1915 Lanz Noodle, Edinburgh

There’s been an explosion of great East Asian food in Scotland in the past few years, and it’s become easier than ever to get your arms around a very big bowl of noodles. At the Seafield end of Portobello, 1915 Lanz Noodle joins the party with a real focus on Lanzhou beef noodles. It’s a style of noodle soup from northwest China that’s been around for centuries, but its modern iteration was developed by Ma Baozi, a Hui Muslim chef in Lanzhou, in… yep, 1915. It’s a dish that is defined by its clear meaty broth, bright red chilis and, crucially, hand-pulled fresh noodles. 

It takes a certain level of confidence and commitment to name your restaurant after one dish on the menu, and those are both evident as soon as you walk into 1915; it’s a bright, light space with its gold-edged noodle-making station front and centre. There’s something wonderful about seeing this kind of skill close up, looking over your shoulder to see the very beginnings of someone’s dinner, then looking back and seeing a fistful of noodles appear seemingly out of nowhere. It’s a reminder that real people make your food, bringing their abilities and knowledge to every dish. We mention this partly because it’s cool, and partly to contrast an ordering system where we used a giant tablet computer to browse the menu, which then printed out a blank receipt because the paper was upside-down.

As for the menu itself, it’s very beef-forward and extremely meaty, but that’s not to say that veggies are completely overlooked. Our vegetable pan-fried dumplings (£6.80) are excellent, with a crispy skirt connecting them all together, and the ideal balance of steamed bite and fried snap. They’re also an early chance to try the delicious homemade Gansu Chili oil from an impressively large serving bowl in the corner.

The roujiamo or ‘Chinese hamburger’ is another northern Chinese staple that's made its way onto the menu. It’s a flaky white bun, like a cross between a fluffy bao bun and the crust from a roti or paratha, stuffed with shredded meat. We opt for the duck (£7.80) and it’s delicious – it’s absolutely loaded with braised meat, and every bite has a bit of that crusty exterior, soft bready middle and fatty, sweet core.

Image courtesy of 1915 Lanz Noodle.

Now for the main event, the Lanzhou noodles. Firstly, they are absolutely enormous; our bowl with braised brisket (£11.80) is a real sight to behold, with each of its component parts shining out, but we're slightly afraid to take a photo in case we drop our phone in the soup and can't get it back out. This is a dish that has been fine-tuned over decades, and by the time it's made its way from northwest China to Portobello in 2026, the balance of flavours and textures is extremely well-established. And they're all here: the clear, meaty broth is subtly spiced and surprisingly light, and the chilli oil from earlier brings loads of colour and aroma with just the right amount of spice. The beef is melt-in-the-mouth good while those hand-pulled noodles put up just the right amount of chewy resistance. It’s a lot of food, but it doesn’t feel heavy; it’s fatty and meaty but without ever becoming overbearing. The hand-pulled noodles also fare well when stir-fried; a black pepper and chicken (£10.80) dish has those fresher-than-fresh noodles bouncing around the plate and literally tying themselves in knots. Another impressive portion, another dish that balances all its elements really, really well.

It’s a Monday night, and this place is packed. There’s a group of eight in the back corner, while the table next to us are telling the staff that this is their second visit in a week. The noodle chef is out from behind the counter, asking diners about their meals, sharing the story of these particular dishes from this particular part of China – and sharing their thoughts on some of their favourite restaurants in the city. It’s that enthusiasm that really shines through here, and a desire to make the dishes that they want to make. It’s a one-room space on Seafield Road (hit the bus depot and you’ve gone too far), but 1915 Lanz Noodle is punching well above its weight. Their signature noodles are one of the best dishes we’ve tasted all year – hop on your bike and head for the seaside, you won’t regret it.

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12 Seafield Road East, Edinburgh, EH15 1EB
Mon-Thu 12-3pm & 4.30-8.30pm; Fri-Sun 12-8.30pm
1915lanznoodle.co.uk