Yup, that is actual gold dust on a bowl of spicy noodles, topped with a giant beef rib. This is Noodle & Beer, a next-level Sichuan noodle bar tucked off Spitalfields Market in East London.
Just off the buzz of Spitalfields Market, Noodle & Beer goes all in on spectacle: gold dust, giant beef ribs and real Sichuan heat. It is loud, fun and built around a couple of dishes designed to make the whole room look over. This is not subtle food, and it does not want to be.
Tangy pickles for a bright start, then the crispy spare ribs, heavy on the garlic, and chicken bites fried in cornmeal with chili, cumin and Sichuan pepper. Then the show: the Super King, a bowl of blanket noodles topped with a giant beef rib, easily big enough for two. It arrives under a literal cloud of gold dust and gets cut apart with scissors right in front of you, the meat falling straight off the bone. Underneath, tender beef, bok choy and a heavy crust of cumin, chili and Sichuan pepper, with the gold dust still shimmering in the air while you eat.
Load up on the tea, then the bing fen, a cool brown-sugar jelly with peanuts, sesame and a little crunch, real relief after the spice. Then fried sticky rice cakes, golden and chewy inside, dipped in a deep, dark caramel syrup.
Bring a friend, because the Super King is a two-person job and the whole experience is better shared. Go for the spectacle of the tableside gold dust and the scissors, and stay because the noodles actually back it up. If you are in London and want a noodle meal you will be talking about later, this is it.
But now… the real question is… where do we go next?
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