Making noodles may not actually be a trick, but the house-made Shaanxi style noodles at Shan Xi Magic Kitchen in San Diego sure are a treat. The restaurant opened in 2016 in a Kearny Mesa plaza with oddly realistic brick wallpaper and drum lanterns with cinched waists.

I ordered three dishes starring house-made, “hand-ripped” noodles that were irregularly shaped and nearly as thick as tire treads, but considerably more delicious. The bowls with beef and stewed pork both had their charms, but I’m a champion for Biang Biang Hand Ripped Noodles ($7.99). A shallow pool of soy sauce and bean sprouts provide a bed for the chewy noodles, which host a blizzard of fierce minced garlic, chile flakes, and scallions.

According to China Daily, “biang” is the sound these noodles make when slamming against the table during production. At Shan Xi Magic Kitchen, the results eat like a symphony.