's a steamed bun with meat filling (bao zi), so don't expect a soup dumpling. For Nashville, Noodle Essence will do. I'll come back occasionally when I'm craving a giant bowl of noodles. read more

It's easy to overlook this unassuming spot in the dense web of Nippers Corner businesses. However there is much to be discovered for those who take the time to check it out. The nearly-lost art of hand pulled noodles is an experience unlike any other. This restaurant specializes in an authentic Chinese beef noodle soup with custom levels of chili oil added to the spicy level of your liking. The hand pulled noodle options include varying thicknesses of round and flat shapes. The dough is smooth and bouncy, pulled with perfectly consistent thickness, and then cut and cooked for the perfect slurp and bite. Service is kind and attentive. The last time we went we opted to order an orange chicken entree to go in order to pack lunches for the next day, and they waited until the end of the meal before bringing it out, packaged for transporting home. The extra care and consideration was thoughtful. If you're craving Asian comfort food or are looking for clear broth with noodles, don't skip over this spot in the popular Nippers Corner! read more

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wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. prompt, friendly, kind service, fresh ingredients, everything tasted like it was made in house... a fantastic meal overall. bf and i had the "a" and "b" set meals, plus bao and dumplings. i've never tasted broth like that, and the noodles are scrumptious and made with so much love. we saw the chef peaking over the window, anxious to see if we liked the meal. have never had lanzhou style noodles, but it reminded me of all the superb chinese food i had growing up in san francisco. please go and try everything on the dang menu!!! read more

Noodle Essence - Noodles Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I got the classic beef noodle soup with a flatter noodle. Because the noodle was wider, there was more of a chew. The noodles were cooked perfectly so it still had a very nice texture and chew. The broth is very light and salty. It didn't have a really deep flavor. Instead the salt was overpowering all other flavors. It pairs well with the cilantro and chives. I got it spicy but it wasn't really spicy at all. On a cold day, it really hit the spot. I would say that it's similar to the taste of pho but slightly different. I highly recommend this place, it's very authentic and not americanized at all. read more

Noodle Essence - Lanzhou Beef Noodles Soup with Chives Flat Noodles - Noodles Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

My friend and I shared a soupy and dry noodle dish. Both were amazing. For the pickled vegetable beef noodle soup, we got the wide flat noodles. Definitely hand-pulled in house. The broth was light and comforting. The meat was tender & the pickled veggies were soft. The other noodle dish was packed with flavor too. It wasn't necessarily dry as it was drenched in sauce. I highly recommend trying both types of noodle dishes. The chili oil on the side enhances everything! The employees are kind. The inside is on the smaller side but can accommodate large groups as needed. read more

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In the time I waited for a to go order I could have hopped on a plane to New York grabbed a cab to Flushing and had my meal Sooner. Be prepared to wait and wait and wait. The food was decent but not wait for an hour for a to go order good. read more

We have been looking for a good noodle place here in Nashville for over a decade. The food was delicious!! The service was prompt, with generous portions and fresh ingredients...small menu, but that tells me, that they focus on what they are good at!! Clean and bright, unassuming locale Give this small new business a try. It's was worth the drive from Sylvan Park read more

Reasonable choices on menu and prices reasonable. Nothing was outstanding for cuisine. Essentially a counter order/pickup then sit on stools at bars around room on wall or small tables. Sorta bar type motif. read more

My daughters and I had a great dinner . It is in a strip mall so there is ample lot parking . Casual atmosphere. We had dumplings , bao buns and lamb skewer appetizers . Lamb and bao buns were the favorites . My youngest surprisingly passed on noodles and opted for orange chicken . She said it was amazing . My eldest and I opted for noodles. She had the beef soup made spicy. She said the spice level wasn't too hot . I had the mushroom and beef which was very tasty . My youngest said it is her new favorite. Service was attentive . A pleasant meal read more

This is not your typical Chinese restaurant for Americans. The flavors of the broth are exquisite. Do not be fooled by the casual atmosphere. I love this place. read more

We have had three meals at Noodle Essence. The food has been quite good and the service was fine. Today (1/10) we had an unpleasant experience. We ordered Triple Crown to share, along with two sides. The server seemed miffed that we did not order a second entree. (We knew from earlier visits that the portions are large and not cheap.) When the food arrived our server did not bring a plate so we could share. When I asked for a plate she brought me a saucer! Fortunately, the owner saw this and brought me a dinner plate (but only after I made it clear a saucer was unacceptable). In truth, the owner seemed just as irritated as the server. This experience has soured us on Noodle Essence. No restaurant's food is so good as to excuse rude service. I doubt we will return to Noodle Essence. read more

food was amazing! the staff was so friendly and helpful. it was our first time trying their food so we asked for our waitress's fav dish and she recommended something really yummy! the noodles were amazing. will definitely be back! read more

Noodle Essence - Noodles Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Pro: store was clean Overall taste of the food was good Xiao Long Bao tasted good, but the filling wasn't what I was expecting; it was almost like a meat patty Con: Got the vegetable friend noodles, there were barely any vegetables in it, and three types of vegetables, predominantly cabbage read more

Had high hopes but was really disappointed. The noodles seemed homemade but didn't like anything else about any of the dishes we tried. Beef Noodles and General Tsos were barely edible. Bad beef, bad sauce. General Tso's chicken seemed like it was made with ground chicken meatballs that were fried and a weak watery sauce. Vegetable Fried Rice wasn't bad but wasn't good either. read more

Perfect noodles. Very friendly services and clean environment. We hi there regularly.

Finally! This place is totally legit! The noodle and broth are really good. Everything is flavorful. And the portion is very generous. If you want authentic hand pulled noodle, this is the place. read more

Came here on a cold night. Got the braised beef soup with baos starter. The broth and noodles were so good and fresh. The baos was my favorite. Will definitely be coming back. read more

I had the braised beef noodle soup. The best noodles I had ever had. The dumplings were excellent!

Noodle Essence is a fantastic place with hand-pulled noodles. The stir fry also has velveted beef, which is a Chinese method of making it super tender. The Lanzhou Beef Noodle soup has a rich, complex broth and more of those fabulous noodles. The cucumber salad is refreshing and offers a bit of relief if you order the soup spicy. Highly, highly recommend. read more

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Very good dumplings - seems to be authentic. We had hoped that given the name, they offered ramen or pho primarily, but it is Chinese soup varieties only. It is good if that is what you are looking for. read more

I picked up take out Wednesday night and was blown away with the quality of the food. I got the beef noodle bowl and was not disappointed! Noodles were fresh, broth was flavorful and the service (even with just picking food up) was fantastic! Highly recommend checking this place out! Hidden gem! read more

Delicious seasoning in the noodle dish we had and in the dumplings. The potato salad (raw) was a perfect accompaniment. By far the best noodle experience we have had in ages. read more

Probably the only authentic Lanzhou noodle in the great Nashville area. The noodles are flavorful, the lamb skewers are awesome. My son loves it so much he also ordered another Chinese potato salad to go. read more

Highest quality and exceptional tasty dishes. Great blends of spices and flavors, and the noodles are amazingly good. Great decor to top it off read more