At Murger Han, a bowl of BiangBiang noodles costs more than double what it would in China. But in a city where Chinese food often comes at a premium, this is one of the rare cases where the markup feels like a tax on nostalgia rather than an empty surcharge.
Since opening its first branch over a decade ago, Murger Han has steadily expanded to four locations across London, most recently adding an Elephant & Castle outpost in 2022. It remains one of the few places dedicated to Shaanxi cuisine, a region defined by wheat, not rice; where food is pulled, stretched, pounded, and torn, shaping an entire culinary identity through texture.
The murger (or rou jia mo, 肉夹馍) is the first encounter with this — China’s oldest sandwich, where slow-braised pork is packed into a griddled flatbread somewhere between naan and a biscuit. The bread should ideally crackle at first bite before yielding to the softness inside, but Murger Han’s version leans on the gentler side, absorbing the meat’s rich juices rather than resisting them. The murger soup takes this one step further, breaking the dry flatbread into broth, where it soaks up the flavours like a sponge, turning dense into supple.
Then there’s the BiangBiang noodles, broad ribbons of dough so thick they slap audibly against the bowl when lifted. They hold their chew remarkably well, dragging chili oil and soy sauce along their surface, their elasticity part of the pleasure. The chilled rice noodles offer a contrast: cold, slippery strands that tangle together, their silkiness interrupted by the rough heat of mustard and garlic.
At under £15 for a full meal on average, Murger Han manages a rare balance in London—where price, authenticity, and satisfaction align. More expensive than home, sure, but for a meal built on the perfect bite, it’s a price worth paying.
Vanessa Ma
Address: 4 Castle Square, London SE17 1EN