Where To Eat Dim Sum In London
May 5th, 2008 by admin
[UPDATED: September 2009]
It’s been well over a year since I wrote this original post, so I’ve decided to update my recommendations this year by going to a few restaurants I’ve not been to before (Golden Palace, Peninsula, Yum Cha, Leong’s Legend, Min Jiang), re-visiting the ones currently remaining on the list (Pearl Liang, Yauatcha, Hakkasan, Shanghai Blues, Royal China) and removing the ones that I don’t recommend anymore (Imperial China and Royal China Club). Please click on the above links for reviews, check back regularly for updates and have a look at the comments for suggestions from other readers!
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Original Post
I’ve been eating dim sum regularly ever since I was a child. Cantonese families love to get together for dim sum, particularly at the weekends. I’m quite fussy about what I eat, and therefore where I eat, so being a creature of habit, I tend to go to the same dim sum restaurants in London. Although there’s nothing wrong with the places that I eat at, I couldn’t help wondering if there weren’t perhaps other great restaurants just waiting to be discovered. So I set myself the challenge of broadening my gastronomic horizons and eating outside my comfort zone.
Over the last few months, I’ve sampled countless baskets and plates at a variety of dim sum restaurants. At first I thought I would end up compiling a list of my top ten favourites, but that would be too simplistic.
When I choose a dim sum restaurant, there are various factors that have to be taken into account. Who will be going with me? What’s the most convenient location for everyone? How much can everyone afford? (if it’s family, then one person usually ends up paying). What style of dim sum – traditional or modern?
The single most exciting discovery has got to be Pearl Liang, which is still my current favourite in 2009 for quality, value, service and surroundings. I only wish I had found it sooner. Hakkasan wasn’t as amazing as I had been led to expect, but as I’m a Yauatcha regular, my standards were already high. Shanghai Blues is very elegant, but the quality of dim sum hasn’t been that consistent and the vegetarian dim sum is beautiful but can be bland. Royal China‘s standards have dropped, as have those at Imperial China, and I’m afraid that Royal China Club is nothing special.
Click on the links below for full reviews of each restaurant. Costs are based on my being rather tight-fisted and exercising control when ordering (eg no lobster dumplings or anything overly extravagant!). And do bear in mind that these are dim sum, not dinner, prices.
WHAT: Mostly traditional dim sum, but with a modern twist; beautiful stylish interior
WHERE: New development in Paddington, a 5 minute walk from the station
WHO: Family (my parents love it there!) and friends willing to meet in Paddington. Good for groups as well, with small rooms towards the back for private dining. Overwhelming majority of customers for Saturday and Sunday dim sum are Chinese
ORDER: paper wrapped prawns, spicy prawn ravioli in soup, crispy aromatic duck roll
COST: Amazingly good value for money, considering the decor. From £15 per person including tea and service
USEFUL: Print off essential travel instructions from restaurant website if you’re going for the first time. They take reservations, even for weekend dim sum, so do book to avoid a wait
VERDICT: If this were my local, I’d eat here every weekend (it’s great for dinner too)
8 Sheldon Square
Paddington Central
London W2 6EZ
Tel: 020 7289 7000
www.pearlliang.co.uk
WHAT: Wonderfully creative modern dim sum; Michelin-starred; formerly Alan Yau-owned
WHERE: Soho location; convenient for most
WHO: Not my family, as they would complain about the price. Go with two or three friends – too many people and you won’t get to sample everything, then you’ll have to order double of everything, which means cost will spiral upwards
ORDER: shiitake and duck roll, prawn and date dumpling, beancurd roll with enoki and cloud ear
COST: Expensive, from £25 per person, with tea and service, to £350 for four (including £150 for vintage Dom Perignon!). Really depends on what you order. I’m always very careful to stick to dim sum and noodles, avoiding overpriced non-dim sum items
USEFUL: Very loud music in basement main restaurant. For a quieter experience, sit upstairs in the tea room, where afternoon tea and heavenly French cakes are also served. Book in advance (for a measly 1 hr 45 mins sitting). Dim sum is served at dinner as well, which is unusual (but you’ll be hungry in a couple of hours…)
VERDICT: For special occasions and entertaining visitors to London
15 Broadwick Street (on the corner of Berwick Street)
London W1F 0DL
Tel: +44 (0)871 2238066 or (0)20 7287 8484
WHAT: Traditional dim sum in very basic surroundings
WHERE: In the heart of Camden, opposite Stables Market
WHO: Friends who don’t mind fighting through the crowds of tourists for some excellent dim sum
ORDER: pan-fried turnip cake, Shanghai dumplings, egg tarts
COST: Amazingly good value for money, considering the decor. From £12 per person including tea and service (there is an ongoing 25% discount on lunch Mon-Fri, as well as Mon-Tue evenings)
USEFUL: Avoid the one dish rice and noodle meals and stick to the dim sum!
