Chongqing Noodle Specialists Will Open Second Kitchen in Central London Pub

Liu Xiaomian’s spicy, numbing chongqing noodles will get a second London home at the Holborn Whippet pub from August. The restaurant residency, which started at the Jackalope in Marylebone in January this year, will keep its winning formula: bowls of xiǎomiàn in broths heavy with Sichuan peppercorn, garlic, soy, sesame paste, ginger, and owners Charlene Liu and Liu Qian’s signature chilli oil. Minced pork, yellow peas, and water spinach are typical toppings, with the dish traditionally eaten for breakfast in Chongqing; glass noodles made from sweet potato starch are also available for a slippy, chewier textural alternative.

This second opening is born out of the duo’s belief that chongqing noodles and British beers suit each other, not just as local foods but in the contrast between the cold and hoppy and the hot, numbing oils in their broth. Both the Jackalope and the Holborn Whippet are owned by Bloomsbury Leisure Group, which also operates the group of craft beer specialist ‘Taps’ in Euston, Waterloo, Farringdon, and Piccadilly; perhaps chongqing noodles could spread across London’s beer scene in the coming months.

Liu Xiaomian at The Holborn Whippet, 25 — 29 Sicilian Avenue, WC1A 2QH will open in early August.