La Mian & Dim Sum Stall

I love this place! Get a noodle soup and while they are making it, have some dim sum as starters. Depending on how busy it is, you may be forced to eat standing up or sitting on the curb as they only have one communal table. So worth it though!

I wasn’t expecting to get a noodle show, but it was super fun watching the hand-​pulled noodles happen. I ordered a wonton soup in the sweltering summer heat, and it was absolutely delicious. The noodles were ridiculously good. I wish I lived here so I could try their other foods.

** IMPORTANT NOTE: I think these guys go on holidays for 3 – 4 months at the beginning of the year, so don’t freak out like I did when I kept visiting Brick Lane every Sunday hoping to catch them! Hopefully they’ll be back soon :(**
I’ve been extremely picky about Chinese food since arriving in London, but luckily, this little La Mian stall under the bridge at Brick Lane has got it right! Fresh hand pulled noodles (la mian), swimming in a bowl of broth with your choice of roast duck, chicken, minced pork, and a few other variations. They also serve up other small dim sum items, such as pork buns, shrimp dumplings (har gow), pork dumplings (shiu mai), spring rolls, etc.
I’ve tried their roast chicken leg, which is very good. The broth that they use is a mixture of soy, chicken (possibly beef) bouillon stock powder, plus a few other things. I think the broth could be better, but for the quantity I get, and by London standards — there’s not much else to complain about! I’ve also had their tan tan noodles, which came with 5 or 6 pork shu mai. The shu mai was alright, I don’t think they make this, and it was in a spicy peanutty soup. I’ve had proper tan tan noodles before, and this kind of missed the mark. Tasty in general, yes. but doesn’t really resonate a true bowl of tan tan noodles. i think I’m just gonna stick with normal noodles in a basic broth + meat!
As for seating, there’s a little table with a few small stools, but good luck getting a seat unless you’re on your own! There’s also a huge jar of chili oil on the table too, so don’t forget to drizzle some over your noodles before taking off.
The cost is very reasonable, especially for the quantity that you get. I think it runs you anywhere from £5.50-£7 per bowl, and even though they don’t look THAT big — don’t let it deceive you, as you will literally have to roll away. In Chinatown, a crappy bowl of noodles will cost you about £6, plus their «discretionary» (translation: mandatory) service charge.
However, be prepared to wait for your food! Its awesome watching the noodle man do his thang, but with everyone standing around watching, its hard to figure out where to queue, and if people are even waiting in the queue. I believe this is a 2-​man show, and while I get that they are popular and I’m sure they’re popping out as many orders as they can — we waited 45 minutes for 4 bowls of noodles, which is a bit ridiculous. I think if they had a 3^rd person in there, it would really speed things up.
In any case though, if you have a lazy Sunday, get in line :)

The food here is out of this world! The hand made noodles are really good but even the rice dishes are amazing. I am in love with the smoked chicken and rice plate.
One thing to note is the wait is ridiculous here and the service isn’t exactly world class… but it’s worth it. Stay Calm and Carry ON because shit is amazing.

Brick Lane is an odd one. Amongst many Camden-​esque food stalls serving bits of meat and peppers in what appears to be Agent Orange, there are some great ones. La Mian is a true gem. I have ventured out in every vaguely adverse weather condition that London has as its disposal (heavy drizzle, strong breeze, sleet, ‘snow’) to nom down a bowl of their finest — indeed, ‘La Mian’ roughly translates to ‘nom nom nom’.
Before you even start eating, you get to watch the guy making the noodles by hand which, in an age of Supanoodles and Amoy, is not a common sight. The menu features a number of different noodle soups and dim sum — as far as the soups go, they’re all pretty good. I prefer the La Mian minced pork, and the stewed beef as the flavour they impart to the soup is pretty substantial. The noodles themselves are pretty substantial, so I don’t always get the dim sum, but the steamed siew bao (pork buns) are pretty good. Oh, oh, and don’t forget the chilli/​black bean oil! There’s a huge tub of it on the table and it’s super addictive.
There is some seating available, but this can get pretty filled up, especially at peak times. If you can’t get a seat, I recommend squatting in that general area (they’re under the Overground bridge) for a truly authentic experience. Also, as it’s a 2-​person (occasionally 3) operation, food can sometimes be a little while coming — all I can say is that it’s really worth the wait. Considering that the noodles are ~£5.50 each and the pork buns £1.50 for 2, it’s a really excellent, filling, cheap’n’good lunch and they’ve really made my Sunday several times over.

The La Mian Stall is an institution and long time resident at the the sunday market at Brick Lane. To find them, they are near the top of brick lane market, right underneath the underpass, closer to Shoreditch High Street Station than Aldgate East. Sundays only from some time in the morning until 5pm when the market shuts down.
What you will find is a little taste of Asia in the best possible way. Hand-​stretched flour noodles (la-​mian) made right there before your very eyes, boiled, then served in the broth and meat accompaniments of your choosing. I had one with minced pork and ‘special sauce’ (who doesn’t like special sauce?) and it was really good. The noodles were (obviously) really fresh, the broth was decent, and the pork bits salty and flavourful. AND all for about £5 a bowl. They also have chicken, roast pork, chilli tripe, and all kinds of available versions in addtion to some wok-​fried items and really tasty dim sum. The only dim sum I tried was char siew bao, and it was legit (£1.50 for two).
Plus they have a plastic table-​clothed table for a few people (can maybe fit about 8 or so people) and some cheap plastic stools to sit on, so it is one of the few places along the brick lane market where you can actually sit down to eat. So authentic in its practicality and function that it makes me smile.
This is also a great stall because you can stare at the guy making noodles, which is a fun show in itself. He’s got skills.