Xi'an stall

What's in that "burger"? A little sleuthing was required.

I'd prowled the warrens of the Golden Mall many times, but until today I'd never fixed my sights on the lamb burger, lovingly described by Robert Sietsema in a recent column. There's no English signage at stall 36, which prepares food from the western Chinese city of Xi'an, but by pointing to a "menu" of framed pictures, my friends and I secured a container of toothsome wide noodles (below) and a pair of burgers.

The pitalike bread, though lacking nooks and crannies, was much like an English muffin, but the meat was a puzzle: The flavor, and the texture, reminded us of pork. (They were still delicious.) After speaking with all three of the ladies on duty, using the few words we had in common, we learned that our sandwiches held not just lamb, or just pork, but both "lamb and pork." Back home, reading Sietsema's column again, I noted that his crew paid $2.50 each for their burgers; we'd paid $2, and so perhaps we simply pointed to the wrong picture. Even though at these prices you can't go far wrong, I'll consider this case open, pending a follow-up investigation.

Xi'an stall
41-28 Main St. (inside the Golden Mall), basement, stall 36, Flushing, Queens
(look for the "menu" of framed pictures)
718-885-7788