VERDICT: Highly recommended, and I only wish it were more accessible for me…
28 Chalk Farm Road
London NW1 8AG
Tel: 020 7482 2228
WHAT: small selection of Cantonese classics alongside Taiwanese xiao chi or ‘small eats’
WHERE: Chinatown in London, currently my only Chinatown recommendation for dim sum
WHO: As it’s not expensive, friends and family would appreciate it but I don’t know if they could accommodate groups
ORDER: fried dough stick cheung fun, xiao long bao, Taiwan mini kebab with pork belly
COST: Good value for money, at around £12 per person
USEFUL: Time your visit to avoid the queues, which I hear can be long
VERDICT: Well worth a visit if you’re in Chinatown and have a dim sum craving
4 Macclesfield Street
London W1D 6AX
Tel: 020 7287 0288
WHAT: Wonderfully creative modern dim sum; Michelin-starred; formerly Alan Yau-owned
WHERE: Down a back alley between Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road; convenient for most
WHO: Not a place to go with my family or large groups of friends, as costs would spiral out of control. Great for friends who love delicious food that is also beautifully presented
ORDER: pan-fried turnip cake, baked venison puff, prawn and chive dumpling
COST: Expensive, from £25 per person with tea and service
USEFUL: Order dim sum using the dim sum menu, not the main menu. A few items on the main menu are more expensively priced than on the dim sum menu! As with Yauatcha, book in advance
VERDICT: I still prefer Yauatcha to Hakkasan – overall ambience is nicer, and the tea room is lovely. In terms of dim sum, there are some items that you can only find in either one or the other. But quality seems to be about the same
8 Hanway Place
London W1T 1HD
Tel: 020 7927 7000
mail@hakkasan.com
WHAT: Modern dim sum served in serene Chinese surroundings; good service; upmarket
WHERE: High Holborn, close to British Museum and Holborn tube; not so central for everyone
WHO: Two or three friends, to keep the cost down. Your entire family, if you’re loaded. Or clients
ORDER: Shanghai dumplings (xiao long bao), mooli croissant, prawn dumpling (har gau)
COST: Expensive compared to Chinatown, at an average of £4 per item. With careful ordering, from £25 per person, including tea and service
USEFUL: Tea is charged by the pot, with no free top-ups. Tap water is served with lemon and ice. They take reservations for dim sum, so book in advance to avoid a wait
VERDICT: Quality of dim sum not that consistent. Best-looking vegetarian selection I’ve come across so far, but the blandness is a big negative. Overall exquisite presentation can be deceptive
193-197 High Holborn
London WC1V 7BD
Tel: 020 7404 1668/9
www.shanghaiblues.co.uk
WHAT: Chain of upmarket Chinese restaurants; well known for its traditional dim sum
WHERE: Various branches – Baker Street, Canary Wharf, Queensway and Fulham. Baker Street is convenient for some, Canary Wharf has great riverside views and is recommended in summer-time
WHO: Family and friends who don’t need to meet in Chinatown
ORDER: sesame paper prawn rolls, prawn and chive dumpling, egg custard tart (dan taat)
COST: Moderate, from £15 per person, including tea and service. More expensive than Chinatown
USEFUL: No dim sum reservations, so turn up before opening times at weekends to avoid long queues
VERDICT: Fast moving off my shortlist, as both standards and service seem to have dropped. With so much competition around, they really need to pull their socks up. Service varies from friendly and polite to downright surly
24-26 Baker Street
London W1U 3BZ
Tel: 020 7487 4688
30 Westferry Circus
Canary Wharf
London E14 8RR
Tel: 020 7719 0888
www.royalchinagroup.co.uk
These posts may also be useful:
So where do you like to eat dim sum?
