The new Chinese Sichuan food stall has become a hit at the weekend market.Why is Cardiff’s Sichuan flavour so popular?
At Cardiff’s weekend markets, a newly arrived Sichuan street food stall has quickly become a must-visit destination. Despite opening only on Saturdays and Sundays, the stall draws steady crowds and long queues, earning a loyal following in record time.
MaMa LaLa, as it’s called, has carved out a unique space in the city’s vibrant food scene, offering an authentic taste of traditional Sichuan cuisine—rich, bold, and made with heart.
Behind the stall is Di, whose recipes are deeply rooted in her childhood memories. Growing up in a food-loving family in Sichuan, Di’s first lessons in the kitchen came from her mother and grandmother. “I try to keep everything as traditional as possible—dumplings, bao buns, spicy noodles,” she explains. Every dish she serves is a tribute to the flavors she grew up with, passed down through generations of home cooks.
The stall is more than just a business—it’s a living story of family, heritage, and love for food. You can taste that connection in every bite.
One of MaMa LaLa’s bestsellers is Di’s handmade dumplings. The dough is rolled thin yet sturdy, a skill she learned by watching her grandmother fold for hours. The filling is a vegetarian-friendly blend of carrots, cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms, sautéed gently to draw out their rich umami depth, then mixed with a dash of sesame oil for extra aroma.
Customers can’t stop raving about them. “These are some of the best dumplings we’ve had,” shared one regular. Another praised their “perfect balance of texture and flavour,” highlighting the freshness and seasoning that made the dish truly memorable.
Di’s Sweet Water Noodles have also gained cult status among market-goers. Made from thick wheat noodles boiled to the perfect chew, then cooled for extra bounce, they’re tossed in a bold, addictive sauce: crushed garlic, chili oil, black vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and toasted peanuts, finished with a sprinkling of numbing Sichuan peppercorns. “It’s sweet, it’s spicy, and it tingles,” Di smiles.
For something lighter, there’s the refreshing Shredded Chicken Cold Noodles. Di uses silky noodles topped with tender poached chicken, julienned cucumber, and a fragrant house-made sauce of light soy, vinegar, chili oil, garlic, and sesame paste. It’s the kind of dish that takes her right back to hot summer afternoons in Sichuan, where her mother would whip it up to beat the heat.
But perhaps the most unique item on the menu is Di’s take on the Pork Bally Bun, a nostalgic street snack beloved in many parts of China but almost unheard of in the UK. She first carefully washes and stewed the pork belly until it is soft.The red-braised pork is cooked low and slow in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, ginger, and spices until melt-in-your-mouth tender.
With every bowl of noodles and every dumpling served, Di isn’t just feeding a city—she’s sharing her story. MaMa LaLa is a tiny stall with a big soul, where tradition meets creativity, and every dish tells a delicious tale of family, memory, and cultural connection.