Shoreditch, Chinese Restaurant Guide

2024 Review: “Authentically fiery dishes” light up the menu at this City Road restaurant where head chef Zhang Xiao Zhong hails from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan – a third-generation chef, his grandfather was personal chef to Deng Xiaoping, China’s leader through the 1980s.

“The food remains exceptional” – “cheung fun and venison puffs are still raging crowd-pleasers” – at this modern Cantonese-inspired pair: the “fabulously blingy” Soho original and its follow-up in the City’s Broadgate development (there are also international branches in India and Saudi Arabia). One or two uneven reports this year raise concerns, including about “ragged service” – though, to be fair, the latter has never been great. Founded in 2004 by Alan Yau following his success with Hakkasan, the brand now sits in the hospitality portfolio of Isle of Man-based online gambling billionaire Mark Sheinberg. Top Tip – “the Infinite Yum Cha brunch on Sundays is extremely good value – and delicious”.

“Great northeastern Chinese cooking and dumplings!” are reported at this trio of pitstops originally in Colindale’s Bang Bang oriental food hall, and now with standalone locations in Covent Garden and more recently near Liverpool Street. They are the work of 27-year old Wenjun Xiang, and inspired by her upbringing in Dalian, China. “Much nicer than Din Thai Fung and A LOT cheaper!”