Tofu Vegan review – the plant-based Islington restaurant with age-old roots
★★★★☆ / Chinese / Vegetarian

Tofu Vegan review – the plant-based Islington restaurant with age-old roots

I come to praise Chinese mock meats, not to bury them Many people are wary and cautious of the new and different, especially food. Acceptance often comes gingerly, with the new arrival initially forced to adopt a more familiar guise. Chinese food in the UK is a case in point. For many decades, it bore … Continue reading

Bao Noodle Shop review – the best noodle soup you’ve never heard of
★★★★★ / Chinese / Chinese Noodles / Taiwanese

Bao Noodle Shop review – the best noodle soup you’ve never heard of

That difficult fifth album restaurant is nonetheless a hit Disclosure: on one of my visits, a single dish was offered for free. This offer was not solicited and was accepted out of politeness. Like albums and movies, restaurant sequels are tricky to pull off without flopping like an orca ejected from a plane. A successful … Continue reading

Baozi Inn London Bridge review – Cantonese roasts and Sichuanese dumplings under one roof
★★☆☆☆ / Chinese / Chinese Dumplings / Chinese Noodles / Sichuanese

Baozi Inn London Bridge review – Cantonese roasts and Sichuanese dumplings under one roof

But this Borough restaurant isn’t the best of both worlds The flowering of new Chinese restaurants across London in recent years has given us all a joyous bounty to partake in. Biang biang noodles, skewered offal and spicy crayfish – to name but a few examples – are immensely preferable to the saggy prawn toasts, … Continue reading

Seveni review – there’s more than just barbecue to this sizzling Chinese restaurant
★★★★★ / Chinese

Seveni review – there’s more than just barbecue to this sizzling Chinese restaurant

Grilled offal, Cornish pasty-lookalikes and hearty doughnuts are just some of the charms at this Lambeth North restaurant Not having to cook is one of the more pragmatic attractions of eating out, rather than staying in – it’s part of the service that you’re paying for after all. This utilitarian consideration probably helps explain why … Continue reading

Bao Borough review – the Taiwanese sequel worth singing about
★★★★☆ / Chinese / Taiwanese

Bao Borough review – the Taiwanese sequel worth singing about

Every dish on the menu tried and tasted Bao in Borough isn’t just another Taiwanese restaurant serving up gua bao. It’s the latest in a line of small but highly successful bao restaurants that have been lauded and recommended by many, including this site. Living up to one’s own expectations is tough enough. Living up … Continue reading

Silk Road review – Xinjiang noodles and kebabs in Camberwell
★★★☆☆ / Chinese / Chinese Dumplings / Chinese Noodles

Silk Road review – Xinjiang noodles and kebabs in Camberwell

Not all Silk Roads lead to treasure Some restaurants become so totemic and talismanic, that no amount of criticism on my part or anyone else’s is likely to dent their popularity. In London, a town somewhat unfairly pilloried for being expensive to live in, that maxim applies most potently to cheaply priced restaurants. Few sit-down … Continue reading

Master Wei review – masterful noodles that you’ve never heard of…
★★★★☆ / Chinese / Chinese Dumplings / Chinese Noodles / Shaanxi/Xi'an

Master Wei review – masterful noodles that you’ve never heard of…

…and there’s plenty more to enjoy at this Russell Square Shaanxi/Xi’an restaurant Update 18/10/21 – added details of autumn 2021 revisit Opening a new restaurant serving Xi’an food (or Shaanxi food, if you prefer) in the seemingly barren concrete wastes of the Holborn-Bloomsbury-Russell Square hinterland appears bafflingly odd at first glance. Despite being wedged in … Continue reading

Bao and Bing review – Taiwanese street food staggers into Marylebone
★★★☆☆ / Chinese / Taiwanese

Bao and Bing review – Taiwanese street food staggers into Marylebone

Just around the corner from the Chiltern Firehouse, but it’s too little too late London has well and truly fallen for Taiwanese gua bao. From its early days as a street food favourite to the JKS-backed sensation that is Bao, restaurants serving these Taiwanese sandwiches have now opened in farther flung London boroughs such as … Continue reading