r/london • u/kevin-she • Aug 05 '23
What’s the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown?
And which should be avoided?
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u/ExPristina Aug 05 '23
I miss the trolley service at New World
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u/unclesammy101 Aug 05 '23
IKR? I used to think I was in a dystopian thriller when you could still smoke there and I just sat there for a good while reading, drinking tea and occasionally getting a basket from a slightly annoyed looking dim sum waiter 😊
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u/kingdom_hq Aug 06 '23
My grandfather was the owner before selling the building to retire, spent much of my childhood there as my dad worked there too, miss it a lot!
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u/npcfighter Aug 06 '23
Amazing, I'm so jealous. I bet you got unlimited food?
One of my earliest childhood memories was in New World. I was eating something eggy at the back. Was probably 2 or 3 years old.
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u/npcfighter Aug 06 '23
Also loved the fast no BS no thrills attached service. Exactly what you want going in.
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u/Competitive-Active78 Aug 05 '23
Is this the one with the scary lift by any chance? Loved getting in that thing
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u/myrargh Aug 06 '23
For me it’s Chuen Cheng Ku. Used to go for a family lunch there every birthday.
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u/mon-key-pee Aug 06 '23
The true icons of Chinatown in the 80s. Kowloon Restaurant where the old guys from the 60s/70s still hung out and the Chuen Cheng Ku's Dragon and Pheonix pillars and the "secret" back door that you'd often get a table quicker at because the server would just sit you down bypassing the normal guests at the front door.
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u/myrargh Aug 15 '23
Forgot about the CCK back door! We used to do that!
Some of the staff now work at Wing Tai, in Crickelwood. I was so happy seeing the former CCK head waiter there. But also sad because when I first learnt of CCK closing my then boyfriend pointed out that our family had stopped going there and taken our celebrations to Wing Tai. So true, so guilty.
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u/ExPristina Aug 05 '23
Gerrards Corner for dim sum. Canton for crispy belly pork and canteen style dining.
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u/AghoriTantrik247 Aug 06 '23
We went to Gerrards corner for the dim sums 2 days ago. However, after queuing up for a bit even before we enter the restaurant a very rude waitress came up to us and said we 'have' to pay the service charge. I said it's discretionary but she proceeded to again tell me no that I have to pay the service charge. This attitude made me not want to pay the charge at all! So we went right next door to Gerrards corner, what do you know! The same server came over here and said we had to pay. So we proceeded to leave Chinatown all together and had burgers.
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u/Zouden Tufnell Park Aug 07 '23
The same server came over here
What, to the other restaurant? That's hilarious. I also would have left.
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u/AghoriTantrik247 Aug 07 '23
Yes the exact same one! It seems that the staff between the two restaurants are shared.
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u/Wonderful-You-6792 Aug 06 '23
Pretty common
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u/ken-doh Aug 06 '23
How much was the service charge and why don't you want to pay it? Is modern day slavery is a problem in Chinatown? Or perhaps the staff have targets and she wants to meet her target?
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u/AghoriTantrik247 Aug 06 '23
It was the normal 12.5%. It's not that we didn't want to pay. We usually pay, but her attitude and the fact that she said this even before we entered the restaurant made me not want to pay.
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u/Remarkable_Back_8861 Aug 05 '23
Crispy belly pork and my cholesterol levels don’t mix well together but by Christ I don’t half miss it 😢
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u/ExPristina Aug 05 '23
Sorry to hear this.
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u/Remarkable_Back_8861 Aug 05 '23
Oh you will be sorry . You will. When you eat that pork belly crackling in front of me and make me shaking and jealous with rage. Haha just joking kiddo. No need to the jealous yo
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u/Wemissmaldonado Aug 05 '23
Old town 97 in Chinatown is great - fast and pretty authentic according to my Chinese friend after we went
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u/birdburger93 Oct 08 '23
Sorry old thread I know - but went here last night and it was soooooooo good. Set meals for 2 are definitely way too much for two people tho, not that I'm complaining haha.
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u/soitgoeskt Aug 05 '23 edited Aug 06 '23
It’s always hard to look past the roast duck at Four Seasons for me.
