For Tom, a Chinese genius boy living in West London, eating lots of noodles is part of his daily routine.
“Every dish is satisfying,” says Masterway’s Tom, “and comes with service to match.”
Well, we certainly waited long enough. A year, to be exact, since it was first announced that the empty space in a shiny new building at the end of Hammersmith Road would become the home of Holborn’s noodle queen, Gillon ‘Master’ Way – beef. I made biang biang, hand-pulled Qishan pork, and Xi’an skin with sesame sauce. I don’t think I’ve been this excited about a local restaurant opening since, well, Ishikumon almost 10 years ago. But I began to wonder if those doors would ever actually open, or if this was just culinary excitement of the cruellest kind.
And suddenly, without much fuss or fanfare, the “Coming Soon” vinyl was removed from the window, the burner was lit, and the place was filled. We’re there within a few hours, sitting in a small brightly lit room and watching Master Wei himself transform lumps of dough into London’s finest noodles. Xi’an is the capital of northwestern China’s Shaanxi province and the starting point of the Silk Road. That means I’ve always been happy to sample all kinds of culinary influences, including Persian, Mongolian (our northern neighbor), and Sichuan cuisine. southwest), or Hui Muslims.
Please dress down.This is a mess of food, splattered with oil.
Wheat rather than rice is the dominant food here, lamb is the staple food, and many dishes include soft cumin bal. Master Wei really knows her fabric. Wontons stuffed with pork and dried shrimp sway in a mellow, almost medicinal chicken broth, and the packaging is as delicate as whimsical. Or grilled pork and seaweed dumplings, the dough rolled into a thin layer of tissue paper and fried to a crispy base.
Don’t forget the wide, flat, wonderfully smooth biang biang (named for the sound the dough makes when you tap it onto your work surface), silky and firm, and slow-cooking. It’s wrapped around a large, wobbly chunk of beef. Qishan noodles are thin and firm, soaked in a sharp yet mildly spicy soup. Wood ear mushrooms add a gelatinous bite. Speaking of gelatin, don’t miss the cold Xi’an Spicy Sliced Beef, drizzled with sesame oil and chili pepper for a crunchy texture. Every dish is satisfying and the service is commensurate. But one last piece of advice. Please dress down. This is oil-splattered, greasy food, the equivalent of 10 paper napkins. My T-shirt ultimately resembles one of Pollock’s lesser-known works. I wear my dirt with pride.
Approximately £25 per person. Master Way, 245 Hammersmith Road, London W6. masterway.com