Glasgow’s Noodles & Dumplings is a ‘show not to be missed’

Photography by Katherine Anne Rose

A colleague of mine who regularly hosts Chinese students tells me they shake their heads at the idea of eating just a single dish at a meal, rather than an array of food to be shared communally, so it is no surprise they are so discerning about ingredients, and it’s a joy to see them, often arm in arm, exploring the city, finding their way to the best butchers in search of good offal, fish, and fruit and veg, and Glaswegians, too, get to benefit from new Chinese supermarkets. (A caveat: our top-notch fish and chips are a favourite with all incomers.)

One especially popular restaurant by the university is Noodles & Dumplings, which relocated from the city centre two years ago, and it has paid off. It’s a simple, welcoming space, full of bright colours, some Chinese neon toys and shining Formica tables. Waiting to order at the counter in front of the open kitchen (note, it’s cash only) you witness the preparation of the freshest of food, and a daily show, not to be missed, is the sight of one of the chefs delivering a masterclass in the art of stretching, twirling and teasing homemade noodles into soft skeins, as long as skipping ropes. It’s reputedly one of very few restaurants in the city that makes fresh noodles, a process you can watch on Instagram. There’s a great amount of activity in the kitchen, the scent of rich broth wafts around from the Chengdu steampot, colanders of bright green bok choi and broccoli await on the side. The menu boasts dishes such as braised pork with potato and wide vermicelli, shredded beef tripe in chilli oil, tofu with preserved egg, and cucumber with noodles in sesame sauce.

It has a busy, happy atmosphere, a studenty crowd sitting tightly in booths, Chinese and other east Asians, an array of nationalities. One young Scottish woman I spoke to, who turned out to be a chef in one of Glasgow’s coolest restaurants, told me she comes for the noodles above all else. But the “all else” is the most delicious, super-fresh, zesty food, pungent with garlic, sesame and chilli, served with some speed and little fanfare. The food is halal, and the beverage offering is soft drinks only, so no lingering over Tsingtao beer or Shaoxing rice wine.

We over-ordered, naturally, slightly carried away by the buzz of it all. First came garlic-sliced beef noodles in broth, tender thin-cut meat married with noodles that soaked up the garlic-infused broth perfectly. Then came lamb ribs with cumin spice, little pieces of lamb on the bone in a silky rich tomato sauce. From the selection of minced garlic greens we chose crisp, lightly steamed bok choi, and from a purely aesthetic point of view the three dishes looked as well together as they tasted. Alongside this we enjoyed a selection of steamed dim sum, perfect super-light parcels of variously prawn, beef and pork, which looked like delicate tiny lanterns.

It was at this point, with our taste buds still fully firing, but almost replete, we realised that what was still to arrive was a feast in itself. We had ordered the aforementioned steampot, for three people, Standard Maocai – two meat and four vegetables – and had chosen a conservative medium spicy. This was Szechuan cooking at its best – a rich aroma rose around the white fish and beef in broth. It was a delicious dish too far. Luckily, Noodles & Dumplings does take-home boxes.

My colleague also told me that while the students are taught English before they travel from China, they find Scottish accents somewhat impenetrable. So, in order to help them acclimatise, he puts on what he calls “international ceilidhs” in a lovely venue, Oran Mohr, a former church at the top of Byres Road. The students are happy to get into the swing of things – perhaps “a crazy riot is a better description”, as a caller ostensibly guides them through steps which, frankly, even those of us who have grown up with ceilidh dancing still find challenging.

Glasgow, through word of mouth, is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese students. For some reason, that makes me inordinately happy to hear. It’s a big financial commitment for their families and a financial gain for Glasgow, and it is important that they feel welcome. Most come for the duration of their degrees, but the stories they take home of their time in this beautiful, dear green place, will hopefully last a lot longer.

Noodles & Dumplings, 23-25 Gibson St, Glasgow G12 8NU (074 66 03 2326). Noodles from £9.20; Dim sum from £9; Steampot (serves 2 to 3) from £23; Soft drinks from £1.80