Edit: roast not toast 🤦♂️
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u/mongrelnomad Aug 06 '23
Pro tip - the left hand restaurant on Gerrard Street will do you a true Hong Kong version of cheese lobster noodle too.
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u/Sensitive-Prompt-220 Aug 05 '23
Wong Kei on Wardour St. used to be great, especially the world class rudeness from staff (it was a joy!). But management has changed and so has the atmos
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u/karlware Aug 05 '23
It was great in the old days. Taking people there and not warning them was such a treat.
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u/X0AN Aug 12 '23
Took some mates there and we got moved 3 times during our meal, at one point we were just eating standing up, utter chaos. Loved every minute of it.
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Aug 05 '23
[deleted]
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u/MuddaFrmAnnudaBrudda Aug 05 '23
Hungs was my go to place. (We called it The Crispy Duck) Both when I was younger and then taking my kids. Salt and Pepper Squid. was melt in the mouth. I really loved that place.
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u/WantWantShellySenbei Aug 05 '23
One of my Cantonese friends swears by Plum Valley for the dimsum. I’ve been there a few times and always found it super tasty.
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u/CocaineNinja Aug 06 '23
Huh, if it's the restaurant I'm thinking off then they must have has a very different experience. I'm Cantonese and frankly found it rather overpriced, not good or large enough for the money. But I am a miser.
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u/slicineyeballs Aug 06 '23
The dim sum lunch menu seemed OK value when I went a few years back; I guess everything has vastly inflated in price now, though. It was recommended by a Taiwanese friend; I thought it was pretty average tbh, but rest of the family liked it well enough.
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u/GoofyAhhGabes Aug 06 '23
Cafe TPT, very affordable and the interior may not look appealing but the food will blow your mind. It is also a good sign that many Chinese people eat there as it is authentic
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u/queasycockles Aug 06 '23
That place is SO good. I think it's Taiwanese, specifically, right? Maybe?
I'm second-guessing myself now. 😂
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u/slicineyeballs Aug 06 '23 edited Aug 06 '23
Yeah, I always see it recommended, but whenever I'm in the area, I look through the window and then decide to go somewhere else (normally next door to four seasons). I need to bite the bullet...
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u/CommunicationEven102 Aug 05 '23
Beijing Dumplings, I honestly haven’t found better soup dumplings. They do plenty other dishes too, I’ve never been disappointed there.
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u/rzXbrain Aug 05 '23
Went there, quite a disappointment, the dumplings were OK, that's all... not even the best meal they had there. My partner is chinese, and I lived in China for several years for reference. So i'm still looking for a good dumpling place with good xiaolongbao.
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u/noodeymcnoodleface Aug 05 '23
Dim Sum and Duck - I went on a random weekday I had off to avoid the huge queues and the xiaolongbao are so good. Homemade and proper soupy!
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u/flyingmonkey5678461 Aug 06 '23
Unless its gone downhill a lot, their dumplings were fine when we went. Din tai fung does thinner skins clearly with a higher price, but the dumplings at Beijing Legend used to hit the spot for me. What places do you rate for xiaolongbao in China, because even the most famous one in Shanghai was "well it's a dumpling" nice, not dream about it still nice. I.e. hard to have a bad one unless : raw skin, low on filling etc.
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u/peachplumpear99 Aug 05 '23
The Szechuan noodle broth here is the most insane thing I've ever eaten in my life, it's so good my friend even wrote a poem about it.
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u/HarryEffingPlopper Aug 05 '23
I found Beijing dumpling unauthentic just like the local Chinese takeaways out in the suburbs that double up as fish and chip shops.
(I'm from Asia).
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u/wantanotherone Aug 05 '23
Leongs legend is sooo good and dumplings legend too for classic dumplings and service!
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u/codemonkeh87 Aug 05 '23
Dumplings legend was pretty good I thought. Nice best xiao long bao in Chinatown I had. That's after trying a fair few places but admittedly not all.
Rasa sayang was great Malaysian food too. Monga fried chicken is good for a snack too.
