Amy Poon will revive one of the most famous names in British Chinese cooking with the opening of her first permanent restaurant – called Poon’s – in Somerset House on Bonfire Night.
Amy’s parents Bill and Cecilia opened the original Poon’s in Chinatown in 1973, which ran alongside a second venue in Covent Garden until they retired in 2006. Amy made her first steps with the 2018 launch of her “wontoneria” pop-up and online project, and has now taken up a 60-seat space with two rooms in the new wing at Somerset House.
The emphases is very much on Chinese home cooking, with a number of recipes from the original Poon’s. Dishes include ‘Magic Soup’, billed as “a fortifying broth of granny wisdom to soothe, restore and nourish“; Sesame prawn toast from a heritage recipe using hand-chopped prawn pâté on a base of lardo, deep-fried in sesame seeds and breadcrumbs; ‘Covent Garden roast duck salad’; ‘Claypot rice’ with signature dried meats; a Fruits de mer platter to share; and of course her Wontons.
Lighter options include ‘Sui Sik’ snacks to eat at the bar; ‘Sui Yeh’ late-night “pot luck” meals served from 9pm at £18 a bowl; a single-course lunch dish at £14/£15; and pre-theatre or table d’hôte sets both at £28.
The space itself will seat 60 across two rooms, the first with a communal feel and the second around an open kitchen. It also comes with a private dining room that fits in 24 more. There’s a bar area too, where they’ll serve Chinese “siu2 sik6” small eats.