Amazing post! I’m impressed that you went to such efforts for all our sakes
So far in London I’m still impressed by Yauatcha/Hakkasan. Oh, by the way the place near Excel is no longer called Superstar (did I tell you that the other day?) but China Palace. I went last November when it had already changed hands and I think it’s excellent – and also so much cheaper (but then there’s the random location which is the trade off – though lots of Chinese families I noticed just drove there for Sunday dim sum). The service is also very friendly 
There’s a new place opened in Chinatown, Plum Valley I think, their menu didn’t look too special – they seem to be copying the Haozhan dining format, but without the pizazz. But maybe it’s worth checking out their dim sum.
Thanks! I did want to do a lot more research, but I’ve put on a whole kilo, and I have a 13 mile walk to do next Saturday (the Playtex Moonwalk), so I can’t afford to gain any more weight just yet!
Thanks for the tips – my cousin told me about that Plum Valley place recently.
I must think of a new project for the next few months. Look forward to reading about your favourite Vietnamese restaurant, and Spain!
Hi again! Great work on the dim sum piece. I agree that Yauatcha is now my benchmark to all other dim sum places.
On another note, have you heard of or been to a chinese restaurant in Pimlico called Hunan? I’ve read about it in the reviews and it seems expensive (no menu policy?). Wonder if you could shed some lights here. Thanks.
Thanks! Re Hunan, I’ve never been, but Alan Yau appears to like it (http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1828691,00.html). Let me know if you ever make it there!
Helen Yuet Ling
Hey! your blog is really good, and funny enough iwent to eat dim sum today haha. I would love to try Yauatcha but the price is so =S, being a young student thats slighty over-budget giggles. Oh but from reading your psot i might try pearl liang that sounds good =) My regular dim sum place is Golden Palace in Harrow and that was quite good today, esp the egg tarts and siu long bao!
=)
Hi Vivi
Thanks for reading! Save Yauatcha for a special occasion, that’s what I do anyway. I’m going to Pearl Liang again next week, but to see what dinner’s like. I’ve heard lots of good things about Golden Palace. Can’t wait to try it and add to the list!
Helen Yuet Ling
Helen,
Thanks for the research. We tried Pearl Liang yesterday lunchtime and really enjoyed the Dim Sum. It is good to know our tastes synch up, and we can trust your views. So we will probably follow more of your recomendations.
Again thanks,
Regards
PhilD
Hi PhilD
Thanks for letting me know! I went to Pearl Liang 2 nights ago for dinner, and was pleased to find that the non-dim sum food was just as great. Not expensive either (obviously this depends on what you order). And the fact that my family liked it was another bonus…
Helen Yuet Ling
Royal China has always been my most favorite years ago when I was still in university, I did not realise that they have already expanded so much. I used to go to the one in Queensway. And now they even have frozen dim sums that I can prepare and enjoy at home. Look forward to revisit again.
We’ve always gone to Joy King Lau (around the corner from where the Swiss Centre was), as a friend’s mom has been going there for many years. It might not be the best, but I tend to always see the same staff and they’re great with the kids (and have a lift – wonderful with a buggy, or when husband was on crutches). Also, they serve Beef Ho Fun with OX sauce, which I always have to order with the dim sum. I’m actually pregnant and craving it right now just thinking about it (shame they don’t deliver it).
K in Kew – I used to go to Joy King Lau many years ago, but a relative recommended it recently and I sent my brother there, but he didn’t like it. If they are child-friendly and you’re used to the service though, then that’s important too. You know you can buy XO sauce in a jar from any good Chinese supermarket and make really nice simple dishes with it? I haven’t made stir-fried beef ho fun before, but I love it and I’m sure it’s not so difficult.
