Alley Mian

Located right in the city center, Alley Mian is a Chinese noodle spot where incredible fresh noodles are hand-pulled right before your eyes.

It’s also the second restaurant from Yadan and Lingyuan, who you might already know from Carbon, their cozy Sichuan restaurant in Ixelles.

Here, the menu leans toward the flavors of Lanzhou. Endless strands of noodles land in massive bowls of steaming soup (€13.80 to €19.80), or are simply tossed with chili oil, scallions, and meltingly tender beef shank (€19.80 on the bone, €16.80 sliced). Don’t skip the “duck burger” (€7.80), either – a flaky, brioche-style bun that’s crisp, lightly sweet, and stuffed with lacquered roast duck. It’s worth the trip on its own.

Another favorite: the spicy dumplings (€8.80), which we’ve already been ordering from Carbon every Sunday from the comfort of our couch. All in all, a spot that gets everything right – we’ve already been back twice in one week.