San Wei - Queens Center Mall
Noodle shop · Elmhurst ·

San Wei - Queens Center Mall

Noodle shop · Elmhurst ·

Authentic Chinese w/ pastrami, hand-pulled noodles, bubble tea

San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null
San Wei - Queens Center Mall by null

Information

Food Court, 90-15 Queens Blvd FC-09, Elmhurst, NY 11373 Get directions

$10–20

Order delivery
See Menu
Good for solo dining
Credit card accepted
Debit card accepted
Contactless accepted
Paid street parking

Information

Static Map

Food Court, 90-15 Queens Blvd FC-09, Elmhurst, NY 11373 Get directions

+1 347 906 7867
shopqueenscenter.com

$10–20 · Menu

Features

•Good for solo dining
•Credit card accepted
•Debit card accepted
•Contactless accepted
•Paid street parking
•Wheelchair accessible entrance

Last updated

Nov 27, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@eater
391,474 Postcards · 10,994 Cities

New Restaurant Openings NYC: April 2025 | Eater NY

"A newcomer to the Queens Center Mall food court with an online menu listing ramen, beef noodle soup, Coca-Cola rice bowls, and other East Asian comfort dishes." - Emma Orlow

https://ny.eater.com/2025/4/3/24395266/nyc-new-restaurant-openings-april-2025
San Wei - Queens Center Mall
@grubstreet
13,527 Postcards · 1,477 Cities

San Wei Sells the Most Surprising Pastrami in NYC

"Located in a suburban mall food court at Queens Center in Elmhurst, this independently owned stall pairs an unexpected pastrami-focused offering with hand-pulled noodles and other dishes. The pastrami on rye is thickly sliced with a dark bark, a salty, peppery kick, and spicy brown mustard; it’s substantial and leaner than classic Katz’s-style pastrami (sourced from a third party rather than made in-house), and one reviewer compared it favorably to what’s served at the Mets’ stadium. The thick, flat hand-pulled noodles come tangled with egg and fatty pork in a numbing tomato broth, while the thin Chongqing-style noodles are spicy and peppery with a slick of red oil—both bowls earned praise. The pastrami bao—cubed meat in steamed buns with mustard and chile crisp—was singled out as outstanding, offering a zingy, balanced bite that’s less commitment than a full sandwich. The owner, who chats with customers while working the line and pulls noodles himself, says he doesn’t consider the operation strictly Chinese and is already developing additions like churros and a shrimp Alfredo." - Tammie Teclemariam

https://www.grubstreet.com/article/san-wei-pastrami-bao-elmhurst.html
San Wei - Queens Center Mall

Juan P.

Google
San Wei has an excellent team—the staff were friendly and welcoming, and they offered generous samples so I could try most of the menu. Ivan took great care with my order, offering helpful suggestions that really paid off. The food is outstanding. You can tell everything is slow-cooked with care. The pastrami, which they make fresh every two hours, was incredibly tender and full of flavor—just like the beef stew. They also serve a variety of sandwiches, rice bowls, and several types of noodles, all of which were delicious. San Wei is a fantastic addition to the mall—definitely worth a visit!

Kimberly Lim L.

Google
San Wei is a nice addition to the Queens Center Mall food scene if you’re craving casual Chinese food. I stopped by recently and had a pretty decent overall experience. The menu offers a good variety of Chinese staples, and the pricing is fair for the portion sizes and mall location. We tried a few different items to get a feel for the place. The dumplings were one of the highlights fresh, flavorful, and nicely cooked. I also ordered a single dish set, which came with a generous portion of rice and a main dish. I chose the San Wei rice and Bang Bang shrimp. The rice was tasty, warm, and comforting, but the shrimp unfortunately fell a little flat in flavour, it looked promising but lacked the punch I was hoping for. We also ordered the pork belly baos. The pork belly itself was actually quite good well-seasoned with a nice balance of fat and lean meat. However, the bao bun was on the dry side and started to fall apart when we picked it up, which took away from the overall experience of that dish. What stood out aside from the food was the staff. The employees were friendly, attentive, and helpful in explaining menu options. Service was fast and smooth, even with a steady flow of customers. While a few items could use some improvement, San Wei offers a satisfying, quick, and convenient Chinese meal for anyone spending time at the mall. It’s a solid spot if you’re in the area and want something more flavorful than your usual food court fare. I’d definitely consider coming back to try more from the menu.

