Xi’an Famous Foods opens an outpost on 4th Avenue

Xi’an Famous Foods has opened an outpost at 139 Fourth Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street...(Thanks to Jeannie Krier for the photos!)

The chainlet of quick-serve hand-pulled noodle shops has expansion plans after closing several locations during the pandemic. (The St. Mark's Place spot closed in early March 2020 when the lease came up for renewal.)

Company CEO Jason Wang's father David Shi got his start in a small food stall in Flushing, a business popularized after an Anthony Bourdain endorsement. 

No. 139 on Fourth Avenue was most recently PLNT Burger.

Biang! is now open on 2nd Avenue

Biang! — the sit-down Chinese restaurant via Xi'an Famous Foods owner Jason Wang — is now open at 157 Second Ave.

The well-regarded restaurant, — it received one star from The New York Times — has relocated from its original location in Flushing to here between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street.

A sign on the door notes cash only for now. (Not sure about alcohol — they were just on the CB3/SLA docket yesterday.) And for now they are using the sidewalk cafe guard from the previous tenant — Wylie Dufresne's bistro Alder, which closed after two-and-a-half years at the end of August.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Jason Wang bringing Xi'an Famous Foods offshoot Biang! to the former Alder space on 2nd Avenue

Xi’an Famous Foods reopens Sunday on St. Mark's Place

After a longer-than-expected renovation, Xi’an Famous Foods at 81 St. Mark's Place near First Avenue reopens on Sunday...



The popular noodle shop closed for renovations back on March 17 and was expected to be closed an estimated three-four weeks. However, there were apparently some issues with the DOB and Con Ed.

Anyway, here's a look inside the renovated space...

What's happening with Xi’an Famous Foods on St. Mark's Place?

[Wednesday]

A few readers have asked about the status of 81 St. Mark's Place … home to Xi’an Famous Foods. The popular noodle shop closed for renovations back on March 17. Xi’an was expected to be closed an estimated three-four weeks.

Some worried fans noticed the lack of activity here … as well as a growing pile of mail on the floor.

However, workers were back on the scene yesterday …



And here are tweets from Xi’an explaining the delay …

Still waiting on EV! The building is fixing a gas leak & it might take a month for DOB+ConEd approval. If anyone knows people, hit us up!

— Xi'an Famous Foods (@xianfoods) April 25, 2014

@JocelynKowald soon...we are fixing up a tangle with DOB

— Xi'an Famous Foods (@xianfoods) May 28, 2014

Reader report: Xi’an Famous Foods closed for renovations

[Photo by @charli via Twitter]

Disappointed diners have learned that the popular Xi'an Famous Foods at 81 St. Mark's Place is closed for renovations.

@evgrieve Did you see that Xian Famous is closed for renovations? I went there yesterday and saw another shocked would-be patron. Horrible!

— Adrianne Jeffries (@adrjeffries) March 20, 2014

Their official message via Facebook:

Our East Village store will be CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS starting Monday (3/17)!

We hope to be back up and running in 3-4 weeks, with a few more seats and a more open kitchen!

In the meantime, head to our nearby Chinatown spot, open regular hours.

And this is a legit "closed for renovations," not one of those stop-gap messages to help the proprietor hustle out of town.

Xi’an CEO Jason Wang has ambitious plans to expand his growing noodle empire, with possible locations in Boston and Washington, D.C.