A slice of northern China has landed in South London – and it’s steaming. Mulan Noodle, newly opened at 192 Acre Lane in between Brixton and Clapham, brings the rich, bold flavours of Xi’an street food to a warm and welcoming new space. With hand-pulled noodles, sizzling oils, plus traditional live music setting the scene every weekend.

Born out of a longing for the deep, hearty dishes of the Chinese north, Mulan Noodle is a love letter to the comfort food of busy night markets. Every element is hand-crafted: from the hand-pulled noodles to the freshly pleated dumplings and wontons, and even the sweet and sour chicken – prepared daily with fresh, never frozen chicken, and a house-made sweet and sour sauce using real fruit. Nothing comes from a factory; everything is handmade with care, using only fresh ingredients.

Inside the open kitchen, you can watch as dough is slapped, stretched, and pulled into wide ribbons, just as it would be on the street corners of Xi’an. The result is robust bowls layered with garlic, sesame, vinegar and chilli oil, always made to order.

The menu is a celebration of China’s most beloved comfort dishes. Handmade Chilli Oil Noodles (£10.80) lead the way; chewy hand-pulled strands bathed in fiery, fragrant oil. Choose from the Biang Biang noodles, wide and flat, laced with garlic, vinegar and heat or La Tiao Zi, their thick cousins, come drizzled with hot chili oil. Toppings are generous and customisable: braised beef shank, brisket or minced beef (each £4), with vegetarian options like tomato & egg, mixed vegetables (£2 each), or a marinated soy egg, seasonal greens (£2 each).

The Handmade Dry Mixed Noodles range starts from £12.80 and includes six bold varieties from Cumin Beef, Spicy Rib to Big Plate Chicken and more, again with the choice of handmade wide noodles or La Tiao Zi. There are also Classic Soup Noodles from £12.80, which come in seven deeply satisfying broths, from Stewed Brisket to Tomato Egg. These come with a choice of 4 noodles, with the addition of thin noodles and rice noodles.

The menu extends to delicious rice dishes, handmade starters and street snacks. There’s the trending Marinated Cucumber (£5.20), smashed cucumber with garlic-soy-vinegar dressing, Xinjiang Pepper Chicken (£6), plus a Black Fungus Salad (£5.20). Homemade buns, potstickers and dumplings are prepared fresh daily – pan-fried, steamed or boiled – while desserts stay true to the theme: Sichuan Ice Jelly, Deep Fried Milk, Mango Pomelo Sago and Brown Sugar Rice Cake all feature.

At the bar, Mulan Noodle is shaking up signature cocktails such as the Jade Margarita, which uses Mulan Noodle’s authentic Jasimine Tea and Oolong Eclipse made with authentic Oolong Tea, giving more character to the traditional whiskey sour, with more creations designed to pair with the food’s fire and depth. After your meal, you can opt to get a bubble tea. Located next door but available to order in the restaurant, top picks are the Brown Sugar Bubble Tea and Mango Coconut Bubble Tea.

Live music breathes even more life into the restaurant every Friday and Saturday night, when musicians take to the floor with traditional Chinese instruments. The Guzheng, a 21-string zither, fills the space with delicate, harp-like tones and the Pipa, a four-stringed lute is known for its bright, percussive melodies and emotive range. Together, these instruments create the perfect backdrop to a meal.

The restaurant has been launched by Mina and Kris who both grew up in China. Together they are bringing the most authentic and best quality Chinese noodles to London where they now both live and love. The chef brigade are also all from China and have been making the same noodles for over 30 years. Driven by a shared dedication to quality and authenticity, the team prepares every dish by hand, using fresh ingredients and time-honoured techniques.

Mulan Noodle is open now at 192 Acre Lane, SW2 5UL.