Ottolenghi co-founder Noam Bar-Chang and Chris Hsu bring Taiwanese sun-dried noodles to Covent Garden

1^st April 2025

Food & Travel Desk

Food & Travel Desk

1 April 2025

Noam Bar-Chang, co-founder of the celebrated Ottolenghi restaurants, and Chris Hsu, founder of Kung Fu Mama Retail, are preparing to open a new Taiwanese noodle bar, Kung Fu Mama, in Covent Garden, London. Scheduled to launch on the 8^th of April, 2025, the restaurant will be offering a fresh and healthy twist on traditional Taiwanese street food, with a focus on nourishing, affordable dishes.

Located at 80 Long Acre, the establishment will have indoor and outdoor seating for a total of 13 covers, catering to dine-in, takeaway, and local delivery customers. The menu avoids deep frying in favour of oven baking, uses extra-virgin olive oil instead of seed oil, and minimizes salt, sugar, and fat content.

Kung Fu Mama will highlight its proprietary sun-dried noodles across various dishes, such as chicken thighs in a mild ginger and sesame sauce, beef with Sichuan pepper, spicy Mapo Tofu, and Portobello mushrooms in a three-cup sauce. Additionally, there will be bao sandwiches served burger-style, with options like chicken with homemade pickle, soft shell crab, and a vegan patty developed in collaboration with the plant-based brand Oh So Wholesome.

The side dishes promise a range of spiced vegetable variations, and the dessert menu will feature a Taiwanese night market favourite—mango shaved ice with passionfruit and lime.

Reflecting on the restaurant’s concept and design, Noam Bar-Chang shared his personal connection to Taiwanese cuisine, which began 17 years ago through his husband, Garry. “We couldn’t be more excited to showcase our contemporary take on the vibrant, authentic flavours of Taiwan to London this year,” said Bar-Chang. He added that the venture aims to revolutionize perceptions of Taiwanese food in a similar vein to what he achieved with Middle Eastern cuisine at Ottolenghi.

Chris Hsu, bringing his expertise from running a noodle chain in Taipei, further commented: “Kung Fu Mama Retail is the first and only brand to bring sun-dried noodles to the UK. We’ve built a loyal fanbase through retailers including Selfridges, Whole Foods, and Sainsbury’s, so now feels like the perfect time to show London’s adventurous foodies the true versatility of sun-dried noodles by putting our twist on the bold flavours of Taiwanese street food.”

The restaurant’s décor presents a playful design with a humorous font by Scott Wittman, a mural telling Chris Hsu’s story, and graphic illustrations of dishes instead of traditional TV screens.

Food Desk

Kung Fu Mama will offer a 50% discount on all food during its soft launch from the 8^th to the 11^th of April 2025. For further information, visit the restaurant’s website here.