Noodle and Beer. It’s a simple proposition. And with a slightly simpler execution, it would be a top option in an area saturated with similar offerings.
This Wardour Street location is the second outpost of Noodle and Beer, the first being in Spitalfields, which, while not a total dead zone of Sichuan restaurants, isn’t as loaded with competition as Chinatown. The upstairs is bright, airy and new-looking, but we’re ushered downstairs into the basement dining area, which is equipped with a big, proper cocktail bar. The space is a little pokey, and the tables relatively small. If you’re hoping for a big blow-out meal, you might need to fasten two of them together.
Crunchy strips of beef with sesame seeds and a spicy sauce had us reaching for icy lager
The decor is a deep red, maybe spiritually evoking mouth-numbing dried chillies and peppercorns in a roiling Sichuan hot pot. To us it felt a little more like the Red Room from Twin Peaks. Hopefully the spice levels would have us speaking backwards.
Having never seen beef jerky on the menu at a Chinese restaurant, we felt duty bound to try it, and discovered in it the perfect beer snack. Crunchy strips of beef covered with sesame seeds and a spicy sauce had us reaching for icy lager. Someone needs to put these in bags and sell them to pubs yesterday. A garlicky aubergine salad came with it, and tempered things without losing any pizzazz.
There was only one item with a full five-out-of-five chilli warning next to its name; the xian jiao niu-rou, a simple dish of wheat noodles, pickled greens and vegetables. It’s spicy, but not needlessly – its mixture of component parts actually give it a rather refreshing vibe. ‘Super king’ braised beef rib with blanket noodles, was exactly what you want from such a regal title: its soft meat, snipped off a huge rib table-side, along with luxurious belt noodles, very much pleased the court.
A toe dipped into the specials menu, however, yields less pleasant results. Wasabi prawns, deep fried prawns accompanied by wasabi mayo, are at best misguided and at worst bizarre. The batter is reminiscent of a seaside donut (no bad thing at the seaside) and wasabi mayo sends an unpleasant shock into the nose.
The frying game falters again with dessert, with rice cakes served in a similar style to the prawns, and in too-sweet brown sugar sauce. The mango sago, a fruity tapioca pudding, gets things back on track.
Noodle and Beer excels when it keeps things simple, and sticks to classic Sichuan dishes. If you order right, it’s definitely still worth your time, but perhaps Noodle and Beer should take heed of the directness of its own name, and not try to run before it can walk.
The vibe Cosy, sultry cocktail bar. With a Sichuan restaurant attached to it.
The food Spicy noodles and spicy sides. Probably spicy water if you ask for it.
The drink Alongside the expected beer they have a great cocktail menu. We enjoyed a deliciously fragrant peach martini.
Time Out tip From Thursday to Saturday, Noodle and Beer is open until 4am, making it a rare central London spot for a late night feast and a drink.