Kung Fu Noodles | Chinatown London

Kung Fu Noodles | Chinatown London

• March 06, 2023

These days, it's rare for me to venture into London for food, and even rarer for me to blog about it. But this restaurant making hand pulled noodles is so good that it warranted two visits from me in a week! If that's not high praise enough... I'm hankering for a third visit so that I can try more of their menu.

Little Joseph, at 2 years old, does not do well in restaurants and likes to run riot. However, noodles usually gets his attention and he was happily slurping away as soon as our order arrived. Thumbs up from Joseph indeed. 

Kung Fu Noodle is relatively new, open last year in 2022 by Alex Xu who also owns Happy Lemon bubble tea shop in China Town, another firm favourite of mine. The only other hand pulled noodles eatery in the China Town area is Lanzhou Noodle Bar, but the dining space is cramped and unsuitable for those with young children. East of London, there's Fen Noodles too. 

First up is a starter of corn-fed chicken with Szechuan peppercorn. Most surprisingly, I could taste the signature numbness from the peppercorn without tasting any spiciness, because this dish didn't actually have any visible chillies. What a revelation, loved this! This cold dish with succulent chicken, is a real flavour bomb of spring onion, coriander and mild numbing peppercorn.

 

Lan Zhou beef hand pulled noodles can be made with thin, thick, wide or extra wide noodles. I went for the thin noodles on my first visit and extra wide on my second visit, thin was my favourite. The broth is super flavourful yet retained that clear nourishing quality, the beef was tender and the chilli oil was fantastically fragrant without being very spicy at all. The chilli oil was yet another nice surprise, though I can imagine those who like their food hot, would want more of a kick.   

This was not mine and I had serious food envy. I got to try some of it and it was utterly gorgeous. Shan Xi oil spill noodles with braised beef brisket. The noodles were thick, fat and chewy - this type of noodle is better known as belt noodles to many. The braised beef brisket was full of flavour, tender and bitey. Adding in a little black vinegar, soya sauce and extra chilli oil just married up all the flavours in the best possible way.  

I will definitely be back again, I am already eyeing up the sliced whelk with chillies, Langya fried potato strips (chips!) and of course more of the Shan Xi oil spill noodles.

Address:

64 Shaftesbury Avenue

London

W1F 6LU