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‘Oh no,’ you may say. ‘Not another noodle joint.’ But this one’s different. It’s not a Japanese ramen bar, but a functional Chinese restaurant. More importantly, it offers that rarest of delights: the hand-pulled noodle. Stretched, folded, then stretched some more with not a machine in sight. It makes for noodles that are particularly bouncy, chewy and satisfying. We recommend the terrific ‘Shan Xi Yo Po’ (£6.50): it’s a huge bowl of long, wide noodles (like ragged pappardelle) with slices of tender beef brisket.
The freshly steamed pork and chive dumplings are also great – a little like soup dumplings, but with a dash of fragrant broth inside each one. Or there are dishes from China’s north-west (using more beef or lamb, rather than pork) – try the signature lamb and noodle soup. If you prefer the hot stuff you’re in luck – the menu is dominated by hot-and-numbing Sichuan classics (mapo tofu, pig’s ears in chilli oil), that will blow your head off. It’ll hurt, but you’ll look very brave.