The Chongqing Noodles That Are Taking Over Menus

Forget dan dan noodles, crossing the bridge noodles, or hot oil noodles: Chongqing wan za noodles are having a moment, with three newly opened restaurants touting them among best dishes.

These thin wheat noodles can feature fresh greens, ground pork or beef, and a wonderful broth zapped with chile oil, chile flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, various vinegars, and sometimes other things (recipes vary). Wan za noodles also contain yellow peas, something like chickpeas: The beans add a wonderful fudgy texture to the noodles.

While Chongqing noodles (xiao mian) aren’t new in the city, they’re becoming more popular on Chinese menus, starting with Loong Noodles that opened over the summer in the East Village at 28 St. Marks Place, near Second Avenue. With its pink neon signs, the brightly lit establishment has all sorts of noodles, both dry and wet, many of them spicy. Wan za noodles ($13) have an adjustable spice level, but even medium is quite hot. The peas are super creamy, juxtaposed with bok choy, and garnished with cilantro. This is a good example of wan za noodles, but it lacks some of the bells and whistles found elsewhere.

Not long after, I stumbled on a mind-bogglingly good bowl at the new Yuan in Jersey City, one of a half-dozen restaurants in the vicinity of Newport that offers the modern cuisines of China, including Sichuan, Hunan, Shanghai, and northern Chinese. There, wan za noodles ($14) are lush, with extra aromatics like chopped scallions and cilantro, plus pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts, and fermented beans. The spice level is almost incendiary.

My third recent bowl came from the new We Noodle on a side street in Murray Hill, a humble noodle counter at 134 E. 27th Street, near Lexington Avenue. Dry rice noodles in the Nanchang style are also spotlighted among chef recommendations, but wan za noodles ($12) get equal billing. The marinated ground meat is the texture of spaghetti sauce, paired with yellow peas. Also, there’s lots of broth in the bottom of the bowl, to which you can add soy sauce or black vinegar — both condiments are available on the table.