Kung Fu Mama to open second London site in Canary Wharf

Taiwanese noodle bar Kung Fu Mama has confirmed plans to open its second London restaurant in Canary Wharf in early 2026, following the success of its debut site in Covent Garden.

The restaurant was created by Ottolenghi co-founder Noam Bar-Chang alongside Kung Fu Mama Retail founder Chris Hsu, and has quickly built a following for its contemporary interpretation of Taiwanese street food rooted in traditional techniques and ingredients.

Building on the success of Covent Garden

Kung Fu Mama launched its first restaurant in Covent Garden, introducing London diners to sun-dried Taiwanese noodles made using a traditional hand-folding method. The process gives the noodles a firm, springy texture that has become central to the brand’s identity.

The menu balances bold flavour with a health-conscious approach. Proteins are oven-baked rather than fried, extra-virgin olive oil is used in place of seed oils, and levels of salt, sugar and fat are carefully controlled.

Dishes served at the Covent Garden site include noodle bowls such as chicken with ginger and sesame, twelve-hour beef with Szechuan pepper, grandma’s beef and tomato noodles, portobello mushroom with Romano pepper, and traditional beef noodle soup.

Bao sandwiches, designed to be eaten burger-style, feature fillings including oven-baked chicken, ginger and sesame chicken, and soft-shell crab. Sides range from mixed greens and cucumber salad to wood-ear mushroom salad, while desserts draw on Taiwanese night market classics such as mango shaved ice cream and pineapple pie.

A growing platform for Taiwanese cuisine

Speaking about the expansion, Noam Bar-Chang said the response to Taiwanese food in London had surpassed expectations.

He said: “London’s enthusiasm for Taiwanese food has exceeded all our expectations, and we’re excited to bring our contemporary take on these flavours to Canary Wharf in early 2026. Chris and I set out to create food that is high-quality, nutrient-dense, joyful and full of character - dishes we’d happily serve to our own families - and we’re proud to see this vision resonating with Londoners.”

Chris Hsu added that the Canary Wharf opening would allow the team to introduce more diners to the versatility of sun-dried noodles.

He said: “Kung Fu Mama Retail introduced sun-dried noodles to the UK for the first time, and it has been amazing to watch people fall in love with them. Expanding the restaurant concept to Canary Wharf allows us to show even more diners how flavour-packed and adaptable these noodles can be. We’re thrilled to bring more of Taiwan’s street food culture to London in 2026.”

Design-led approach continues

As with the Covent Garden site, the Canary Wharf restaurant will feature Kung Fu Mama’s playful, design-led aesthetic. This includes a custom typeface created by Scott Wittman and a bespoke mural tracing Chris Hsu’s Taiwanese culinary heritage.