A serving of sesame paste noodles, beef soup and stir-fried pork kidney at Wei Xiang Zhai in Shanghai.[Photo provided to China Daily]

　　In downtown Shanghai, Wei Xiang Zhai — a tiny, 37-square-meter bistro with just 11 tables — is packed with customers every single day. What draws crowds huddled shoulder to shoulder is a $2 bowl of noodles tossed in sesame paste.

　　The nearly century-old restaurant recently found itself in the global spotlight thanks to Tom Holland and Zendaya. During their three-day trip to Shanghai in late July to promote their new movieSpider-Man: Brand New Day, the Hollywood couple visited the small restaurant twice for its signature sesame paste noodles and highly praised the dish in interviews. Dubbed "Spider-Man noodles", the dish quickly went viral, and the waiting lines now feature a growing number of foreigners.

　　"We get about 50 to 60 orders from foreign visitors a day — well up from just a few years ago," said Xue Mei, shift manager at Wei Xiang Zhai on Yandang Road in Huangpu district, who has watched the shop's foreign clientele build steadily rather than explode overnight.

　　"An American food blogger with millions of followers came to film once, and after that we saw a surge in foreign tourists," Xue said. "Then, when visa-free entry opened up for the Republic of Korea, visitors from there followed suit. It's been a gradual climb."

　　Asked about the secret behind the noodles' enduring appeal, Xue credited the recipe, which has remained unchanged.