Quentin H.

Google
A good dining experience that could’ve been great. I learned about San Wei and their pastrami while reading an article while walking around the mall. The employee behind the counter greeted me and explained the difference between the two pastrami bowl offerings. I ordered a pastrami bowl, which comes with white rice, a ramen egg, and your choice of broccoli or bok choy. I asked for the more flavorful option and he gave me broccoli. I also ordered a fruit tea. My meal came to $20. The rice was a bit sticky which wasn’t surprising because it had likely been sitting for a while on this quiet Monday afternoon. I enjoyed the pastrami and went back to order another bowl to take home. That’s when I noticed Combo B, which is basically what I ordered, plus spring rolls and soup, for about $5 less than what I paid. Yep, my fault for not reading, but it would’ve been nice for the employee to make me aware of the combo option. I approached the same employee (who was in the process of putting out fresh white rice) and asked why I wasn’t charged for a combo. He said that I didn’t ask for it. Fair enough, but I decided that I didn’t want to spend more money than I had already spent/wasted. I would return, but I would definitely make sure I’m getting the most bang for my buck.

Ei Myat Noe E.

Google
I ordered the beef noodle soup and the short ribs rice, and both were absolutely delicious! The meat was incredibly tender, and everything was well-seasoned. Definitely worth trying 💯

Ashley J.

Google
San Wei Queens center never misses! The food & Drinks are amazing & it dosnt stop at the customer service! The young lady at the front whose name begins with M (I refuse to butcher your name) is AMAZING ! Being a Bariatric patient I often have trouble ordering food. Between my million and one questions and my hesitation I can be considered a handful to some. But not this young lady! She has so much patience and is super versed in the menu to give recommendations. Thank you , thank you ,thank you !

tiffany C.

Google
Was intrigued by this new addition to the mall so we had to try it. The cashier, who was also the lady that cut our pastrami was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We had a bunch of questions and she was able to answer all of them well. I ordered a three protein combination bowl with San Wei rice, pastrami, short ribs and sweet & sour pork belly. This was a great value for the price. I really enjoyed the pork belly. It was tasty and tender and really flavorful. The pastrami was good, but odd combo as an Asian style bowl. Our least favorite was the short ribs. It was like a beef stew style protein with carrots and potatoes. The San Wei rice was definitely a better choice than plain white rice. The second item I ordered was beef soup with hand pulled noodle. This was disappointing. The pro: I really liked the hand pulled noodles-- it was bouncy and chewy. The big con: the soup wasn't really a soup instead it was a whole wad of oil and cilantro. It was really oily and not enjoyable. It also didn't come with the a choy like it said.

Maria D.

Google
their pork and chive dumplings are so good. they have an extensive tea selection and it’s also really good. highly recommend anyone around the area who is looking for something good to eat to stop by San Wei. not pictured here was the churro and ice cream combo we got (super good too!)

Enzo T.

Google
I recently had the beef noodle soup at San Wei. While the soup itself was flavorful, the beef was quite chewy, which was a bit disappointing. The portion size was also a bit smaller than I expected for the price. Overall, the service was friendly and efficient. If you're looking for a quick and affordable meal, San Wei is a decent option, but I would recommend trying a different dish or exploring other restaurants in the area.
google avatar

Chun M.

