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This Chinese food chain with a celebrity following that started out in a basement in Queens is a better alternative to Panda Express

Hollis JohnsonJan 5, 2016, 04:02 IST

Hollis Johnson

If you're tired of run-of-the-mill Americanized Chinese food, you may be in luck.

New York City-based restaurant chain Xi'an Famous Foods serves authentic, mouthwatering cuisine from the Shaanxi province in northwest China.

From Anthony Bourdain to Bobby Flay, Xi'an has enjoyed a lot of attention since its beginnings as a food stall in the basement of a mall in Queens.

Since 2005, the chain has grown to nine locations throughout NYC, and is proving to be incredibly popular.

Xi'an recently landed on Zagat's first NYC Fast Casual survey list - further proof of the chain's rise to NYC fast-casual stardom.

It may just be popular enough to take on a larger market and bring real Chinese fast-casual to the Panda Express fast-food market.