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1
Heat oil in a large wok or heavy pot over high heat. Add the bone-in chicken pieces in a single layer and sear without moving, so that each piece builds a proper crust rather than steaming against its neighbours. Turn and colour the second side; the pieces are ready when they release cleanly from the surface and the skin carries a uniform, mahogany colour.
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2
Add the star anise, dried chilli, Sichuan pepper, and coriander seed directly to the chicken in the wok, so the residual fat from the sear carries their fragrance deep into the oil rather than into water. Stir over high heat until the spices are fragrant and the oil is visibly reddened by the chilli — this coloured, aromatic oil is the base on which the entire sauce is built.
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3
Add the chopped tomato and stir to combine, pressing them into the fat so they begin to break down and surrender their liquid into the spiced oil. Pour in the beer, then taste and wait: the sauce is ready for the braise only when the tomato has collapsed fully into a unified, rust-coloured liquid and the raw sharpness has cooked off entirely.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies: add the potato only now, after the sauce is established, so it braises in a liquid that is already flavoured rather than one still finding its character. Add just enough water to barely cover, bring to a simmer, and braise with a lid until the potato is tender throughout but holds its shape — a skewer should meet brief resistance at the centre before passing through cleanly.
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5
Remove the lid and raise the heat to drive off excess liquid and concentrate the sauce before the final vegetables go in. Add the capsicum and celery and cook uncovered, stirring, until they are just yielding but still hold their colour and slight crunch, so they provide freshness and contrast against the richness of the braise.
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6
Cook the la mian in a separate pot of boiling water until just tender, then drain and arrange on the base of the large communal plate so the noodles form a bed that will catch and absorb the sauce from beneath. Ladle the chicken, potato, and sauce over the noodles and bring to the table immediately — the noodles should be fully coated and already beginning to drink in the sauce on contact.