:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70215420/Spicy_Chicken_Wings_with_Belt_Noodles.0.jpg)
By December 8, the Sahara reveals its latest restaurant, specializing in hand-pulled noodles and dumplings along with traditional Northern Chinese dishes. Noodle Den opens next week from chef Guoming “Sam” Xin along the resort’s new Strip-facing restaurant row, part of a $150 million renovation of the Sahara.
Xin, who joined Sahara’s culinary team in 2020 to oversee the resort’s Chinese culinary scene after founding The Noodle Man locally, brings his menu of hand-pulled noodles in dishes such as beef brisket hand-pulled noodle soup, Kung Pao chicken stir-fry with cat ear noodles, farmhouse-style pork with knife-sliced noodles, and tomato and eggs with knife-sliced noodles. Some of his chef’s specials include baked sea bass with unagi sauce, spicy cashew prawns, wagyu mapo tofu, and sweet and sour port spare ribs, among others.
The design merges Chinese tradition with a modern style, featuring an open kitchen for watching chefs pulling noodles and warm woods with green onyx and hints of red. Diners enter the 1,300-square-foot venue to see a bold architectural waffle parasol. Other design highlights include contemporary paper lanterns, a backlit painted fabric ceiling of cranes and blossoms, and a playful mural of cranes with umbrellas in the backdrop.
The Noodle Den plans to be open for lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will serve dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant joins Philadelphia’s Chickie’s & Pete’s, which opened at the resort in October, and James Beard Foundation winner for Best Chef Midwest in 2006 Shawn McClain, who plans to debut Ballo, Italian for dance, with light Italian cuisine.
