Hungry Melburnians tend to gravitate towards boss-level specialists and out-of-the-way locations. With a masterful five-item menu and an off-piste address, this spot was always destined for success.

The signature Chongqing noodle has a decent claim to succeed laksa and ramen as the city’s top noodle. Pork-bone broth is punched up with Sichuan pepper, five-spice and coriander seeds, and makes for an amply rich backdrop to fresh wheat-flour noodles. Every bowl comes with peanuts and spring onion, but you’ll want to add salty-spicy pork mince (chickpeas, if you’re vegetarian) and a hard-boiled egg.

There’s also herby Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup, and a dry version of the signature bowl. You order at the counter and fetch your own water, but there’s a warmth to this six-year-old place that goes beyond the noodles.

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