St James's, Chinese Restaurant Guide

There’s no denying the “seductive” pull of this opulent venture (founded in 2015 by Alan Yau and nowadays owned by an anonymous Turkish family) which brings a slice of 1920s Shanghai decadence to Mayfair. But while fans “love the dim sum selection and vibes on a busy night”, saying it “ticks all the boxes”, its “off-the-scale prices” inspire outrage amongst many reporters, and raise a suspicion that beneath the glamorous veneer, “it’s just a bog standard Chinese”.

“Everything about this place is wow!… including the breathtaking bill!” – This extremely swanky, late-2018 yearling occupies a “beautiful old banking hall, with butter-soft leather banquettes, and tasteful furniture” just off Pall Mall. It’s the first London branch of a Singaporean chain with branches throughout mainland China and Hong Kong as well as elsewhere in Asia. “Don’t forget to pre-order your £100 Peking duck with pancakes!”, which has become something of a cause célèbre in (generally unfavourable) newspaper reviews of its opening, although whether the result is “magnificent”, or “a tasteless rip off” at “obscene prices” is likewise debated by Harden’s reporters. Ultimately ratings here are dragged down by the vocal minority of critics, but supporters say “you wouldn’t complain about the prices if it were French”.

“Hakkasan has been setting the standard for modern Chinese food in London for ages now”, with the nightclubby, “dimly lit” original (“I had difficulty reading the menu and even seeing the food!”), opening “in a tiny, narrow lane with an anonymous entrance” near Tottenham Court Road in 2001; and although both it and its easier-to-find Mayfair spin-off’s styling “is a little bling bling” they continue to serve “seriously lovely” food and “refreshing” cocktails. There are drawbacks, which have also changed little over the years: it’s “very noisy”, staff can seem “bored” or “totally dismissive”, and “your wallet will have a hangover in the morning”.

“The service is passable and the ambience is poor” at this group in Chinatown and Bayswater – “but you only go for one thing: the barbecued/roast meat”, especially the “famous” and “perfect Cantonese roast duck and the char siu pork”. They might be “a bit too authentic these days”, but they’re still “hard to beat for Chinese food”.

“Go through the doors and instantly get barked at – how many? Then, an instruction is growled: ‘Upstairs!’” The ritual of a meal at this famous Chinatown veteran, has elements of self-conscious parody (you can actually buy a T-shirt saying ‘upstairs’), but remains relatively ‘real’: a loose pact between its infamously “rude” and dismissive staff and students, theatre-goers and hungry workers in search of cheap, Chinese chow. “You are unlikely to get any smiles as you find yourself at a shared table, in a crammed-in dining area with plates piled high with deliciously smelly food being slammed onto various tables – they want you to be decisive, eat, and get out as soon as possible” – but it’s “a fantastic filler”.

A Chinatown sibling for the famous Queensway Chinese.

“In a crowded Chinatown field”, this three-story Cantonese institution just off Leicester Square “is a dependable crowd-pleaser” with a “good price-to-quality ratio”: “the queues outside speak for its popularity”. Highlights from the “reliable menu” include “fab dim sum every time”, “yummy char sui” and “legendary soft shell crab”, all delivered by staff who “although rushed off their feet are generally smiley and friendly”. Top Tip – “the ground floor is a better experience than the higher floors”.

2017 Review: “Fun, healthy and cheap” new venture from Thai restaurateur Fah Sundravorakul, on Chinatown’s northern border, seeking to differentiate itself from the competition by establishing a trend for Chinese DIY hot pot – you cook the meal yourself using implements provided, grabbing ingredients as necessary from a central conveyor belt.

This “nice take on typical Chinese dishes”, served “tapas-style in a gastropub” on Soho’s Berwick Street, is the creation of Asian restaurant maestro Alan Yau. Four years on, however – while it’s perfectly decently rated – there is little evidence that he has conjured another winner on the scale of his earlier hits, Wagamama and Hakkasan.

“Silky-fine cheung fun, filled with sweet fresh prawns”… “dumplings wrapped in translucent skins”… “delicious venison puffs”… – “you can’t go back to Chinatown dim sum after a trip” to one of these “hip and happening”, Chinese-inspired haunts, whose “addictive bites keep reeling you in”. The “flash” Soho original, created by Alan Yau, “still feels fresh after all these years” – with its moody basement and lighter ground floor – while the Broadgate spin-off is much larger in scale, more conventionally glam, and with a big cocktail terrace overlooking Broadgate Circle. Any drawbacks? Service is “efficient” but “sometimes brusque”. Top Tips – Soho also serves tea, and has a line in “gorgeous, elegant patisserie”.

“The service is passable and the ambience is poor” at this group in Chinatown and Bayswater – “but you only go for one thing: the barbecued/roast meat”, especially the “famous” and “perfect Cantonese roast duck and the char siu pork”. They might be “a bit too authentic these days”, but they’re still “hard to beat for Chinese food”.

2019 Review: If you crave authenticity and offal in equal portions, this new 2018 opening on Chinatown’s main drag (sibling to an existing operation in Holborn) looks like it may be the place for you. A traditional Sichuan hot-pot specialist, choose from over 80 ingredients – from assorted types of tripe, aorta and brain to wagyu beef and seafood.

“The service is passable and the ambience is poor” at this group in Chinatown and Bayswater – “but you only go for one thing: the barbecued/roast meat”, especially the “famous” and “perfect Cantonese roast duck and the char siu pork”. They might be “a bit too authentic these days”, but they’re still “hard to beat for Chinese food”.

A “straightforward Chinatown classic”: this long-standing, “very authentic” destination provides a “good central location for inexpensive – and always reliable – dim sum” as well as roast meat.

“Recently moved from Soho to Chinatown into a new, bigger and better space” – Z He and Alex Peffly’s venture is a “#1 spot for a quick, cheap meal”: “buns are filled with authentic Chinese flavours and the dough is so soft it feels like you’re eating clouds!”. Meanwhile, back at the original Greek Street site, this husband-and-wife team have transformed their old premises into Wun’s, which opened in July 2019: see also.

Hakka (Indo-Chinese cuisine) is centre-stage at this new Soho 60-seater, where its few early-days reviews are brimming with enthusiasm, particularly regarding the “excellent” food. You kick off with spicy ‘momo’ (Tibetan dumplings) and move onto the interesting selection of mains (dishes including crab, rabbit, venison…). There’s even a “sizzling brownie dessert to die for”.

“Spice heaven!” – this “old favourite” is “worth a detour north of Shaftesbury Avenue” to “experience genuinely interesting and mouth-popping Sichuan specials” – so “be brave when you order”. The food-writer, China expert and consultant “Fuchsia Dunlop’s touch makes it a regional Chinese diamond in the Chinatown rough”.

“Spicy noodles and tasty bao make for a dependable staple for quick eats in Chinatown” at the original Newport Court branch of this growing chain: the brainchild of Wei Shao, who helped popularise Sichuan cuisine with Bar Shu back in the day. A Soho offshoot followed in 2018, and mid-August 2019 saw the launch of a new three-storey, 120-cover, flagship near Borough Market (and there’s also a stall in Market Halls Victoria). The exact offering varies from branch to branch but, in general, meals are “extremely satisfying and reasonably priced”.

The long-awaited replacement to Matsya (RIP) comes from Jamavar and Bombay Bustle creator Samyukta Nair, and is inspired by 1920s Shanghai; former Hakkasan chef Peter Ho will oversee the high-end, modern Chinese menu.