Helen Yuet Ling
If in Chinatown, I recommend Laureate on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Wardour St. After steering clear of Chinatown for Dim Sum for a number of years, I went the other Sunday. We had to queue but no more than 20 mins and it was worth it. All the classics were good although the cheung fun was on the small side (is it me or have cheung fun portions shrunk over the years). There were also a few specials and unusual dishes, most notably a dish of cold Korean style baby octopus in bbq sauce. Anyway my parents were happy with the food and that’s always a good sign !
Sung – my HK friend also likes dim sum at Laureate. And I also think cheung fun portions have shrunk (and we’re not children anymore!). Parents liking food is a very good sign. Mine love Pearl Liang to death…
Helen Yuet Ling
Been itching to try Pearl Liang but its location is a bit out of the way for work and play. Went to Phoenix Palace for a business meeting today. The dim sum was tasty and good value (£15 per head) but the restaurant itself could do with a refurb.
Sung – I thought it was a bit out of the way for me too, until I finally made the effort one day. And it’s really worth the trip and not hard to find either. I used to go to Phoenix Palace a lot when I lived nearby. It was great and I used to take friends and family. Then it started going downhill. Perhaps I’ll do a revisit one of these days. Shame about the decor. The dining environment makes such a difference, I think. Have you been to Golden Palace in Harrow or Yi-Ban (the East London branch)? They are on my list, but I’m not sure if they’re worth the trip(s).
Helen Yuet Ling
I’ve not been to either but of the two, I’d like to try Golden Palace. Although not sure if it’s worth the trek to Harrow. You’ve convinced me on Pearl Liang but I also want to try the China Palace in Docklands – have you been ? I’m not surprised that the Phoenix Palace went downhill for a while as standards are so changeable in Chinese restaurants especially if the dim sum chef moves on.
Sung – I don’t know China Palace in the Docklands. Better do some research! I do love my dim sum, but it’s got to be worth these treks, especially as weekend time is so precious. Let me know what you think of Pearl Liang when you go. I know dim sum chefs move around, but I never get the inside gossip on where they move to, do you?!
Helen Yuet Ling
Hello do any of the places you mention have cart (trolley)service or can you recommend a good spot that has it? I really love the cart service and I think it’s great for folks who are new to dim sum. Thanks for this article–it was just what I was looking for–for my first visit to London!
Misst – sorry I can’t help you! I only know of New World on the corner of Gerrard St in Chinatown, but I would never recommend it to anyone. I personally really dislike the trolley service. But if you’re determined to go to one, New World it is. Let me know what you think of it!
My current favourites are Pearl Liang and Yauatcha. Going to investigate a few more over the next couple of months – Yi-Ban, Min Jiang and Golden Palace…
Helen Yuet Ling
I’d have to disagree with Yauatcha, I found it to be a most disagreeable jumped-up joint. The dim sum was alright, but no great shakes (and I wasn’t paying, so could enjoy it properly!) and the service was quite cold and forgetful. I really want to try Pearl Liang though.
I’ve heard good things about Leong’s Legends in Chinatown, perhaps that’s next on the list?
Lizzie – I’ve only ever had the best service there, and I love the dim sum! Yauatcha and Pearl Liang are my current favourites. I have to force myself to try new places once in a while though – so Plum Valley is next (it’s had mixed reviews). Leong’s Legends has been on and off my list for ages, so maybe I’ll go with my little brother next week. Dreading the awful service I keep reading about…
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen,
This is an excellent guide – I wish I discovered it when I was still living in London! Personally, I did not like Imperial China at all. Although the tranquil environment was a nice escape from the usual hustle and bustle associated with Yum Cha and Soho, I was very disappointed with the dumplings. A bit bland.
