Mama Lan - Central Dr, Hornchurch

Mama Lans is one of the eateries located in Brixton Village. I recently stopped by for a quick bite, and I really hoped it would have been a treat. Although I had planned on trying out several items from their menu, the boa bun caught my eye and I couldn't resist giving it a try. I opted for the mama chicken boa, it's one of the largest I have had. While the bun was soft and fluffy, I have to admit, the chicken could have used a little more seasoning to really elevate the flavors. Unfortunately, the service was nothing to write home about. We were barely acknowledged and left feeling a little disappointed in that department. I would probably still revisit to try other menu items.

After a busy afternoon food was most definitely needed and having seen someone eating dumplings here earlier, I jumped at the chance to give it a try! It's a really cute little piece with seating outside and in. I'd say there's only enough seating for around 20 people max but if you can grab a table it's definitely worth it. I opted for the chicken noodle salad and we shared the beef and pork dumplings. The service was fast and you could tell straight away that the food is cooked fresh and well. The noodle salad was cold which I wasn't expecting but it was delicious! There was tons of chicken in it, perfectly spiced in a satay like sauce and I loved the sprinkled peanut on top! Now to the dumplings! My gosh, they were SO good! Soft, juicy and a huge piece of meat and spice in the middle! I didn't want them to end. I could have easily eaten another plate! If I returned I would leave the salad and just eat two plates of dumplings. They were just too good! Price wise, for Brixton market central it's pretty decent around 30 in total for two noodle salads, two portions of dumplings (both large portions) and drinks!

They do some things really well and just need a bit more rounding out to become five stars. Came here on weds night and it was packed notwithstanding that the night was cold and there were only 2-3 tables inside and the other 6 tables were outside in the cold. As mentioned previously the waitresses were overworked with only 2 to serve the entire restaurant and we felt neglected and even though they apologised we still felt like we had to flag down whoever wandered close to our table to order. However once you manage to squeeze in your order it does come very very swiftly. I would recommend the spicy beef noodle soup. Although some of the beef were slightly chewy (due to the beef cuts not the cooking) the noodles were notably hand made and fresh. Soup was not too hot so it's enjoyable. Also recommend the pork dumplings (we ordered the prawn and the mushroom as well but both were incomparable). The teas served were quite nice. I had the ginger rock sugar tea which was a large serving and was delightful. Would not hesitate to go and try their other three branches. Particularly looking forward to the large branch in Stratford Olympic village. Meal for two with tea came to £15 each.

Was passing by in the Brixton area, so a little visit to one of the many places to eat. Actually wanted to go to Nanban for ramen as it was cold out but it was closed that day. Fancied something short and sweet so popped into Mama Lan. Ordered some Pork and Chinese leaf dumpling and some spicy crispy chicken wings doing the trick. the crispy wing were oood but I felt it was missing some sweet sauce or something. The dumplings were good with vinegar and soy sauce, and was good to sit under cover outside in the market.

Found myself with a quiet Saturday afternoon so decided to treat myself to some Chinese street food at the pleasantly poky Mamalan, buried within Brixton Village. I ordered the following: King prawn and water chestnut dumplings Beef and spring onion dumplings Mama hot wings The dumplings arrived at the same time and the first thing you notice is the colour. The prawn variety come in a clean white shell and the beef a pleasing dark yellow, somewhat like mini Jamaican patties which feel oddly at home in their Brixton setting. The prawn dumplings have a lovely mix of textures with a gentle water chestnut crunch balanced by the springy chunks of prawn. The beef dumplings are the winner however and demand to be eaten whole with a splash of black vinegar due to the explosive juices which jump out with every bite. The wings were crispy and satisfying if slightly overdone. They trade on the notion that crispy chicken wing skins require little external flavouring which is a solid philosophy but nothing groundbreaking. Something I did and would recommend is eat the dumplings first before scraping the leftover spring onions and dumpling sauces onto the wings for added tastiness. The place itself is small so to guarantee a seat I would advise picking a window of time well (before the lunch/dinner rush). I went at 3pm on a Saturday and had a place to sit inside which was worth the wait. Besides, building an appetite especially after a swift walk up the Brixton station escalators make most meals better. There is more seating outside which would be a good option for the warmer months too. One last word of warning is that the beer is a bit steep at £4.50 for a bottle of Tsingtao but it's a must with these types of street food dishes. If you're after some decent Chinese street food in London, this is worth a visit.