I've only had the opportunity to sample hand-pulled noodles at a small food-court stall in the infamous Pacific Mall, so I got excited when I heard that there was a place right in downtown Toronto offering the same.
We arrived at Lan Zhou Ramen around lunchtime on a Saturday and the place was packed. Luckily there was one squished table near the front available, so we pounced.
A quick perusal of the menu led me directly to an item that I always eat when I go to the aforementioned Pacific Mall eatery. (I can't accurately describe it since Lan Zhou doesn't have a webpage, but it was noodles with ground pork and cucumber.)
It's delicious. The pork and cucumbers are well-prepared and tasty, while the noodles are dense without being chewy. It's immediately clear that these noodles are a cut above similar fare in most other joints, and I certainly can't argue with the price point of $8.95. (The portion was a little too small for me, however.)
We also started with some kind of appetizer involving mushrooms wrapped up in beef and it was good too, if a little simplistic. (The first thing I said to my dining companion after taking a bite was that it sure does taste like meat and mushrooms.)