Beijing Dumpling

It was the day after the clocks went back, and although it’s supposed to be the warmest October in years, the one hour change somehow made it feel that winter had descended upon us. On such a day, one must listen to the heart. And the heart pointed towards some good old steamed dumplings.

So I wandered into Chinatown and followed this dumpling compass to Beijing Dumpling, a fairly typical looking Chinatown eatery with the chefs situated near the entrance so curious travellers treading upon the West End’s Silk Road (otherwise known as Lisle St) can marvel as long threads of dough are flipped and kneaded into all sorts of dumplings, wontons, and buns. The restaurant was near empty, but for the smell of soy sauce and steamed pork balls, which made it as full as I need it to be. I went with the plate of Siu Long Bao. I also ordered their “Special fried rice.” Although I wasn’t expecting much, the service at this place wasn’t the greatest. The main waiter seemed to take great offence every time he was called, and hence he wasn’t exactly a pocket full of sunshine while interacting with me.

The Siu Long Bao dumplings were decently tasty, however the outer layer was a bit too thick, so there was a bit too much of a wheat taste instead of that of the pork ball in the soup. Also, I felt there wasn’t enough soup in the dumpling, making it a bit dry. The fried rice on the other hand, was extremely well made. The “Special” turned out to be a Yang Zhou Fried Rice, which is in my opinion the best kind of fried rice anyway. With minced barbecued pork, prawn, egg, and vegetables, it offers a mix of flavours like no other fried rice dish across any cuisine I’ve had. These guys got the texture and flavours all right, including the amount of soy and MSG to add which can be tricky, so props to them.

Charging £5 for 8 pieces of dumpling, and £4.5 for a very authentically and deliciously prepared fried rice, Beijing Dumpling definitely gives a good bang for your buck. Worth a visit if you are in the mood for a decent Chinese meal under £10!

£20 (2 people)

23 Lisle St, Chinatown, London WC2H 7BA

Beijing Dumpling: Menu / Facebook

Baozi Inn

If someone closed my eyes, kidnapped (or gently transported), and dropped me in the middle of Newport Court, I would swear I was on a by-alley in a Southern Chinese city. The first restaurant on Newport Court is Baozi Inn, a typical, compact restaurant that serves a (surprise surprise) Southern Chinese and Sichuan Chinese fare.

Ambience wise it is just what you’d expect from such a place. The tables are essentially on top of each other yet seat multiple different groups. You’d have to struggle quite hard to not eavesdrop, however if you get my luck and the group sitting next to you talks about literally nothing other than chicken farming for 45 minutes, then it becomes less of a struggle. Also, don’t expect any sort of traditional Chinese music that you might hear at tourist traps. Here, they stick to the most authentic of Chinese restaurant music – yelling in every dialect China has to offer.

I ordered a plate of boiled pork Beijing dumplings, Chengdu pork wontons in a spicy garlic sauce, and Pork Dan Dan noodles. The dumplings were £7.50 for 8 pieces, and the noodles £7.80, very reasonable for the size of their portions. The Beijing dumplings were excellent, with great texture and perfect size of the pork balls inside. My only criticism would be that there should be even more of the boiled soup inside, so that the taste of the dumpling explodes in the mouth after biting it. The wontons were quite spectacular, completely doused in typical Sichuan chilli and garlic, with a great blend of tangy and spicy. Taking my first look at the noodles, I held my breath in fear, as it looked like just noodles and minced pork, with no chilli sauce!!! However, the gods were kind and I found that there was a significant amount of Sichuan chilli sauce, it had just sunk to the bottom. So if you eat this, make sure you properly mix the noodles with the sauce, as the sauce is what makes any Sichuanese dish. This dish most definitely held true to that as the sauce, like with the wontons, had a fantastic mix of spice and soy/tangy flavour that complimented the minced pork excellently.

A peculiar aspect of this restaurant is that the waiters seem to be in a rush to take away your plates when they have the slightest suspicion that you’ve finished eating. So in case you’re taking a slight break but are not done yet, keep a close eye on your plate as it might be snatched away at any second. Do this, and I’m sure you’ll end up loving this typical Southern Chinese gem as much as I do!

£30 (2 people)

26 Newport Ct, London, WC2H 7JS

Baozi Inn: Website / Menu / Twitter

Wong Kei

In the past, Wong Kei has been infamously dubbed ‘the rudest restaurant in London’. You will get no special treatment or patience from the staff – ever. You will likely get the bill while still chewing and don’t expect dishes to arrive at the same time. It looks like every other restaurant in Chinatown with succulent hanging roast meat in the window.

But regulars know you don’t go for the service. You go because it serves you a mountain of food for a few pounds in a matter of minutes. This visit, I had the roast duck noodle soup (£4.80), but also a treat is scrambled egg and prawns on ho fun (£6.20), crispy belly pork and eel on rice (£7.50) or the pork chop and aubergine on rice (£5.80). Order one-plate dishes from the back of the menu, this is not the place to order several dishes to share with sides of rice – you’ll rack up a big bill for average anglicised Chinese food.

The one-plate meals are value and always tasty. Forget all else, and you will might enjoy.

£26 (2 people)

Wardour Street W1D 6PY London

020 7437 8408

Wong Kei: Website