In Chinatown, I liked Chinese Experience on Shaftesbury Ave – good choice, tasty dishes without breaking the bank. Laureate also on Shaftesbury Ave has also been consistently good, and has a wide choice of offerings. Service from both was surprisingly excellent – staff were attentive and friendly! I don’t mind New World with their trolley service, but their dumplings are definitely of a lower quality than the aforementioned. The Royal China in Fulham is also excellent, although the dim sum range is somewhat limited. I guess this enables the chef to focus to ensure the dim sum are of a good quality. If you are ever in the vicinity of Oxford Street after a spot of shopping in Selfridges, do try Princess Garden of Mayfair in North Audley Street. It is a hidden gem for dim sum, and surprisingly very reasonable prices for Mayfair (on par with Royal China). They have some more unusal offerings (for London) such as Shredded Mooli Cake and enoki mushroom cheung fun.
Custard Bun – thanks for all the tips. Recently Imperial China has been going downhill, so I am on the lookout for a substitute. Chinese Experience and Laureate were my Chinese colleague’s favourites. And my Chinese teacher likes Princess Garden, so I will give that a try soon. Exciting!
Helen Yuet Ling Pang
Great review! Thank you so much! As a Chinese-American visitor to London, I was struggling to find something that would match up with home. However, your descriptions and pictures are wonderful and have really helped me narrow down the search. I am going to try one of the more traditional dim sum places you suggested. I’m sure all will go well! Thank you again!
J – thank you! I’m glad you found it useful, though I will have to start reviewing some new dim sum places soon as that was last year’s write-up. Pearl Liang is very good, as is Yauatcha. I have also heard good things about Yum Cha at 28 Chalk Farm Road (there’s a Time Out London review) and Golden Palace in Harrow. Please let me know how your dim sum lunch turns out!
Helen Yuet Ling
Helen,
Sorry for the late reply! I wanted to let you know I decided on Pearl Liang since I was in the area. I’m not sure if it was just because it was Sunday or if this is routine, but apparently, one should make reservations if they want to eat here. Luckily (or perhaps not) they were able to accommodate a friend and I at the bar. I say we were perhaps unlucky because as the restaurant started to fill up, we were quickly overlooked and our meal took 3 hours to finish, meaning we waited a very long time between our dim sum and dessert courses. Though I was rather annoyed at my predicament, I have to say the food was excellent. I especially enjoyed the sesame paper prawn roll and the mushroom and beancurd consomme. I will say though, some things got lost in translation. For instance, the honey roasted BBQ pork bun I ordered turned out to be steamed, whereas I expected a baked version, which is something we have in Los Angeles. I was also less than enthusiastic about the fried spring onion pancake, which was not so much a pancake as a filled donut-like fried pastry. It was pretty flavorless and much too oily. Overall, I would say don’t sit at the bar, but definitely come here for some delicious dim sum.
J – you didn’t book for Sunday dim sum?! I would never have dared to do that. No wonder it took so long for you to have lunch. You should make reservations wherever you go to eat in London, just in case. Pearl Liang is great in that it does take dim sum bookings, as many Chinese restaurants just make you queue.
I agree with you about the fried spring onion pancake, I was disappointed with it. I expected a lovely jianbing like you get in Beijing. Please book next time, you’ll have a much nicer time!
Helen Yuet Ling
Great article and thorough research. A friend just mentioned dim sum and I got a real craving for it now! The best ever yam cha I’ve had was in Sydney, it was a vegetarian place which was delicious (and good for me as I’m semi-vegetarian). Will now try one of your recommendations very soon
.
Thank you! Rolaa
Rolaa – thanks! I have a permanent craving for dim sum. I like Pearl Liang and Yauatcha the most, out of the ones on this list. It’s from last year, so I need to update it soon. Any excuse to eat dim sum!
Helen Yuet Ling
i have to disagree with you on Imperial China. my hub went with friends last year and found a big piece of cellophane in the dim sum.
decided to give it a go couple of months back and it was a disaster. egg tarts were not baked properly so the filling was still raw and eggy. prawn and chive dumplings arrived at room temp and with raw prawns and mushy filling inside. tripe arrived at just barely room temp also.
my faves are royal china, pearl liang and phoenix palace. for cheap and good dimsum in chinatown, crispy duck.
lise – thanks for inspiring me to update my post, as I actually agree with you about Imperial China! I went back a few months ago and was disappointed with the dramatic drop in quality, so I won’t be recommending it again. Probably a change of dim sum chef, as the relatives would say! My favourites are currently Pearl Liang and Yauatcha.