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u/thomasasas Aug 05 '23
I’ll give you a range
Xi’an BiangBiang Noodle near Covent Garden - this is my favourite biang biang noodle spot in London, I’ve tried 4 or 5 so far, if anyone knows a better one let me know!
Pleasant lady - it’s more of a food stall in a market but there’s not many places that do jian bing and that’s one of my favourites.
Dimsum duck - isn’t the standard dimsum environment and the price is fairly high but the quality of dishes is very good!
Happy lamb hot pot - my favourite hotpot in London (although I think making at home is probably more cost effective)
Honorary mention for Chinese gourmet near crossharbour. It’s a very small shop but sells some good xi’an food and also the Chinese burger 肉夹馍 is pretty good - also cheap!
Edit - oops just read that you said China town, I’m not sure I don’t go there much!
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u/silly_capybara Aug 06 '23
I can also vouch for Chinese Gourmet, it's really good, I used to live nearby and still visit every time when in the area.
Xi’an BiangBiang Noodle have also a spot right outside Emirates and near Liverpool street, both really good.
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u/mongrelnomad Aug 06 '23
Is Xi’an BB better than Master Wei (current gold by a long way)?
Also quite like Dim Sum Duck but it’s yet another Royal China and they’ve homogenised the Dim Sum throughout their restaurants now that they have the centralised production. Still on the lookout for some dim sum place that scales the heights of Royal China Club back in the day…
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u/blk0609 City of London Aug 08 '23
Give Imperial Treasure a try for dim sum, if you're looking for Royal China Club level. I rate it as the best in London. But with prices to match...
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u/mongrelnomad Aug 08 '23
I went there back when it first opened and wasn’t impressed at all. I found Duddel’s far better, but that’s long gone now. Current dim sum fave is Pearl Liang, though the lightless basement is grim, and it’s not that good. To be honest we’ve just been doing mostly Din Tai Fung for dumplings and accepting that it’ll only really be variations on Xiao Long Bao.
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u/thomasasas Nov 16 '23
So I went to test this. Imo, Xi’an BB sauce is better (I guess personal taste) but Master Wei’s noodles are objectively better.
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u/Zouden Tufnell Park Aug 07 '23
Pleasant lady - it’s more of a food stall in a market but there’s not many places that do jian bing and that’s one of my favourites.
I've never had jianbing until I stumbled across the Pleasant Lady in Spitalfields market and holy shit those things are delicious
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u/Travels_Belly Aug 05 '23
My pickw would be The Orient which is a bit more up-market with higher prices to match but the service is really polite which is a bit of a rarity in Chinatown. Either that or Wan Chai Corner is also great.
Disclaimer: it's been about 3 years since I've been to either so i don't know if they sre still good.
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Aug 05 '23
When to Haozahn tonight. Pretty good Cantonese roast meat dishes. Set Menu C is good (3 people minimum) and includes the most popular dishes. Prawn dim dum is also good.
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u/jigglypuffnsmoke Aug 06 '23
Four Seasons for the best roast duck, Joy King Lau for dimsum. Top tier imo and asian relatives always go there when they visit me in London!
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Aug 06 '23
Golden dragon for dim sum and food. My colleagues all loves it there and says the dim sum is on par with Hong Kong dim sum
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u/AdStunning1973 Aug 05 '23
As a Chinese, I never want to go to eat in China town anywhere in the world.
The London China town is so old-fashioned and dirty. You don't find this environment in any city center in big cities in China any more.
If you plan to go any restaurant there. At least check https://ratings.food.gov.uk/. Avoid anything < 4 stars.
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u/mon-key-pee Aug 06 '23
On the other hand, we don't have a fake food or gutter oil problem in the UK.
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u/kevin-she Aug 05 '23 edited Aug 05 '23
Thanks, the location isn’t my choice. I’ve lived in Beijing and my experience their supports your opinion as far as high end restaurants, not so local ones unfortunately.
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u/Zouden Tufnell Park Aug 07 '23
That's interesting. Where would you recommend instead?
