If you love noodles and Chinese street food or simply crave something different, Murger Han might be for you.
After eating my own mediocre cooking for the past few months, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to check out the delivery food from Murger Han when they invited us a couple of weeks back.
About Murger Han
Established in 2014, Murger Han started in Euston as London’s first authentic Xi’an restaurant and gained instant popularity in the capital. Within six years, it opened two new locations in Mayfair and City.
The flavours of Xi’an cuisine are incredibly unique and distinct from other Chinese flavours. As it is positioned at the starting point of the Silk Route, the city’s dishes draw strong influences from the use of cumin, chilli and salt from neighbouring Mongolia.
Specialising in cuisine from Xi’an, the restaurant boasts an impressive menu featuring the city’s signature Biang Biang noodles and the namesake Murger – a pan-baked flatbread filled with slow-cooked meat – rumoured by Murger Han to be “the world’s oldest sandwich”. Besides noodles and Murgers, the restaurant also offers a variety of side dishes, including soups, skewers and gyozas.
First impressions
I placed an order for the following items: Biang Biang Noodles with Slow-Cooked Beef, Tomato & Egg Sauce, Chilli Oil and Vegetables (£12.00); Xi’an-Style Ramen with Beef & Vegetable (£11.80); Original Pork Murger (£6.00); Gyoza with Minced Vegetables (£5.50); and Ice Peak (£2.50). As I was born with an unfortunate low tolerance to spice, I decided to go with a mild spice level (yes, that can be requested).
All the items in my order came beautifully packaged. I’ve had a few incidents of spillage in my past delivery orders at other restaurants, but Murger Han did everything they could to prevent that – each container was double wrapped in plastic film. I also really appreciated how they separated the noodles from the soup base of the Xi’an-style Ramen to prevent them from getting soggy.
The meal
The first thing I tried was the Gyoza with Minced Vegetables. This was rather disappointing as the gyoza seemed to have gotten soggy from steaming for too long. The gyoza wrapper was very thick, and the vegetables were rather bland, lacking any discernible taste.
The Original Pork Murger was made with pork fillings, stewed for hours in a soup containing numerous spices and seasonings. The flatbread was rather stiff, though I was pleasantly surprised by the flavours of the pork fillings, which were moist and flavourful. While I expected it to have a heavier salty taste, the pork fillings had a subtle sweetness which really worked for me.
The star of the show was definitely the Biang Biang Noodles: thick, flat noodles handmade by the restaurant daily. The combination of tomato and vegetables perfectly balanced out the stronger flavours of the chilli oil and the slow-cooked beef. The spice level was very mild, as requested, though I definitely regretted not asking for a higher one as the flavours were not as intense as I had expected. I also loved the texture of the noodles. It erred on the side of al dente, and soaked up the rich flavours of the toppings. It was such an enjoyable dish as the flavours were rich, but not overly salty.
The Xi’an-Style Ramen came a close second. This was definitely the most unique dish – I’m a huge noodle lover and have tried many styles of beef ramen before, but this was unlike anything that I’ve had before. The beef was very tender, as it had been braised for twelve hours. The thin wheat noodles were soft but not soggy, and the soup broth had a rich, distinct flavour made from fragrant Chinese spices and herbs. While I was expecting a meatier taste, the soup broth had a refreshing and minty flavour. It was the perfect comfort food for a rainy afternoon in London.
I saved the Ice Peak for the following day as the portions were extremely generous (I shared the meal with my flatmate, and we could barely finish the four dishes). The Ice Peak is an orange flavoured soda made in Xi’an, which tasted tangy, fruity and very fizzy. I’m not a fan of soda, but I love that the restaurant made an effort to bring Xi-an s drinks to the UK.
Overall, I had a very enjoyable meal. While the sides fell short of my expectations, the mains more than made up for it. I’d definitely go back for more Biang Biang noodles any day.
Further information
The restaurant is currently running the following promotion: Continuing Lucky Number 6! £6 for a choice of 25 noodle dishes including their famous Biang Biang noodles and options for vegans and vegetarians. The promotion is available between 3pm and 6pm every day (noodles usually priced around £13).
This offer will continue until the restaurants are open for dining-in.
The newly launched London-wide delivery service is available every day from midday to 9pm with no delivery fee. Orders must be made in advance by calling the Euston branch on 020 7383 4943 and a minimum spend is required depending on your postcode, starting from £30.
Address
Murger Han Mayfair, 8A Sackville St, W1S 3DF
Murger Han Euston, 62 Eversholt Street, NW1 1DA
Murger Han Bank, 9 Philpot Lane, EC3M 8AA
Opening Hours
Seven days from noon – 9pm
How To Order
Collection from Euston, Mayfair, Bank
Murger Han delivery service. London-wide, bookings made in advance, no delivery charge with min order depending on postcode (from £30).
Deliveroo in approx 1.6 mile radius of Euston, Mayfair, Bank
Website