Happy Chinese New Year!! Or… 恭喜发财 gōng xǐ fā cái

笑口常开 (xiào kǒu cháng kāi) – May your year be filled with abundance of smiles and laughter.

Chinese New Year Blessing

Living in London, with its vibrant Chinese community, you can’t but notice the special atmosphere around this time of year, the Chinese Lunar New Year! The atmosphere in the Chinatown district, the area in-between Leicester Square and Shaftsbury Avenue is electric however, you don’t have to go far in London to find a fabulous Chinese Restaurant where the atmosphere will be just as rich and vivacious! If you’re visiting and you’re in town, here are a few of my favourites;

Hunan – Chelsea

Originally opened in 1982, Hunan is a five star culinary experience from start to finish. The ever-changing set menu of 18 well-crafted tapas size courses guides you on a culinary voyage across China, celebrating slow dining in a tastefully decorated setting that carefully adheres to feng shui principles. The restaurant is steeped in the adventurous ethos of its original founder and chef Mr Peng, who made the decision to relinquish the menu after he kept serving guests dishes that were different from what they ordered, because he wanted them to try something new. Particular highlights include the French chips (green beans deep fried in light, satisfying batter), the famous steamed bamboo cup soup (full of a flavoursome broth stewed with a pork mousse) and the black cod in vinegar reduction (a recipe that took five years to perfect)!

Master Wei – Bloomsbury

If you’re looking for something a little more casual, you won’t beat Master Wei! This is one of those rare gems in London that is centrally located and affordable. It has lots of delicious vegan options for groups with mixed dietary requirements and also the capacity for al fresco seating. Most importantly though, everything on the menu is delicious. Specialising in cuisine from the Xian region in North-Central China, they serve huge bowls of thick biang biang noodles (coated in chilli oil) in large, generous portions. Don’t forget to enjoy the refreshing cold starters before your noodle mains: including vinegar wood ear fungus, smacked cucumber salad and chilli poached chicken strips.

My Old Place – Spitalfields

This is by far the Chinese restaurant I keep coming back too! It boasts the combination of being centrally located and near Liverpool Street station, and provides auspicious round tables to accommodate big groups with a communal, friendly feel. The service can be inconsistent because the staff are so busy – who also hilariously don black t-shirts with red gothic lettering of the restaurant’s name, reminiscent of a heavy metal band – but the quality of food more than makes up for it. The menu options are plentiful, with dishes served in portions large enough for sharing. There’s usually a long line of walk-ins trailing out the door, but you can call in advance to book if you’re a big group. Just make sure to specifically ask if you’re looking for one of the round tables, which are only on the downstairs floor.

Must order classics are the ‘Di San Xian’; a saucy vegetarian dish made of potato, peppers and aubergine. For those who eat meat, the cumin chilli chicken is essentially deep-fried popcorn chicken seasoned with Sichuan chillies and peppercorns. These are my fav dishes on the menu and are consistently fabulous!

Yi Ban – Docklands

Located in the Docklands and surrounded by what feels like expansive nothingness, a trip to Yiban can seem like a pilgrimage to the Mecca of dim sum in London. It’s a journey that is always worth taking. Nestled in an impressive multi-storey building with a car park full of families coming to get their weekend dumpling fix, the restaurant offers panoramic views of the Thames that provide the serene backdrop to an afternoon of feasting. Featuring round tables of varying sizes for sharing dishes, Yiban is also ideal for a celebratory banquet, with an impressive array of seafood options, like soft shell crab, salt and pepper prawns and spicy squid. It guarantees an authentic alternative to touristy Chinatown joints for those willing to make the trip.

Canton Taste – King’s Cross

Fifteen minutes’ walk from King’s Cross station, this restaurant is a cosy and unassuming ode to Cantonese cuisine, with simple decor and friendly staff who are always happy to make recommendations. Having only been to Hong Kong once, and it was a LONG time ago, I’m told the food is very authentic and accurately replicates the addictive, crispy salt and pepper tofu dish that is common in Hong Kong diners. Being a little further from the station than its Cantonese neighbour Dim Sum Duck, it’s usually much less busy, making it easier to get a spontaneous table, but they also take bookings in advance. Everything I’ve ordered has tasted super fresh – get a big group together so you can try the whole menu.

Do try the fried salt and pepper tofu dish for a crunchy, satisfying bite – this is the stuff of dreams! Another personal favourite is the salted egg yolk batter chicken wings, which I haven’t seen on other Cantonese menus in London.

Ye Ye London – Spitalfields

Consistently boasting a busy queue outside, this casual two-floor eatery was a welcome addition to the stacks of chain restaurants in the heart of the City. Their menu’s signature dish is the spicy Sichuanese beef soup with handmade noodles, soaked in a rich broth that’s been simmered with bone marrow to maximise flavour. The other star of the show – and my personal favourite – is their mouthwatering pan-fried pork dumplings, featuring a bready dough exterior coating a soupy and fragrant meatball within. These are reminiscent of Shanghai’s shengjianbao, an East-Central Chinese delicacy that’s often harder to find amongst London’s plethora of more Sichuanese and Cantonese influenced options.

In fairness, these restaurants aren’t simply fantastic at New Years, They’re fantastic all year round so, if you’re in town, give one a try, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

What’s on this week?