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Chinese Restaurants in the UK - Reviews


somethingfunny

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I don't live in London, but I applaud your effort, Somethingfunny. Well done! Will be following this thread with interest. And I like your list of favorite foods.

 

I'm back home now in Texas for my annual visit and haven't even bothered to try the two Chinese places in my little town this year. Every time in the past they have both been disappointing. The owners are Chinese, but they have "adapted" all recipes to fit local tastes with the help of Mexican chefs who don't know about proper Asian seasoning. (I have nothing against Mexican food, but don't like it disguised as Chinese.)

 

In Kunming I sometimes go to an "individual hot pot" restaurant like the one you describe. Was introduced to it by a friend who was vegetarian. I would include meat items for mine, but she wouldn't for hers. Worked out very well that way.

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Would recommend 'Chinese Laundry' in Islington if you get the chance, pretty authentic and very tasty.

 

Also, 'A Wong' in Victoria is really amazing, would recomend the 10 course taster menu (each course is from a different province) haven't tried their a la carte. He also does an 7/8 course menu where every course involves Beijing Duck in some way.

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This looks like a good project, what a wonderful reason to try lots of restaurants :)  "I need to eat here so I can do a review and here, and here......."

 

Its great for me cos with my nut allergy I will never try all this food but it nice to hear about it, if you ever come across a nut free chinese restaurant, do let me know :shock:

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What a great idea to have a tasting menu with each course from a different province. 

 

Some of the Beijing-style roast duck places in Kunming serve the sliced duck meat in one course so you can roll it up in thin pancakes with scallions and condiments and follow that with the main bones deep fried and then sprinkled with some powdered spices so you can gnaw them for the last little bit of tender meat. I suppose that would make two courses and a third might be a duck soup. It would take a good culinary imagination to extend the menu to duck prepared or served 7 or 8 ways. I would like to go there and order that feast.

 

The Kunming individual-serving hot pot place that I mentioned above always features duck tongues. It's one of their specialty items. First time I had them, I was surprised by the bone. Wasn't expecting it and had to afterwards review duck anatomy 101.

 

Unlike that of mammals, the avian tongue possesses a bone that runs throughout the middle of the organ. And, instead of being covered on top in taste buds, tiny papillae protrude on either side of the tongues. While the tongue of cows and pigs are muscle meat, varying only somewhat in texture from the flesh on bones, the tongues of ducks bear no resemblance to duck meat.

 

https://cookingintongues.com/2011/10/27/do-duck-tongues-really-have-bones-and-other-food-discoveries-from-kunming-china/

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/10/nasty-bits-fried-duck-tongue-offal-recipe.html

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Very impressive! Thanks for that link. The duck fois gras and duck consomme sound good, as does the crisp roast duck skin. Not so sure about that cocktail, but I'll take your word for it.

 

Had a roast duck supper this August in Beijing at one of the famous 北京烤鸭 specialty restaurants (Dadong 大董) a block off Wangfujing. They offered some imaginative variations on the duck theme, but my dining companion was not feeling adventurous and they all had to be ordered for two or more people. We stuck to the basics.

 

Duck meal at Dadong in Beijing cost over 700 Yuan for two, with fruit juice instead of wine. And it was a fine meal, don't begrudge them a penny. Lots of atmosphere and excellent service.

 

But Kunming roast duck, carry out, Yiliang style, usually costs 26 yuan for one whole plump bird with golden crisp skin and juicy meat. The seller throws in dipping sauce, dry seasoned salt and scallions free.

 

post-20301-0-35329000-1477062885_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

What a nice project! I often look for authentic Chinese places to eat when in London or other big cities, but 90% of the time, the food is disappointing. It's even worse outside the major cities. Great to have the prices too, A Wong sounds very nice but bit above my usual budget...and I tend to travel with companions who much rather go for the "All you can eat" buffet.

 

I hope you get a chance to travel to Manchester or Liverpool, Somethinfunny. 

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Well well well.............Look what I found just up the road from my place. Definitely will go and try some teas, and possibly desserts and sweets. Might be worth putting on your list if you are ever in Southampton.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=hashtag+serendipity&cns=0

 

Its called Hashtag Serendipity .. not the best name but has some very good reviews.

 

I will let you know what I think when I go soon.

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What an amazing find, Somethingfunny! Euston Station is my station to London, almost feels like home ground.  I must make a point to get there with plenty of spare time to try this place.

 

Their FB page is quite interesting,  has some notes and pictures of food. 

https://www.facebook.com/MURGERHAN/

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Well let us know if you check it out, I'd like someone else's opinion.  I'm starting to worry I wrote the review too soon after eating there and might have been a little overexcited.  

 

Was damn good though.

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肉夹馍 -- Yum! For whatever reason Kunming has lots of small cafes run by cooks from 陕西。This means easy availability of things like interesting noodle dishes and rou jia mo, the "Chinese hamburger." One near my house will serve me more lean meat if I ask them, which makes the finished product much more tasty, at least in my view. In some other places the meat is nearly entirely fat. They stew it slowly a very long time and use a rich, flavorful sauce 卤汁 plus a garnish of medium-spicy green peppers cut in slivers.

 

I'm still in Texas, but look forward to returning to Kunming where I can have such items again before long.

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Would you try My Old Place near Liverpool Street Station please, the one in Middlesex Street (there's one in Bethnal Green but I don't know it). I have only been once. It may be the best Sichuan food in London.

http://www.feedingfen.com/2015/08/23/my-old-place-east-london-szechuan-dining/

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I definitely need to try Murger Han or My Old Place next time I get Chinese food. And keep A Wong as an option. I'd also been curious what the Shuang Shuang place was like. These are excellent reviews.

 

I've found in the past that Chinese restaurants in London can be great ... until one day they're suddenly nothing at all special. Manchurian Legends was one like that. I read somewhere that it's simply a matter of the chef moving on.

 

My only addition to this topic is to recommend Min Jiang for Peking duck: expensive, so kind of a special-occasion place, nice views, and I liked the duck a lot (although I've only had it once before so I'm hardly the expert).

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