Please check back later, as I’ll be working hard to try some favourites and some new places!
Helen Yuet Ling
i’ve not tried the dimsum at MinJiang but i would like to someday. the a la carte lunch there is fantastic though. peking duck is so yummy and we always go for duck with noodles as the 2nd course. the braised pork belly is lovely too.
lise – thanks for the Peking duck rec at Min Jiang! It’s so much cheaper in Beijing, so I’m not sure if I’m willing to spend so much on duck here. It’s very easy to tempt me though! Just got back from Golden Palace in Harrow, so I’ll be posting about it later…
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi Helen
If you’re looking for tasty dim sum, try Dragon Castle at the Elephant and Castle.
It’s overtaken Sunday Roast as our favorite option for Sunday lunch. Last sunday, 9 of us went, and including drinks and service, paid about ten pounds each.
The dim sum is so so tasty too – try the specials. The chilli frogs legs are fantastic, as is the turnip cake.
Helen
dragon castle is excellent in particular the scallop cheung fun and also plain soya noodles (my children love them). Its also very reasonably priced.
we want to eat dim sum in china town only because we have to be in covent garden for the day but where that’s reasonably priced for a family without being totally touristy and bad? Perhaps we should have Japanese instead? help!
Helen & Anne – thanks for the Dragon Castle rec. I heard from another food blogger and Dragon Castle regular that the standards have dropped since the chef left to open his own restaurant, so I’m not sure about visiting!
Well, for dim sum in Chinatown, then try Leong’s Legend, Crispy Duck, Harbour City, Laureate or Chinese Experience. I didn’t have dim sum at the first, dim sum at the second was OK, and the third I haven’t been to for many years but fellow food blogger Bellaphon likes it there. The last two were recommended by a Hong Kong friend based here.
Let me know how you get on!
Helen Yuet Ling
Laureate has sadly closed and in its place is a cheap looking one-plate noodle/rice joint.
One place to avoid is China City near Russell Square. Some of the dim sum were obviously from a packet and these were some of the better dishes ! Steamed dim sum such as har gau and scallop dumpling were underseasoned and lacked finesse.
Sung – yikes, I’m so behind with Chinatown openings and closures! Thank you for letting me know, and also about China City. Two less dim sum places to try! Had dim sum at Yauatcha after an absence of nearly a year. It wasn’t as spectacular as I remembered, although I would still recommend it. My Taiwanese friend is raving about dim sum at Min Jiang, so I have to try that next. But Pearl Liang currently sits at the top of my list.
Helen Yuet Ling
Great post! I’m dying to ty Pearl Liang and Yum Cha. I have to agree with you that the standards of Royal China and Imperial China have dropped so much.
Pigpigscorner – glad that I’m not the only one who thinks that! My relatives always talk about the dim sum chefs moving around, hence the rise or drop in quality at this and that restaurant. I might return to Royal China once more to make sure, but I think Imperial China has had its day. Looking forward to dim sum at Leong’s Legend (I’ve only been for dinner) and Min Jiang!
Helen Yuet Ling
Hello! I’ve been visiting a different dim sum restaurant every week for the past year and I agree with your choices. My top three used to be Royal China, Pearl Liang and Chinese Experience, but sadly the last one has just closed. Let there be more tasty dim sum in the future
Leon Brocard – you’re eating an awful lot of dim sum! You know it’s very fattening and high cholesterol, even if you stick to steamed? I’m going to probably add Leong’ Legend to my list of recs now, having had a good lunch yesterday. Post to follow soon.
Helen Yuet Ling
Finally made it to Pearl Liang for dim sum and with one or two exceptions, it was top notch ! Special mention goes to the fried watercress meat dumpling, a posh “wor tip” with a thinner skin and superior filling. There were a couple of duff dishes – the shredded taro crispy prawn roll consisted mainly of spring roll pastry and imho the wasabi prawn dumpling isn’t a patch on the Phoenix Palace version. The only other minor gripe was the limited choice of noodles/rice dishes although in fairness they accepted our off-piste noodle order.
