Noodle Inn - Bayswater

Noodle Inn

106 Queens Way 106
Bayswater
London, W2 3RR



Tucked along the end of Queens Way, we found this promising little eatery that looked fairly new and very promising.


One of the chefs was hand making pasta in the window. A fairly simple gimmick to get the punters interested, but effective. At around 3-4pm the place was still fairly packed, despite the odd hour.



On our way out we also saw the other chef meticulously making little steamed buns in the open-plan kitchen, which was a very welcome sight when compared to the Yo! Sushi school of 'cookery'.



The colourful menu gives a vast selection of noodle soups.



As well as a selection of other northern-style specialities such as bao zi (steamed stuffed buns).



Having consumed most of half a duck and quite a portion of pig earlier, we couldn't face the roast duck noodle soup that I would usually otherwise snap up.



Instead, we chose to share a brisket noodle soup (a mainstay of the colder months).



And a steamer of xiao long bao (soup dumplings).



Essential condiments of soy sauce and chili oil. The oil here wasn't as good as at Gold Mine, but very tasty and reasonably spicy nonetheless.



The noodle soup was incredibly substantial, served in a massive bowl with what seemed like endless broth. The brisket, unfortunately, required longer cooking, and was quite a workout to attempt to consume. The broth was excellent, although I suspect that a small packet lurks somewhere in its ancestry. The noodles, despite being hand pulled, lacked the bite I had hoped. The dough was not worked very hard, and the pulling process relied on slight oiling and copious flouring in each iteration, meaning that the pasta wasn't as thin, nor as elastic, as I would have liked in hand-made noodles.



The dumplings were very well made, but the mince filling tasted slightly old. Perhaps it's the gelatin used in the soup effect, but something didn't quite taste right. The soup effect, though, was excellent, and perhaps on another day this would have been an exemplary dish.



The damage: £13 for a massive serving of noodles and four quite nice dumplings with two servings of tea. Definitely enough for light lunch for two if you're a glutton, or a moderate meal for two if you're not.