Yelp
Whatthewhatnow??? A pastrami sandwich at an Asian food stall in a shopping mall food court?? Who thought of this?? This sandwich could turn the pastrami wars in NYC on its head! Look out Katz's! I was looking for it up on the menu board, but all I saw was pastrami baos & pastrami rice box. I asked if it was still available and my man hooked me up by popping 2 thick slices of whole grain bread into the toaster and started to hand carve a big hunk of pastrami. I thought I was getting about half of what he pulled out, but he proceeded to pile it all on the bread after squirting on a slew of grainy deli mustard. He apologized for running out of pickles, but all I could think was "Take my money and gimme my sammich!" Even as I cradled the closed plastic container, the smell of hot pastrami permeated my whole bus ride home and I couldn't wait to dig into that salty, peppery crusted, fall apart tender meat sandwich. I'm sure the other people on the bus were jealous. Next time I might even try out some of the other rice & noodle dishes, but that smoky pastrami smell still lingers on in my mind.
google avatar

Tyler L.

Yelp
San Wei is a new Asian fusion option at the Queens Center Mall's basement food court. The owner wanted to combined food he loves from living in New York City. As a result, the menu features different Chinese cuisines (Sichuan, Cantonese, Shanghainese), Japanese ramen, Mexican churros, and a New York city staple - pastrami. They offer pastrami bao, pastrami noodles, and pastrami fried rice. It's a unique fusion worth trying because I can confirm that their pastrami is top notch - really flavorful and juicy. I'd recommend getting one of their combo meals. You can get an entree, with soup, salad or a spring roll and a large bubble tea for around $14.
google avatar

Ka C.

Yelp
New food option located in the Queens Center Mall food court. It is Chinese food but strangely also serves pastrami. Service is fast and you can also order via kiosk. I have not tried the pastrami but I have tried the beef noodle soup and the San Wei mixed noodle. The beef noodle soup comes with a choice of thin or thick noodles, and I chose the thick noodles which were chewy. Note these are probably not the same as "hand pulled" thick noodles, but maybe comes from noodle packs? I enjoyed it though, has decent amount of beef chunks that were not dry. The other dish I tried was their signature mixed noodle. This tasted very unique flavor with the tomato and egg. Portion is below average in size though. I would get this again as well. They also have bubble tea and other interesting drinks on the menu but to me they are pretty expensive. I tried the Asian sprite which was a fun take on sprite, but not really worth the price.
google avatar

Hui L.

Yelp
Got two pastrami baos without the mustard. I saw that the staff member cut up almost 3/4 of one piece of pastrami and then displayed it in a taco holder! Such attention to detail! The pastrami was moist and a good mix of lean and fatty meat. I think two buns were more than enough for one person. It looks like they also offer pastrami sandwich, rice bowls etc and sometimes offer samples. A nice addition to the food scene at Queens Center food court.
google avatar

Gordon Y.

