Biang Biang Boom at Murger Han

A few years ago there were not many places where you could find Biang Biang noodles but now there are so many restaurants that serve Biang and competition is fierce.

Biang Biang noodles are basically extremely wide strip noodles similar to parpadelle but much wider.

So far I have only tried two places that I can compare with.

As well as biang biang noodles, they also serve roujiama which they call Murgers aka Chinese style burgers with pitta bread.

If you are dyslexic you might see Murders!

Enter Murger Han which fullfills all your wishes with the complete Xian (Shaanxi) fare including Xian breakfasts.

There are currently three branches with its first flagship restaurant which opened in Euston during 2014, followed by Mayfair in 2016 and the latest City location in 2020.

I have been meaning to go so I did my research to see what were the best things to order as well as biang biang noodles.

Sadly, they don't really respond to enquiries on social media yet they are actively on social media inviting influencers etc.

Their website was helpful but hard to navigate and some items were not up to date.

My first attempt to dine there was the Mayfair branch but I didn't like the vibes so I went to the City branch which was more relaxed and welcoming.

The staff there spoke good English and were able to explain the food items.

With the usual 12.5% service charge, Murger Han charges 13% stated on the menu which Thankfully can be offset by sharing photos on instagram.

Without further hesitation, it was the biang biang noodles I was after but there were four options as Murger Han have given it a modern touch.

The regular biang biang noodles usually come with some chilli oil as it was originally part of a poor man's meal in the countryside.

On the menu, you will find that they do offer the most basic spring onion and chilli oil which is vegetarian and they also offer the tomato and egg as a non spicy option.

For those who fancy a bit more, there is the three in one option or the five in one option.

I liked the idea of spring onion and chilli oil as well as tomato and egg which led me to choose the three in one which includes them both plus a meat option.

To be honest, I am not really keen on meat so it would be great if you could choose another veg option or some tofu skewers to make up for it.

In the end I chose lamb as the meat option which was basically the same as English roast lamb which I didn't expect as I thought it would have some cumin being Shaanxi style.

Anyway, when the noodles arrived, it came in a mammoth sized bowl.

I was told to mix everything because the flavours are in the sauce.

You will find that the noodles are topped with the three options: tomato and egg, spring onion and chilli oil, meat option as well as spinach and pak choi.

It was impressive how wide and the length of the biang biang noodles were.

The flavour profile and complexity of these noodles will really blow your mind with its spicy tangy notes.

As for the noodle texture, I would say they were a bit like lasagne with a chew and the quality depends on how well the noodles were pulled.

If they were evenly pulled, you get a nice springy yet al dente chew but if there are bits that have not been pulled enough, you will find it rather chewy.

The beauty is that these noodles really hang and absorb the the flavours because some noodles just don't take on flavour.

Having tried the biang biang noodles, I would love to return for the Murger soup and the terracotta warrior desserts!