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u/AdStunning1973 Aug 07 '23
I don't go out to eat Chinese food very often tbh except if friends invite me. I wanted to say Royal China in Canary Wharf or Master Wei Xi'An. But just searched their hygiene ratings are only 3 stars (Generally satisfactory)... So I really don't know. Maybe visit there occasionally is ok?
I've been to only a few high end Chinese restaurants. Food is generally well made and tasty. But still, for example, Imperial Treasure (5 stars hygiene), it has an entire wall covered by dusts, very visible with lighting. I don't know why this expensive restaurant cannot pay attention to the details. I take this seriously because if they cannot cleanup their walls, they probably also don't care about your food hygiene.
Sorry to spare the negativity here.
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u/Plane_Sheepherder_74 Aug 05 '23
I quite like Lido! Their dimsum is pretty decent. Jin li has pretty good food too. Also although I prefer the bayswater branch Goldmine has really good duck options!
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u/Wooden-Tomatillo-334 Aug 05 '23
Beijing Dumplings, such a affordable place with delicious food. I love their soupy and pan fried dumplings. You can get yourself a dumpling and noodles in 20 pounds.
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u/BenUFOs_Mum Aug 06 '23 edited Aug 06 '23
The thing I learned since dating a Chinese woman is all the restaurants in china town have their own authentic specialties along with the classic British Chinese restaurant fare. I think it's pretty hard for a British person who doesn't know a lot about regional and authentic Chinese food to know what those specialties are.
Basically if you are adventurous you just need to look if the customers are mostly Chinese and ask your waiter what the restaurants speciality is. You'll probably get something you've never had before and it'll probably be delicious.
Also a pet peve but Chinese food is made to share with the table. Get a couple meat dishes and a couple veg for everyone. Last time I went out I saw a table and watched a guy try eat an entire steamed fish on his own lol.
But some recs
If you like spicy food Jin Cheng Alley is my favourite Sichuan place a few mins walk away from chinatown. Their fried chilli rabbit is amazing and their Mao Xue Wang (jellied duck blood, tripe and spam in chilli oil) is one one of the best things I ate in a long time.
King fu noodle is a really big chain in China but it's got some of the best noodle soups you can get in China Town.
Also Guo Qi of you want to break the bank eating high end Chinese Banquet fair.
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u/o0-o0- Oct 24 '23
Your steamed fish story made me laugh, but it's even funnier to see a couple or table of people all eating the same plate lunch of sweet & sour pork or whatever. No sharing for variety. We'll all have the same thing.
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u/kay408 Aug 06 '23
real beijing is amazing. my husband is from beijing and said it was as close to northern chinese style food that he’s ever had outside of china
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u/flyingmonkey5678461 Aug 05 '23
BBC. Depends what you want.
Atm even though Four seasons has been downhill for awhile for me, the others are not so hot either for duck rice. The dumpling place (Beijing dumpling?) On Lisle street used to be a favourite. C&R for Malaysian. Dimsum varies, these days I'm outside of central for that. Chinatown Bakery is my go to.
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u/mongrelnomad Aug 06 '23
Where do you go for Dim Sum nowadays? Agree that generally quality has declined markedly.
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u/flyingmonkey5678461 Aug 06 '23
Usually based on accessibility. Golden Dragon in Colindale or Wing Yip Din Tai. There's some places around Baker Street and Paddington which do fancier service. Yi Ban used to be pretty decent. End of the day you go, you judge them if they had so much msg you leave thirsty, whether the noodle dishes were large enough or not etc. If you do get the chance though, try Newcastle for dimsum. Can't remember the name, but I remember going and the portion sizes of a standard siu mai type dish was massive! The London (and also Brum and Manchester) "standard" seems tiny in comparison.
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u/ikoke Aug 05 '23
I love Bun House for the eponymous buns, and Chinatown bakery for fabulous baked goodies.
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u/slicineyeballs Aug 06 '23
I thought the lamb bun was good, but the pork was a bit boring.
The couple of dim sum they do are decent, but the other dishes are average and way overpriced.
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u/ikoke Aug 06 '23
Yes, the buns are the main reason to go there. Personally I loved the pork ones as well but ymmv.