Yelp
Let me start by saying that the iconic Katz's pastrami sandwich is maybe my all-time favorite meat between two pieces of bread anywhere. Tbh, they don't even have a very good rye bread imho, but the meat is just always on point. Slather a spoonful of mustard and I'm happy. Hearing all the craziness about this Chinese food court stall inside Queens Center Mall selling one of the best traditional pastrami sandwich in NYC, I had to come check it out asap. With cautious optimism, I prayed that Queens finally has a worthy option for this NYC Jewish deli staple. For $18.95 + tax, you are given half pound of cured beef brisket with your sandwich. I had asked if they used the navel section like Katz's Deli, but the servers clearly did not know. Regardless, the pastrami they are serving may be some of the best in NYC. For comparison purposes, at the time of this write up, Katz's pastrami sandwich is $28.95 and maybe 3/4 of a pound. For starters, they cut it as thick, possibly thicker than Katz's Deli. The female server certainly doesn't have the knife skills of the cutters at Katz's, but did a decent job. Personally, I prefer a thick cut because it retains moisture better. That is the case here as well, leading to very juicy pieces of meat. Let's talk about tenderness, this was one of the most fall apart tender pieces of pastrami I had in recent memory. Certainly better than the dry chewy leather I had from 2nd Avenue Deli last week. Or the sad excuse of a pastrami sandwich from Pastrami Queen when I visited a few months back. Anyway, I don't want to make this sandwich sound like it was perfect. Taste-wise, this sandwich lacks the depth of flavor that Katz's famous pastrami always delivers. That intense peppery and slightly smokiness felt missing a bit. Also, what I had looked like toasted white bread, not rye bread. I'm not 100% sure, but it was different than what I prefer. With that said, I'm still saying that this is a solid pastrami sandwich all around. One good enough that I would come specifically for when craving strikes. For $11.95 instead, you can get chopped up pastrami on three Chinese steamed lotus buns. Some of my friends preferred that option, but the buns were just too over-steamed and mushy for me. They also have an Unlimited All You Can Fit Box for 11.95 that is a crazy bargain. I got one to bring home just for the hell of it. Here is what I got - a whole braised pork hock, two roast pork spare ribs, a scoop of soy braised pork belly, napa cabbage with preserved vegetables, and two scoops of chicken & broccoli (only thing I would skip). The various items were all decent and enough for three meals. As for other products they carry, the chive & pork dumplings were $12.49 for 10 pieces. For a frequent visitor to Flushing like myself, that seems extremely expensive. However, the quality was not bad. On the other hand, the dandan noodles ($11.99) were definitely not up to par. It looked more like a soup noodle with so much sauce, way too much. Flavor was alright, but the noodles were a bit overcooked. Btw, the taro milkshake was actually quite good. Long story short, don't come for the Chinese food. It's in a mall food court after all. Why not drive 10 minutes to Flushing for the real thing at a better price? With that said, do come here for what I consider an excellent pastrami sandwich that has been missing in Queens for a long time. Imho, it is better than anything available in Queens and better than most anywhere around NYC as well.
google avatar

Judy F.

Yelp
1st time customer... Venue inside the food court. My friend ordered the Dan Dan noodles, (mild spice) and pomegranate jasmine tea (comes with jelly and ice). She thought the spice level was enough and enjoyed her beverage (16-oz cup). I ordered the pork & chive dumplings with chili oil and a side of peanut sauce. I didn't taste the chives, perhaps overpowered by chili oil. Peanut sauce (made with tahini) was thick. I didn't care for the peanut sauce which I hoped would pair with the dumplings. Also, I ordered a medium (12-oz) Sprite which was good.
google avatar

Tiffany C.

Yelp
Was intrigued by this new addition to the mall so we had to try it. The cashier, who was also the lady that cut our pastrami was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We had a bunch of questions and she was able to answer all of them well. I ordered a three protein combination bowl with San Wei rice, pastrami, short ribs and sweet & sour pork belly. This was a great value for the price. I really enjoyed the pork belly. It was tasty and tender and really flavorful. The pastrami was good, but odd combo as an Asian style bowl. Our least favorite was the short ribs. It was like a beef stew style protein with carrots and potatoes. The San Wei rice was definitely a better choice than plain white rice. The second item I ordered was beef soup with hand pulled noodle. This was disappointing. The pro: I really liked the hand pulled noodles-- it was bouncy and chewy. The big con: the soup wasn't really a soup instead it was a whole wad of oil and cilantro. It was really oily and not enjoyable. It also didn't come with the a choy like it said.
google avatar

Marina C.

