Brisbane's most talked-about Xi'an noodle restaurant has crossed town. Terrific Noodles, the Sunnybank favourite known for its thick, hand-slapped biang biang noodles and flaky pork burgers, has opened a second location at Westfield Chermside, bringing a fiercely authentic taste of north-central China to a whole new audience on Brisbane's northside.

The restaurant is the project of Amy Huy and her husband Boqiao Li, former residents of Xi'an — the ancient capital of Shaanxi province and a city Huy describes with barely contained pride. "Xi'an has more than 3000 years of history," she says. "It's the origin of the Silk Road … Beijing only had five dynasties, Xi'an had 13. We are so proud of this city." That devotion to their hometown shapes everything about the business.

From Sunnybank to Chermside — a deliberate move north

The original Terrific Noodles opened at Market Square in Sunnybank roughly three years ago and, after a slow start, became a runaway success. Tables turn over quickly, but at peak times securing one requires patience — a testament to the restaurant's loyal following drawn by generous portions and bold flavours.

When a Westfield leasing executive approached Huy and Li about a second site, the initial suggestion was Garden City. Huy declined. "I felt [Garden City] was too close to Sunnybank," she explains. "I thought, 'if we're going to open a second store, it must be north'. We wanted to introduce our food to a new audience up here."

The Chermside restaurant soft-launched towards the end of September before its official opening in early October, and Huy says it has been busy from the start — drawing both curious newcomers and homesick migrants who recognise exactly what they're eating. "I've had a few people speak to me in the local dialect and say they've never tried anything in Brisbane this authentic," she says.

What makes Terrific Noodles stand out

The Chermside fit-out is striking. A large front window faces onto the shopping centre thoroughfare, giving passers-by a direct line of sight to chefs slapping thick biang biang noodle dough against the kitchen counter — part theatre, part quality signal. Inside, vibrant murals painted by a Xi'an artist and gallery owner known to Huy as Mr Ma set the tone.

The internal dining room is larger than the Sunnybank original, though the menu follows the same structure: noodle soups, dry noodle dishes, cold noodle dishes, rou jia mo (Chinese pork burgers), and cold sides — all in the supersized portions the brand has become known for.

Soup options include a golden beef brisket and Chinese sauerkraut broth, a spicy and sour beef noodle soup, and a pork bone broth noodle soup. The dry biang biang noodle menu covers braised beef rib, sautéed chicken, mashed potato with pork mince, and chilli pork mince variations. Cold noodle options include sesame sauce noodles, shredded chicken with cucumber in chilli and sesame, and noodles dressed in a house chilli oil.

The wheat-based biang biang noodles are by far the most popular items across the board — thick, ribbony, hand-prepared and glossed in chilli oil. Li's approach to the recipes is uncompromising. "He said he wasn't going to adapt any flavours," Huy explains. "'I can introduce other [flavours] to suit people's expectations, but traditional is traditional.'"

Part of a broader shift at Chermside

Terrific Noodles is the latest arrival in what appears to be a concerted effort to position Westfield Chermside as a genuine food destination. Over the past two years the centre has also welcomed David's Noodle & Hotpot, among other additions, signalling growing confidence in northside Brisbane's appetite for diverse and quality dining options.

For Huy and Li, the expansion is less a business exercise than a cultural mission — a chance to share a 3000-year-old culinary tradition, one hand-slapped noodle at a time.