Pearl Liang (Chinese) – Dinner – London, England (8.5/10)
May 22nd, 2008 by admin
[UPDATE: April 2009 - My family and I returned for dinner a few days ago to celebrate my brother's birthday.
We had the following:
- Jelly Fish With Sesame Toss (£6.80)
- Ginger & Spring Onion Lobster on Noodles (seasonal price)
- Turbot Pan Fried With Garlic & Soy Sauce (£30.00 for half a turbot)
- ½ Barbecue Roasted Duck (£12.00)
- Stuffed Bean Curd With Prawn Paste in Oyster Sauce (£8.80)
- Dao Miu (£7.20)
- Kai Lan (£7.20)
It was still a lovely dinner, but not as amazing as I remembered. The jelly fish dressing was so bland it tasted of barely anything, and I didn't think much of the turbot. I may have made a mistake by choosing it to be pan-fried rather than than steamed. It was also pricey and not good value for money. The roast duck was fattier than last year and the skin wasn't as crispy as I like it to be. However, the lobster on noodles was very good (one lobster to share between four as a starter is a good size), as was the bean curd and the fresh, garlicky vegetables. Pearl Liang for dinner would be an 8/10 now. However, I will be returning for dim sum and to write an updated post about that very soon!]
ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW:
My family and I went to Pearl Liang for dinner a few nights ago. I recently raved about the dim sum there, but of course, dinner is an entirely different matter. I’ve been to restaurants where the dim sum has been amazing, but dinner horrendous. As my family are harsh critics of Chinese restaurant food, having owned restaurants in Germany for the last 30 odd years, I thought they would be able to help me judge the food.
What I ordered:
Dad and I did the ordering together:
- steamed tiger prawns with black bean sauce (£13.20)
- ½ barbecued roast duck (£12.00)
- char siu – barbecue roast pork (£7.80)
- stuffed bean curd with prawn paste in oyster sauce (£9.80)
- aoki mushroom and silken bean curd with crab meat sauce (£10.80)
- kai lan vegetables in garlic (£7.20) x 2
- baby bak choi in garlic (£7.20)
- assorted vegetable fried crispy noodles (£6.80) – for vegetarian husband
- sauteed bean curd with assorted mushrooms in black bean sauce (£7.80) – for vegetarian husband
My brother also put in a request for a cold starter of jellyfish with sesame toss (£6.80).
The food was excellent – clear light sauces, fresh ingredients, simple presentation, good sized portions. The roast duck was my favourite. I love duck, and the meat was succulent, with just the right amount of skin and fat on each piece. The char siu was also delicious – tender and lean. The two tofu dishes were lovely – if you’re a tofu fan, you’ll love these. The vegetables were fresh and crunchy, and my husband loved his vegetable dishes, both of which he’s tried before. The only disappointing dish was the prawn – not very flavoursome, with a solitary black bean sitting on each prawn.
The verdict?
Dinner for 6 was a reasonable £150.00, including several beers and service charge. My parents were so impressed with Pearl Liang that they went back for dim sum on Sunday, and tried to get me to go with them again tomorrow! When my dad likes a place, he’ll keep going back! So the Pangs highly recommend Pearl Liang for both dim sum and dinner…
10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average
All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact Details:
Pearl Liang
8 Sheldon Square
Paddington Central
London W2 6EZ
Tel: 020 7289 7000
www.pearlliang.co.uk
Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide
Excellent! Glad you liked it! It’s also very popular with the surgeons at the nearby St Mary’s Hospital.
It’s so popular with my parents that we (as in 10 people) are going back for dim sum this Sunday. My dad won’t eat anywhere else now. It’s great that you can book a table, because the downside of dim sum at the weekends is queueing, or getting there before the doors open…Any new discoveries lately?