I’d definitely return but for me it ranks behind Phoenix Palace for dim sum. It’s a close call but PP scores in extra time with their weekend lunch special of suckling pig.
Hi Helen,
I absolutely loved your post on dim sum in London. I shall try them out one by one.
Pei – teanamu.com
follow us in twitter:- http://twitter.com/teanamu
~~ sip a good brew, steal a slice of tranquility, glimpse a lingering fragrance, gladden the heart and refresh the mind ~~
Sung – phew, glad you liked it! Now I must return for a revisit. And I’ve added Phoenix Palace to my list, to see if it’s improved since I was last year about 5 years ago.
Pei – Thanks, it gets updated regularly (and is due one at the weekend!) Loved reading about you on Kavita’s blog!
Helen Yuet Ling
A great post on dim sum in London. Agree in the main with your selections for the best dim sum although am very surprised with your review of Gerrard’s Corner. I happen to think valuewise this is by far the best dim sum restaurant in London.
I belong to a small group of friends who travel London to find the best dim sum and Gerrard’s Corner was a shock to us all. My Indonesian mother in law has put her stamp of approval on the place so that’s good enough for me.
The quality and size of the portions is exceptional and whilst the decor and service is mediocre, the cost of the dim sum itself is amazing. Where they perhaps let themselves down is in the choice which I think is relatively limited.
But it is the only dim sum restaurant that has always left me very satisfied.
Decided to give Phoenix Palace another go yesterday (not been for several years). I’m sorry to say all 6 of us found it distinctly average. A couple of excellent dishes but a couple of woeful ones too. The chicken claws in black bean sauce and the spare ribs in black bean sauce were excellent as was the sesame prawn rolls, but the Char Siu Bao was absolutely terrible, virtually inedible. A very dry outer (probably just a sign of it being out too long) but a dreadfully sweet synthetic inner. I’m sorry to say the worst I have ever tried. The steamed dumplings were of very poor quality and the inner of the chicken dumplings were shredded to the point of becoming a powder, awful.
The decor is very nice and the service generally very good but given the standard of the food and the fact that it’s 25% more expensive than a lot of the Gerrard St restaurants, I certainly won’t be hurrying back.
For those who don’t think Gerrad’s Corner is an excellent restaurant I can only assume your experience was of several years ago. I strongly urge you to revsit it and would be astonished if they didn’t rate this restaurant very highly (on the food at least).
Hi,
what a great thread. I love dim sum, love it. I used to go to China Garden in Swiss Cottage (among many others) which was excellent but then we moved to Hackney. Until recently I’ve been going with my husband either to Shanghai in Dalston or Leong’s Legend in Gerrard St. I rate both very highly. But I totally agree with Peter, Gerrard’s Corner is brilliant value. We stumbled in there 6 months ago as as the queue for LL was too big. What a find. The place is nothing special but the quality of the food is excellent and size of the portions so much bigger than many other restaurants. The average cost of dim sum is £2.00 a portion which again is brilliant.
I must say Helen I can’t believe your review of GC. I can only assume it was a very off day at the restaurant although looking at your food selections on the day I would say that your choices might have been a touch on the bland side.
For me it’s Gerrard’s Corner or LL by a country mile.
Peter & Marcy – what a coincidence to have two comments on the excellence of Gerrard’s Corner in one day…I went a long time ago and I stand by my review of my lunch. If I run out of places to eat at, I might give it another try. As I have a long list to work my way through, it probably won’t happen for a while yet.
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi
We live in France and only come to London once a year, when we pig out on Dim Sum (among other things). Kavita introduced me to Gerrard’s Corner last winter and we ate there twice. Excellent food, and good vfm though I was a little surprised to get english brocolli with oyster sauce when ordering “brocolli” – I did expect the chinese one. As for the Royal China, I’ve only ever eaten at the Queensway branch. I’ve found the service there to be less surly than it used to be. I can’t say I’ve noticed a drop in their food quality to be honest.
