Guirong Wei, Chef’s Table star and founder of beloved London diners Master Wei and Xi’an Impression, has opened The Wei: a new Shaanxi restaurant on Fulham’s North End Road. Here, Wei is remaining faithful to the cuisine of the northern Chinese province – and while she’s built her reputation on noodles, Wei is particularly excited about the dumplings.
“For nearly 10 years, my restaurants have been known for hand-pulled noodles, [and] biang biang noodles became our signature,” Wei says. “But dumplings are equally central to Xi’an [Shaanxi province’s capital city], especially northern China’s food culture, and I’ve always wanted to give them their own stage.”
The Wei offers several dumpling styles, including “three fresh dumplings”, a classic dish that combines pork, prawn and chives; beef dumplings, with the cumin and chilli spicing that characterises Xi’an cuisine; and “tiger skin style” crispy dumplings, stuffed with beef and fresh coriander and pan-fried until the wrapper develops a golden, crispy “tiger skin” pattern.
Each plate of dumplings is offered in a range of formats: with dipping sauce; in hot and sour soup or chicken broth; or You Po-style, which brings the drama of Wei’s signature chilli and hot oil-splashed seasoning.
The rest of the menu will be familiar to those who have dined at Master Wei, the chef’s flagship Holborn restaurant, or at the original Xi’an Impression in Highbury, which Wei opened with her husband in 2015. London-famous signatures like biang biang noodles and roujiamo (flaky Chinese flatbreads sandwiching slow-braised pork, a street food served in China for more than 2000 years) feature, alongside other dishes like tender boneless chicken in ginger sauce and crunchy wood ear mushrooms with coriander and chilli.
Wei has been instrumental in popularising Shaanxi dishes in the capital, arguably making her one of the most influential London chefs of the past decade. Though her mastery was brought to the wider public’s attention in her Chef’s Table: Noodles episode in 2024, the Shaanxi-born chef has been revered in London’s culinary circles for years.
The Wei is Wei’s second restaurant in west London, following a second branch of Master Wei that opened in Hammersmith in 2023 (she also has Dream Xi’an in Tower Hill). Her decision to open in an often-overlooked neighbourhood shouldn’t come as a surprise either, given the area teems with North African bakeries, East Asian cafes like Cha Kee, and a bustling street market that offers an array of cuisines.
“It reminded me of the lanes and alleys back in Xi’an, unpretentious, lived-in, full of everyday life,” she says. “The Chinese name 荣巷 [The Wei] means ‘Rong’s Lane’, a quiet alley where life unfolds gently. North End Road has that spirit, and I hope The Wei can become part of its fabric.”
The Wei
461–465 North End Road, SW6 1NZ
02045972968
Hours:
Mon to Sat midday–10pm
Sun midday–9.30pm
