To open a noodle restaurant in London is to subject oneself to fierce competition. But with their first permanent site in Soho’s Kingly Court, the duo behind Liu Xiaomian have proved they’ve earned their stripes as the go-to spot for this slurpy foodstuff for those in the know. Originally launched as a street food stall, Liu Xiaomian is led by flatmates and friends Charlene Liu and Liu Qian, who hail from Chongqing, a city in the southwest of China also known for being a capital city for spicy food. Liu Xiaomian then moved into the Jackalope pub in Marylebone as a pop-up, developing a cult-following among professional food critics and regular punters alike.
The duo have chosen foodie central Kingly Court in Carnaby as the noodle bar’s first permanent home. Dab hands in making their home wherever their feet land, the Liu Xiaomian proprietors have managed to place their own stamp on the place despite the slight creative parameters accompanying the Kingly Court site. Simple seating is paired with spicy red accents and a red neon light feature reading ‘spicy, numbing and addictive,’ preparing diners for the sensory overload that’s in store.
Liu Xiaomian’s menu mirrors the beautiful simplicity of its namesake dish. Xiaomian refers to plain noodles seasoned simply with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper, and crucially - chilli oil. This is what the chef-duo credit as the dish’s ‘real essence,’ but their lips are sealed as to what goes into it - their chilli sauce is home-made, following a secret recipe.
The menu offers a choice between wheat noodles, with a selection of toppings including pork, spicy beef, spicy pig trotter, or vegan, or a mix of hot and sour glass noodles. There’s also an option of numbing pork wonton - named after the spiciness of the dish which will leave you without feeling in your lips. There’s also a mix of sides, including cucumber or aubergine salads, edamame or spicy pig trotter, and a couple of desserts are on offer too.