Yelp
I saw this open months ago and reviews said the pastrami was great.. hm a Chinese place serving pastrami .. lil odd.. intrigued.. must check it out when I'm in the area... I got the 2 item with sides.. pastrami/pork belly with Napa cabbage and corn with San Wei rice.$17? I don't remember.. The portion is decent.. I had one taste of the pastrami and a tiny sample of the cabbage .. at the mall and then threw away all the cabbage cuz it was too salty and saucy for me and I didn't want it mixed with the other food since I wasn't going to eat it right away while I had to carry it. The corn reminds me of.. canned corn? Which I haven't had since I was a child, it tasted very buttery. I don't like canned food.. it didn't taste bad but it's corn u know. Corn hardly ever tastes bad. The pastrami .. I reheated it in the oven really quickly .. just to warm it up. I added mustard on the side and it was better. It looks like pastrami .. but it maybe needs more fat? Was lacking hmm spices? It's okay. I'm not a fan of pastrami but L just thought it was strange I guess.. It's just weird in a bowl mixed with other flavors. It's not bad but I dunno if it's as good as others said it was. I wouldn't rush to the mall for it. Though seeing what the mall food court has to offer.. it's not a bad option but I rarely ever go to the Queens mall, especially the food court. The pork belly was fine. The rice wasn't bad but it had all this strange seasoning. I should've stuck with white rice ... I didn't finish the whole platter thing even though I ate a lil for a few days. The lady working at the front seemed nice.
google avatar

Veronica X.

Yelp
Great service, authentic food, good location - in the Queens Center mall! Recommend it!!
google avatar

Bensen H.

Yelp
This restaurant is located at the food court, right within Queens Center Mall. It can easily be overlooked and unnoticeable given the much more popular restaurants around, but I was able to get food from here a few times and from those few times, I really like the food. Unlike Panda Express, which is also located in the same food court, San Wei serves significantly more authentic Chinese cuisine; think slow cooked dishes that remind you of home cooking, not takeout fare. It doesn't matter either way, but the rice dishes are amazing in my opinion, and really good for the price. In both times, I had beef short rib stew over rice, which comes with two sides, one of two steamed vegetables and a ramen egg. I really like having mine with bok choy. I also had a few bites of the pork belly as well, and it is really soft, tender, and flavorful. The beef short rib stew reminds me of home cooking and it is so delicious because of how tender and flavorful everything was. The only thing is that the rice can be a little soft and it could use less moisture. However, the portions are really big and the quality is absolutely excellent for the price as well. Service is consistently quick and considerate, though I did notice a worker throw out one of my two orders after I told her what my actual two orders were, so from the correction, she realized that she made a mistake and threw it out. Even though I told her that she originally made a mistake by making two beef short rib rice bowls instead of just one, I felt really bad that such good food had to be thrown out, but I guess that is standard protocol no matter the restaurant, even if it is from a really good restaurant like San Wei. While being located in the middle of a busy, fast paced, and often chaotically crowded food court, ordering food from here and eating the food feels much more like eating home cooking in a slow and sit down kind of way at a kitchen table, not something quick like fast food or a handheld on the go item in a middle of foot traffic and room talking voices. The food from this restaurant transports me to all the great foods I loved to eat growing up, which means it is not only delicious, this restaurant also makes me feel something.
google avatar

Angela L.

Yelp
This just opened up in the Queens Center mall food court. The seating is all food court seating. The stall looks clean and bright. When I walked up to the counter, there is a touch pad kiosk that you can order from. After some deliberation, I ordered the beef noodle soup with hand-pulled noodles and a shoyu tamago (Japanese Soy Sauce egg). I entered my number and waited for them to call my number. The server who handed me the food was polite and professional. Overall for a mall food court beef noodle soup it wasn't bad. The soup was a bit bland but a with a touch of heat. There were some tender pieces of beef in the soup. Usually the vegetable they include is bok choy but they had romaine lettuce instead. The egg was disappointing. I expected a soft runny center and it was basically a bland tasting hard boiled egg. The hand pulled noodle wasn't bad. I watched them make it and the person didn't really look like an expert. There were three long thick noodles in the soup. The consistency was all over the place. I understand that hand pulled means that there are some parts will be thicker than others but one of the noodles which was thinner was softer than another one that was firmer and had a better chew. Not bad, there's lots of things to try. I hope this place does well.
google avatar

Keron K.

Yelp
Excellent for a mall food court place, I had the pork belly boa and it blew my mind how good it was, can't wait to try the rest of the stuff next time I come

Alain L.

Yelp
Horrible service, I went on my break stood there for over 15 mins as staff walked back and forth and no one took my order a complete waste of my break....I get a short amount of time to eat and I clearly chose wrong attempting to eat there...also 0 stars should be allowed
google avatar

Paula W.

