LIU Xiaomian 刘小面

This low-key Chinese spot is no longer much of a secret, Londoners have well and truly clocked on. And yet, despite bookings being rammed and the hype firmly in place, the quality hasn’t slipped an inch from when I first checked it out. LIU Xiaomian (刘小面), tucked away in the basement of The Jackalope Pub on one of Marylebone’s quieter cobbled streets, continues to deliver exactly what it promises: hot, spicy, numbing, deeply addictive Chongqing noodles.

The menu is all comfort food, but not heavy or overdone. The noodles are the first thing you notice, glossy with chilli oil, properly slurpable, with just enough heat that builds as you go rather than hitting all at once. You can go for pork or beef, or mix both if you want more going on. The wontons are soft and delicate, but still punchy with that málà kick. The popcorn chicken is the delicious surprise - crisp, tender and dusted with that numbing spice that creeps up on you so you keep reaching back in without thinking. Even the green tea ice cream at the end just fits. Cold, slightly bitter, nothing fancy - just a clean way to reset your pallet.

There’s something about it all that feels familiar in a different way too. It took me straight back to cramped, no-frills noodle and wonton spots in Tilanqiao, Shanghai, places where the air was thick and the light was unforgiving, you’d find yourself sweating through a bowl that cost next to nothing.

But what LIU Xiaomian does so well is bring that feeling into a completely different setting with that added touch of class. But it’s not trying to polish it into something it’s not, nor is it trading on nostalgia alone. There’s a quiet confidence in letting the food speak, something Anthony Bourdain always circled back to. Not luxury in the traditional sense, but something better: depth, soul, and the kind of satisfaction that doesn’t need dressing up.