Niuda Noodles specializes in freshly stretched Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodles, with their own twists on soup bases and toppings that go beyond the traditional.

Apparently "niu" translates to "cow," and the name "Niuda" loosely translates to "big brother cow." This is essentially because beef is the main protein used here.

Circles hanging from the ceiling are blue on one side and raw wood on the other, and at the back, vases are positioned in front of flowers painted on the wall.

Noodles are stretched by hand with loud whacks in an area visible to diners, available in varying degrees of thickness and made with a secret ingredient that ensures the noodles have good elasticity and texture.

The soup base made with 13 spices and premium beef bones. It goes through a complex process, multiple bases actually combined for different elements of salt and fragrance. Drained-off beef fat oils are also added back into the soup right before serving—an element borrowed from Japanese ramen.

Ordering is done via a paper menu and checkbox system wherein you choose your style of soup including the primary protein, your noodle shape, and any extras you want to add on like extra noodles, dumplings or an egg.

Braised beef shank noodle soup ($12.99) has chunks of beef instead of slices like a lot of the soups, incredibly tender and warmly seasoned.

Angel hair noodles are very delicate, though all the noodles here should be eaten instantly, as they soak up the rich, layered broth very effectively.

Standard accompaniments of bok choy, radish, onion and cilantro add brightness and crunch to the heavy soups.

Signature beef noodle soup ($10.99) with “classic” thickness noodles is the most standard style and arguably the best deal. The noodles soak up the broth while still yielding a decent amount of chew, supporting the thinly sliced beef.

Pickled cabbage beef noodle soup ($11.99) adds a tangy note with finely chopped pickled cabbage. A soft-boiled egg ($1.99) adds extra protein and richness.

Wide flat noodles with this soup fall apart a bit more easily, but have a more starchy, almost dumpling-like texture.

Provided hot oil isn’t actually too spicy, but provides a kick of flavour that further opens the passages as the steamy soup is eaten.

Sides include salty fried chicken ($7.99), powdery and crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.

Dumplings ($3.99) come in beef or veggie varieties, the thin wrapper crunchy and dark on the bottom and delicate on top, served with a vinegar-y sauce.

Refresh with fruit tea ($5.99).

This space in a restaurant-packed strip was formerly home to H2 Kitchen, and before that, Ebisu.