Yelp
Pretty cool addition to food court! The pastrami bowl was a nice twist. Ramen bowls are plz
google avatar

Jon L.

Yelp
Any sign that reads "World's Best" should be taken with a grain of salt, especially if it's in a mall food court. And even more so if it's World's Best Pastrami (since that's Katz's of course). And way more so still if it's a hand pulled noodle shop. Amazingly it's not too far from the truth. It's not taking the #1 spot from Katz's, but it could well be number 2 and it's definitely in the top 5. Yes. Seriously. It's hand cut to order and wonderfully fatty and tasty. I have no idea why it's here but who am I to complain, especially since it's not all that expensive. (Now all they need is some Dr. Brown crème soda.)

Justcallme M.

Yelp
The pulled noodles was good. They gave a lot that I couldn't finish it. I like that about a restaurant because I know I will be coming back for this reason. The dumplings that have chicken was okay. I am very particular with chicken, it has nothing to do with their food. The chive and dumpling was great. No problem and a good quality. The three combo rice with pastrami was good and a lot. Staffs are super nice and understands the customer's needs Oh also the containers are very sturdy and can be reused for other purposes.
google avatar

France S.

Yelp
Soup flavor is great, bubble tea was flavorful and service was fast , recommend for people that likes soup

Yan X.

Yelp
This is the second time I visit Sanwei. They added a couple new options, including rice box and Dan dan noodles. Those are great and they also have decent portion size.

Jennifer L.

Yelp
I Ask for a drink, on top of the 5 mn wait time they give me the wrong drink. i told them this is not what i ask for they keep telling me to taste it so they can make me a new one. Server Lovejit S

Toni T.

Yelp
I went to San Wei due to the reviews on yelp about the pastrami .. I was there before 7.30 pm and Jeff was nice to let me try the Pastrami and I told him the pastrami have not much flavor and he also let me try the pork belly which is not as tender and need more of the star anise to boost up some flavors ... I have ordered the beef noodle soup that come with two spring rolls and a drink and cost $16.32 and they run out of spring rolls and ask for some Pastrami instead .. If I know they have two kind of noodles I would prefer the broad noodles than the skinny noodles .. when you have soup noodles you want your soup to be bubbling hot not warm and that is the reason my noodles is not really cook well n even their beef is not as tender as I wanted and the reason I m giving this review so that they be able to achieve the tenderness of the meat we are so use of eating it and if I have to be in the Queen Mall I will know I will getting the flavor I wanted from San Wei

J

Yelp
I had gotten the Dan Dan soup with the original boba, the noodles were hard and I had ordered it extra spicy but when it came out there wasn't much flavor to it. The boba tea had a funky taste and the pearls were also hard. The waiting time was around 10 minutes, the food looked better than it tasted and I payed 20$ in total for the meal.

Marleny M.

Yelp
The staff was nice ordered the fresh lemonade,pastrami sandwich and dumplings. It was so good will definitely come back.

Danny L.

Yelp
First off don't leave without getting a drink there drinks are really good especially the Superfruit tea I get it every time. And the ambience is pleasing to look at to.

Silvia T.

Yelp
noodles with just spicy water? wow. the picture speaks for itself. Made even worse by the fact there is no phone number to call and no way to rectify the situation after you leave.

Adam G.

Yelp
very good beef soup noodle and the beef is really flavory and tender!. Their San Wei mixed noodle is a must try! I also like the churro fries ice cream.

dorley d.

Yelp
Food is amazing service is top of the chart thank you I love the 3 meat combination if I could I'd eat San Wei for the rest of my life everyday I would seriously and there spicy oil is top tier I really recommend great to feed a family of 3 off one plate

Andrew G.

Yelp
Amazing hand-pulled noodle! Wonderful avocado slush! My friend tried the pastrami and he said it is unbelievable. It now gives me the reason to come to the mall.