If you have ever found yourself in a queue down Thomas St in Haymarket for a bowl of noodles, you probably remember Chinese Noodle House before you even remember the food. The plastic grapevines overhead, the packed tables spilling out onto the street, the bowls of steaming broth carried out by waiters balancing multiple dishes on their forearms and hands.
It always felt like a place that would be there forever. So when the team announced that the restaurant will close on 12 December, regulars felt the news land with real weight. The owners have stressed that this is a (hopefully!) temporary farewell, and that a new location is planned for February 2026, but the pause still feels significant.
Part of that significance comes from how many people first discovered northern Chinese cooking here. The restaurant’s food wasn’t complicated. It relied on a few time-tested foundations that shaped the character of every dish that left the kitchen. These foundations are the pillars of northern Chinese cuisine, and understanding them helps explain why the place became such an enduring favourite.
Northern Chinese food begins with wheat. The colder climate shaped a culture built on noodles, dumplings, buns and pancakes, and you feel that history in every chewy, hand-worked strand of dough. Flavour sits on top of that foundation with clean combinations of sesame, vinegar, garlic and chilli oil. The result is food that feels warm and familiar without being heavy.
The region’s pantry reflects its weather, so lamb, beef, cabbage, leek and potato appear again and again in stews, stir-fries and dumplings built for comfort. Much of the character also comes from the handwork. Stretching dough or shaping dumplings changes the texture in a way you can taste, even if your technique at home is far from perfect.
While we wait for Chinese Noodle House to open in its new home, it feels like the right time to revisit the dishes that made it so well loved. Here are eight classics that capture the spirit of northern Chinese cooking and are easy to bring into your own kitchen.
Biang biang noodles are handmade Chinese noodles, named after the sound they make during the noodle making process as the dough is tossed against a work surface to flatten out. Served with an addictive savoury acidic sauce made from oyster sauce and black Chinese vinegar, this recipe is a simple but flavoursome dish that only takes 10 minutes to cook.
Chinese cuisine has long embraced the barbecue, and these cumin spiced lamb skewers is an easy dish to prepare for a summer afternoon.
Who can say no to dumplings? Certainly not us!
These Chinese stuffed pies are usually formed into a round shape but here they are made in semi-circles for easier recreation at home.
This chicken stew is popular in Xinjiang in the northwest region of China. It’s packed with flavour from ingredients like doubanjiang (Sichuan chilli bean paste) and Sichuan peppercorns and is served with flat, wide noodles.
Translating literally as ‘fried sauce noodle’, this classic home-style dish is popular with peasants and nobility alike. With thick fresh wheat noodles, pork and bean sauce, it’s kind of like a Beijing bolognese.
A beloved dish in northern China, these substantial wontons are known for their thick, chewy wrappers and hearty filling. Traditionally, they are served in a comforting, flavourful broth.
8. Hot oil noodles
Hot oil noodles (you po mian) are a signature Chinese noodle dish, originating from the northern region of China, that utilises a special technique of pouring hot oil directly onto the flavour-providing elements of the sauce.
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