Another Chinese restaurant with a focus on rice noodles is coming to the East Village in May, but this time with Hunan flavor.

Hunan Slurp Shop, at 112 First Ave., near East Seventh Street, comes from chef and artist Chao Wang, who has spent the past 25 years as an oil painter. Now, he’s opening a restaurant inspired by his hometown of Hengyang in the Hunan province of China.

Rice noodles are having a moment in NYC, a hot cheap eat trend that has people slurping all over town — including in the East Village with places like Little Tong and Yuan. A lot of the rice noodles found in the city are served Yunnan-style, but the flavors accompanying the noodles here goes over two provinces in China to Hunan. 

Wang’s Hunan version of mifen (rice noodles) will not be as “aggressive” in its spicy-sour flavoring compared to Yunnan soup noodles, according to a statement, instead looking to the ingredients such as fish for umami or subtler flavors. Mifen variations on the menu include a bowl with bone marrow and a Tonkotsu-style broth and another stew with pig’s feet. Cold and hot small plates are also on the menu, like braised chicken feet tossed in spicy oil and stir-fried smoked pork and bean curd.

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