Budapest has welcomed another international restaurant chain, bringing a taste of north-western China to the Hungarian capital. Mr. Noodle Chen has opened its doors on Corvin Promenade, offering freshly hand-pulled noodles and traditional Lanzhou-style beef soup. The brand already operates hundreds of restaurants across China and is now expanding its presence in Europe.
From Shanghai to Budapest: A Chinese success story
Mr. Noodle Chen is the European brand name of Chen Xiang Gui, a Chinese restaurant chain specialising in Lanzhou beef noodles, Pénzcentrum reported. Unlike many Asian fast-food restaurants, its concept puts the traditional art of hand-pulled noodle making centre stage.
Visitors can watch skilled noodle makers working behind a glass partition, stretching a ball of dough into long strands of different thicknesses. The technique is based on lamian, a traditional Chinese method of preparing hand-pulled noodles.
The company group was founded in 2014, while the Chen Xiang Gui restaurant brand itself was established in 2020. Its first restaurant opened in Shanghai, and the business expanded rapidly.
According to figures published on the company’s official website, the chain now operates more than 300 restaurants in China, including 230 directly managed locations. It employs over 3,800 people and has 120 restaurants in Shanghai alone.
Interestingly, the business does not follow the traditional operating model of Chinese restaurants. Founder Jiang Jun previously worked for international hospitality companies, while several members of the management team have backgrounds at McDonald’s and KFC.
The company has incorporated some of the operational methods of major international fast-food chains into its business. Ingredients are carefully measured, soup recipes are standardised, and restaurant operations follow a highly organised system.
The first Chen Xiang Gui restaurant opened in Shanghai in March 2020. By the end of that year, the chain already had ten locations. It passed the 200-restaurant milestone by December 2021 and reported more than 260 restaurants in China in 2024.
European expansion reaches Berlin, Vienna and Budapest
The brand’s international expansion under the Mr. Noodle Chen name began in Germany. Its first European restaurant opened in Berlin in 2025, followed by another location in Hamburg.
In May 2026, the chain entered the Austrian market with its first restaurant in Vienna, at Kirchengasse 3. According to Austrian lifestyle magazine Falstaff, customers there can also watch the noodle-making process through a glass partition.
Budapest is now the latest addition to the brand’s European expansion, with its new restaurant located on Corvin Promenade.
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How much does a bowl of noodles cost in Budapest?
The Budapest restaurant focuses primarily on beef noodle soups, alongside stir-fried and mixed noodle dishes. The classic Lanzhou soup is prepared with beef, white radish, coriander, spring onions and a broth made from beef bones.
Customers can also choose tomato-based and pickled cabbage variations.
Based on the prices listed on the restaurant’s Wolt delivery menu, a classic beef noodle soup costs HUF 3,890 (EUR 10.7), while the version with extra meat is available for HUF 5,190 (EUR 14.3). (1 euro = 364 forints)
Other options include:
- Tomato beef noodle soup: HUF 5,590
- Pickled cabbage noodle soup: HUF 5,990
- Braised beef and pickled cabbage soup: HUF 6,390
- Beef Biángbiáng stir-fried noodles: from HUF 5,990
- Braised beef noodles: HUF 6,490
- Vegan noodle dishes: HUF 3,890–5,590
The menu also includes several smaller dishes and snacks. A Chinese beef burger costs HUF 2,990, chicken skewers are priced at HUF 2,290, while beef and lamb skewers cost HUF 2,590. Cucumber salad is available for HUF 1,790.
For more information, visit the restaurant’s official Hungarian website.
