Every neighbourhood needs a good corner shop.
It’s the emergency milk saviour. The guardian of hangover delicacies. The inexplicable purveyor of both ten packs of masking tape, and canned peas.
But when that corner shop comes with a brilliant little dumpling spot tacked onto the side of it…
…well, that really is a convenient store.
Joining the growing patchwork of independent businesses flooding Hackney Wick, Luk Bros has been serving up world-class dumplings since summer 2023. The counter’s housed in a tiny corner of their Asian convenience store, where the shelves are lined with frozen dumplings to heat up at home, flavoured milk cartons, and a tongue-blistering array of hot sauces. Something’s pretty much guaranteed to catch your eye. But it’s your nose that’ll lead you straight to the tiny kitchen packed into a 5 sq ft corner at the back.
Here, the team dish up soul-soothing dumplings, crafted lovingly by hand from their mum’s family recipe. Stuffed with pork, chicken or mushrooms, they can be enjoyed Cantonese-style, soaked in lashings of chilli vinegar, or over a sesame-studded bed of chilled noodles (if this doesn’t already feature on your summer treats hit list, it really should).
Aside from the star dumplings, Luk Bros also rustle up chicken and cauliflower karaage (served with a spicy katsu sauce); bowls of tenderly braised beef brisket served over jasmine rice; and Hong Kong-style crispy noodles & chicken, sheened in a glossy gravy. They’ll even pimp your store-bought instant ramen with toppings like crunchy cabbage or a soft-boiled egg.
By virtue of being, essentially, an induction hob at the back of a shop, Luk Bros doesn’t have much by way of seating inside – but there’s a cluster of tables and chairs out in the sunshine outside (should the weather duly oblige). You could also take your spoils for a stroll along the canalside, or up to the Olympic park, where you can sprawl out on the rolling greenery and watch boats glide along the River Lea.
Just remember, what you’re holding is way too good for feeding the ducks.
NOTE: Luk Bros is open Monday – Saturday. They also serve food at The Castle Cinema in Homerton, Friday – Monday. You can check out the Luk Bros instagram here.
Luk Bros | East Wing Oslo House, 7 Prince Edward Road, London E9 5LX
Making a day of it? Check out our Hackney Wick itinerary