Uncle Zhou Restaurant (CLOSED)

Noodles are the star of this Henan-style restaurant, run by native Steven Zhou, since 2011. For the “Dial Oil” noodles (you bo mian), spaghetti-like strands are coated in vinegar, then topped with a sizzling, garlic-infused oil and more of the minced cloves. Another Henanese specialty, da pan ji (literally “big tray of chicken”), takes its cues from neighboring area Xinjiang, the dish’s birthplace. In Zhou’s rendition, stir-fried nuggets of bone-in bird cover hand-pulled noodles, wide silky ribbons ideal for soaking up the plate’s onion-and-pepper sauce. You’ll do just as well with the meaty lamb dumplings (yang rou shui jiao)—bursting with a sweet, slightly gamey soup—which are tasty vehicles for the house-made chili oil.