London's Chinatown Restaurants

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Jan 15th, 2003, 08:44 AM

Lisa

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London's Chinatown Restaurants

Will be in London in March and while wandering the streets would love to get a great Chinese meal in London's Chinatown. Nothing fancy, want to wear jeans and may be carrying packages. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Jan 15th, 2003, 11:11 AM

mpprh

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Hi It is 15 yrs since I lived in London. I worked in an office with 25 chinese, and we ate in Soho every weekend (and often during the week, too !). Then, we were never unhappy with Lee Ho Fook on Gerrard Street. In fact Gerrard street will give you all the choice you need (maybe 25 restaurants) go for the one with the biggest queue. Peter http://tlp.netfirms.com

Jan 15th, 2003, 11:41 PM

janis

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There are many good restaurants in Soho/China Town. I have also eaten at Lee Ho Fook and it was good. But over the years I have probably eaten at 10 different restaurants on Gerrard, all were decent and a few were outstanding. Like mpprh - just look at the posted menus and queues and decide from there.

Jan 16th, 2003, 01:29 AM

Lee

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I am a Londoner and I can recommend Wong Kei which is on Wardour Street. The food is good, relatively inexpensive. This restaurant has built a reputation on its eccentric/rude service which is played on by the waiters. Always busy even though they have 3 floors.

Jan 16th, 2003, 01:32 AM

marc horsebox

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Again, there are many very good restaurants in chinatown, mainly gerrard street. At all costs avoid the buffet options- they are never any good. Another thing to avoid is the "all you can eat for £4.50" places unless you are very drunk and only have a few pounds in your pocket. One place I can recommend for excellent Dim Sum is New World at the end of gerrard street and just around the corner. They serve dimsum between 11am and 6pm, after that it is strictly a la carte (which is equally good...)

Jan 16th, 2003, 04:45 AM

Alec

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It's hard to beat the original branch of Poon's (there are others in London, but much more expensive) on Lisle St, which runs parallel to Gerard St on Leicester Square side (south). Its wind-dried meats are legendary, but I've enjoyed almost anything from their long menu. Simple decor, no-frills but friendly service, free china tea and rock-bottom prices. One-plate meal for under £4. They also do a delicious 1/4 peking duck with trimmings for £6. Service is 10%. First place I go to whenever I'm in London.

Jan 16th, 2003, 07:45 AM

Ivan

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There are many good Chinese restaurants in Chinatown as the previous poster said 'avoid the all that you can eat for £4.95 places'. Lee Ho Fook serves the standard Cantonese cooking for those who want just good basic Chinese food. Poon used to be good but these days they catered more to British taste. Wong Kei is listed in almost every guide books as a tourist attraction, the food is only so-so. I have better and cheaper meal elsewhere in Chinatown. My recommendations: Lido and Joy King Lau for nicer decor and service. Mr. Kong and Jen for more adventurous menu. Hong Kong restaurant for its lobster steamboat(Chinese fondue). Dim sum: London Jade Garden, Golden Dragon and London Chinatown. These restaurants don't do trolley service, you have to order from a picture menu. Trolley service is fun to start with but it get tedious when the sweet and savoury dishes come past your table in the wrong order, or you have to wait for ages for the things you like to come round. Yeung Cheng (Lisle street branch) is known in local Chinese community for good and inexpensive food. During the day, you get a free bowl of hot soup as you sit down. It is particulary welcoming on a cold day. If you choose carefully, you can have a hearty meal for £4.50. This restaurant attracts a lot of student and local Chinese population. There is a menu for two or more persons for £7.50 per head. You choose two(if there is only two of you) from the extensive menu, rice and tea come free(for cripsy duck and pancake, you have to pay a supplement). I have many satisfactory meals with groups of friends for less than £10 many a time. Obviously, it works better if there are more people in the group as you get to sample more dishes. Another thing to look for when choosing a Chinese restaurant is the number of Chinese diners in the restaurant, if the restaurant is full of non-Chinese diner, give it a miss unless you want tone down dishes cooked for western taste. Most of Chinese restaurants in UK are not noted for their interior decorations, so don't expect a mock Chinese palace. Some restaurants have menu wriiten only in Chinese and won't be given to non-Chinese dinners unless you ask for it. Get the waiter/waitress to translate for you, you'll find unusual and interesting dishes on offer, that is if you are adventurous. There is no dress code for dining in Chinese restaurants, so jeans will be fine

Jan 16th, 2003, 08:03 AM

xxx

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What exactly is "dim sum"?

Mar 6th, 2003, 11:58 AM

mpprh

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hi Dim Sum is a sort of small tasty dish. Originally served, I believe, as a sort of mid morning snack. Many are very fresh foods steamed in a bamboo basket. Very popular now, worldwide, as a Sunday brunch type meal, but often taken as a starter. Expect to eat around 10 baskets if having it as a meal. Best I've found ....... Soho (London), Melbourne, LA, and Hong Kong Bonne chance Peter http://tlp.netfirms.com Regards Pet er