YEYE's Noodle & Dumpling

YEYE's Noodle & Dumpling took over the old Intrepid Fox site on Wardour Street and turned this corner of Soho into a proper bowl-of-noodles destination. It is the West End outpost of a small London group founded by master chef Jianxing Xiao, known as Sean, who draws on thirty years behind the stove and a set of recipes handed down from his father.

The draw is honest, hearty cooking rather than anything trend-led. Come here for a serious plate of Chinese noodles in Soho: slow-simmered broths, hand-pulled noodles and generous cuts of braised beef, served in a room of exposed brick, cherry-red beams and hanging lanterns that leans into its Chinatown-edge setting.

Where to find the best Chinese noodles in Soho

The signature is the Golden Supreme Beef Rib Noodle, a long-simmered rib that slides off the bone into a clear, savoury broth, alongside a spicy beef noodle the kitchen sells by the tens of thousands each year. Handmade grilled pork and crab dumplings with sesame seeds round out a short, focused menu built on broths made without powders or shortcuts.

The chef and the room

Sean is said to visit each of the group's London kitchens daily to keep the cooking consistent, and that hands-on approach shows in the bowls. The space keeps an industrial, slightly weathered charm with an open kitchen and neon accents. It sits among the noodle and dim sum spots at the Chinatown end of the street, near longstanding names like Wong Kei, with more tables in our Soho restaurants listings.

How a visit works

YEYE's is a walk-in and reservations spot for lunch and dinner in the thick of Soho, well placed for a quick, filling bowl before or after the theatres and bars. Current menus and booking are on its official site, and the Soho branch was reviewed by Time Out.