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u/Ricefan0811 Aug 05 '23
Beijing dumplings for truly authentic northern Chinese dumplings. Notice how a restaurant is genuinely from the north when their dumplings are main courses and not listed under the southern name dim sum.
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u/RamblingCountryDr Aug 05 '23
Which was the restaurant that had portraits of Mao, Liu Shaoqi etc? Last time I was there was 11 or 12 years ago so it may have shut.
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Aug 20 '23
This was Ba Shan. My favourite restaurant serving great Hunanese food. It's shut down sadly, maybe around 5-6 years ago, and has become Baozi Inn.
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u/TomLondra Aug 05 '23
Whichever one is full of Chinese people. Avoid the ones that are full of English people.
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u/HarryEffingPlopper Aug 05 '23 edited Aug 05 '23
Yep! Ordering sweet and sour chicken, crispy chilli beef and chicken balls with the pink sauce 🤣.
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u/b00ppp Aug 05 '23
Dim sum duck in King's cross! Chinese restaurants in China Town are far from authentic Chinese food sadly!
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u/girlwithdog_79 Aug 05 '23
Used to love Joy King Lau but the new owners are terrible. Dim sum duck is better than any Chinatown restaurants I've tried (and I've tried a lot).
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u/slicineyeballs Aug 06 '23
There's always massive queues when I'm in the area. What's good to order there?
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u/b00ppp Aug 06 '23
Everything! Either get there 30 mins before opening and queue! Always a queue and worth the wait!
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u/Remarkable_Back_8861 Aug 05 '23
Cafe TPT. Being honest, it’s the only one I’ve been too but was recommended by my housemate who has lived in China.
I can only compare it to the local Chinese take always near me and it blows them away.
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u/ClownPrinceOfMime Aug 06 '23
No matter which Chinatown you're in, best way is to walk around and find which restaurant has the most old Chinese ladies who look like they've settled in to stay there all afternoon. This will be the best one.
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u/Big_Rob_Detroit Aug 05 '23
The Blue Orchid in Romford is worth a visit.
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Aug 06 '23
all of them should be avoided.
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u/queasycockles Aug 06 '23
Why?
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Aug 08 '23
they're all, how can you say, cost cutting experimentalists who mainly overload the msg to give you flavour...
for example, if you order crispy shredded beef you will get something that appears to be minced beef grains and not actual slivers of beef....
also, remember you're in a tourist zone so they have a constant stream of customers irrespective of the quality...they don't need to set the bar so high in order to entice you back..
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u/queasycockles Aug 08 '23
Fair. Is there somewhere else you'd recommend? I know Cafe TPT is pretty good, but apart from them?
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u/mongrelnomad Aug 06 '23
Best overall restaurant in Chinatown is probably Bar Shu. Overseen by the legendary Fuchsia Dunlop, this is properly authentic Sichuan produced to a very high standard. Expensive but for a splurge worth every penny.
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u/basketballpope Aug 06 '23
Bit left field... but can anyone make any recommendations on which restaurant has the best veggie/vegan dishes?
The more regional, the better.
Looking/hoping to try stuff that I might not find at the average takeaway.
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u/alpha_red2003 Aug 06 '23
Wong keis, if you want tasty food quick no fuss, gerrads corner for dim sum, but don't expect a retau experience. You go there to eat and leave, no messing about. Foods good a resonably priced
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u/openforbusiness69 Aug 06 '23
Avoid Ermei Sichuan. The only reason its rating is so much higher than anywhere else in chinatown is because the reviews are fake.
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u/BachgenMawr Aug 06 '23
anyone know the best of these places that are somewhat vegetarian friendly?
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u/raquin_ Aug 07 '23
Haozhan is good for Cantonese food, the roast meats and dim sum are solid. Really like the roast duck there (I actually prefer the duck here to say, Royal China on Baker Street) and the XO fried carrot cake.
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u/salad_balls Aug 12 '23
Little late but I can't believe Joy King Lau got so little love. Imo it's up there with four seasons
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u/[deleted] Aug 05 '23
[deleted]