Miss Peppercorn owner Nicole Zou is proud of the restaurant's menu, which boasts traditional hand-pulled noodles and dumplings made fresh on site every day.

If the sharp, tingly spice of their specialty peppercorns aren't enough to numb your mouth, the chillies will be, a Christchurch restaurateur says.

Nicole Zou opened Miss Peppercorn in late November to fill the city's market gap for authentic Chinese food. The Szechuan street food restaurant, on Nayland St in Sumner, was the perfect place to offer spicy, tangy treats including dumpings, spring rolls and spring onion pancakes, she said.

Zou imports chillies and peppercorns from China to keep the flavours authentic because the Asian variety are much "better quality and much spicier". She believed the peppercorns available in New Zealand sat on shelves for too long, loosing their scent and flavour, so it was worth bringing them over from China to keep the flavours traditional.

DAVID WALKER/STUFF Nicole Zou prepares some of the hand-pulled noodles for the restaurant's Biang Biang noodles dish.

If customers can ignore the searing heat that fills the mouth after a Szechuan pepper-heavy meal, they'll notice the tingling, numbing sensation that envelops their lips and tongue. For those who prefer a more subtle flavour, there are plenty of mild options, Zou said.

Zou previously managed Hamilton's much-loved Asian fusion restaurant, The Chilli House, before deciding to move her family to Christchurch to start up something of her own.

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DAVID WALKER/STUFF Zou opened the restaurant in late November and said it had been packed full with customers over the Christmas period.

A visit to the restaurant should be an experience, not just about dining but also focused on great music, great drinks and a lively atmosphere, Zou said. Extra staff had recently joined the team to try meet the demand and ease the long wait times.

The business' name, Miss Peppercorn, was two-fold.

"Well, I am the owner so I am Miss Peppercorn, but also people will come and try the mouth-numbing food and the spice from the peppercorns and the chilli and if they like it, they will want to come back because they want more … they will miss the peppercorn."

DAVID WALKER/STUFF The Biang Biang noodles dish from Miss Peppercorn restaurant in Sumner.

Traditional hand-pulled noodles are made on site to order. Zou said customer favourite, the gluttonous Biang Biang​ noodles, were made by stretching the dough then smacking it against the bench making a "biang biang" noise, hence the name.

The noodles, popular in China's Shaanxi​ province, are described as being as thick and long as a belt. Zou lived in China until 2015 and said the flavours reminded her of home.

Stepping aside from her Chinese roots, Zou decided to incorporate local produce and harvest vegetables like broccoli, which would not usually feature on a Chinese menu. Local wines and speciality drinks that were not available in supermarkets or liquor stores were also proving popular, she said.

Zou said since the "crazy busy opening" in November, they had been packed most evenings.

The Sumner community had been "incredibly supportive" and because of the wide range of vegan and vegetarian options, she hoped there would be "something everyone will like". The restaurant joins an already thriving area for foodies with Indian, Mexican, pub grub, bakery food and specialty ice cream all available nearby.