Campbell’s can take a sick day this time, because there’s a new spot serving soups that start with hand-pulling noodles rather than popping the top on a tin can.

Noodle Bowl opened July 15 on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard. Its triangular-shaped building is easy to spot right off of the interstate. When you eye the large noodle bowl sculpture out front, you know you’ve found the right spot.

The restaurant offers a variety of dishes like fried rice, hibachi plates and more, but the star of the show is its hand-pulled noodles made in-house daily by staff, including owner Chen Hai Wang.

Wang, who previously lived in Washington, moved across the country to be around friends in Baton Rouge. He found Japanese-style ramen at area restaurants, but he says he realized there wasn’t a local restaurant that specialized in the Chinese-style hand-pulled noodle technique. So, he decided to open his own eatery.

“Originally these noodles were very famous in northwest China,” Wang says. “We want more people to go out and try it.”

Customers are treated to dinner and a show as they watch Wang work his noodle magic through a kitchen window behind the counter. It all starts with stretching the dough the entirety of his wingspan. Then, he lessens his pull, which makes the dough twist itself. Wang repeats the process multiple times until he is satisfied. Then, he flours his station and cuts the log of dough into smaller pieces. Each piece is then stretched and folded back onto itself, resulting in strands upon strands of fresh noodles.

“There’s more texture to these noodles,” he says. “They’re chewier.”

Besides the standard noodles made with flour, water and salt, the menu also offers rice noodles and tomato noodles, which are all made in house. Knife-sliced are available, too.

The handmade noodles are featured in stir-fry plates, cold noodle bowls and, of course, noodle soups with savory broths and add-ins like bok choy, scallions, cabbage, beef, shrimp, squid and more. Wang says his favorite is the tomato and beef brisket noodle soup and recommends adding Noodle Bowl’s chili oil, found on every table in the dining room, to the Lan Zhou beef noodle soup.

The location previously housed Podnuh’s Bar-B-Q. The interior was fully renovated, which Wang took seven months to complete.

“At first, we tried to renew the place that was here before, but we just had to do it completely,” Wang says.

The new interior features natural wood for the tables and walls, which Wang says is reminiscent of Chinese decor. Lights above the table are shaped like paper lanterns with tassels swaying below. Guests can be served from tables or head to the counter for to-go orders. There are decals of mischievous Labubus characters on the windows near the entrance and smiling cat statues near the register.

While Noodle Bowl is still operating in its soft open phase, Wang says some menu items are not yet available due to supply-chain challenges with sourcing authentic Chinese ingredients.

Once he’s able to serve his full menu, the restaurant will have its grand opening.

Noodle Bowl is open Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. It is at 2648 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. Browse the menu and find more info here.

This article originally appeared in 225 magazine’s 225 Daily newsletter.