As for the Hunan. I’ve eaten there twice now. Some of the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten (and that includes 3 or 4 top places in Hong Kong) . You let the chef do his thing and wait to see what he will produce. The wine list is truly astonishing and wonderful vfm. However I can imagine someone expecting a typical chinese restaurant (whatever that may be) to be deeply disappointed. I find they respond very well to a little flattery!!
How weird to have all these comments on Gerrard’s Corner! As you know, it’s been my main port of call for dim sum for about 10 years now and I’ve always enjoyed it, and taken many friends there, including Ian (above) and others I have met via online food communities.
That said, I’m the first to admit that my knowledge and experience of dim sum is limited and I haven’t eaten in the range of dim sum places that you and others have.
I do appreciate that any restaurant can have off days (though this is not something, food wise, I have experienced at GC) so it’s perfectly possible that things weren’t quite right when you visited, which is a shame. And of course, personal preference comes into it as, when someone has been eating dim sum for as long as you have, one probably has much more specific standards than someone like me, who came to dim sum only as an adult!
Regardless of the differing assessments of Gerrard’s Corner, I just wanted to say again how much I value your blog and reviews. A truly marvellous resource.
It’s great to finally find an article and discussion on dim sum / yum cha in London. I am from Sydney and miss the yum cha there very much! (some say it’s some of the best in the world, and now apparently has more trolley service restaurants than Hong Kong!).
I have lived in London for 7 years and have been to many dim sum places. I have been to all of the ones mentioned in this thread except for Golden Palace and Gerrard’s Corner. I will definitely try GC soon, as I work in Covent Garden.
I do like Yauatcha but it is overpriced, the service isn’t good enough for the price, and the furniture is too small (I’m tall!). Mybe I’d get better service if I wasnt gwai lo, but who knows ;o) I used to love Royal China on Baker St years ago (before they opened RC Club) but it went so far downhill I haven’t been for over 2 years.
The place I go the most often is actually Harbour City in Chinatown. Not everything there is good, but a lot of my dim sum regular dishes are consistently good, and their gai lan or tong choi is usually nice. I recommend the Paper Wrapped Prawns, the Prawn Dumpling in Spicy Hot Soup, the Scallop Dumpling and the Meat With Dry Bean Curd Roll. The char siu bao (steamed pork buns) and prawn cheung fun are usually pretty good too. So it may not be the best in London, but for consistency it is pretty good. And quite reasonably priced too.
I did go once to Pearl Liang and found it good but didn’t blow me away enough to travel out to Paddington on a regular basis. That was a while ago though, so I am now tempted to try it again.
Great website / food blog by the way. Keep it up.
PK
Ian Hoare & Kavey – thanks for visiting my blog (Ian) and adding your thoughts! It seems as if the fans of Gerrard’s Corner are out in force and calling me back for a revisit!
PK – welcome to the discussion! The tall husband always complains about the silly chairs at Yauatcha, but having visited so many dim sum places with me (and being mostly vegetarian), he likes it there the most for vegetarian options (which are sorely lacking in dim sum places). I’ve also stopped going to Royal China on Baker Street as not only was the quality of food dropping, but the service was quite brusque. I haven’t been to Harbour City in years, and as restaurants change hands and dim sum chefs move about all the time, it’s hard to keep track of where is good. Pearl Liang is due another revisit from me soon, along with Phoenix Palace (which used to be a regular and firm favourite for a few years but I haven’t been back in years ever since standards fell)…happy eating!
Helen Yuet Ling
Ha ha,
what have I done?!! I seem to have sparked a debate and awoken the GC disciples. Great to hear it’s not just me with a spent palate then!!
So as the weekend approaches my thoughts are turning to the next venue for dim sum. Anyone care to suggest somewhere? Central or north London would be ideal.
Marcy, Ian, Kavey etc: Good to hear there are other GC fans out there. Anywhere you’d recommend?
Marcy: I believe I’ve dined at Leong’s Legend a long time ago (memory is a bit fuzzy) but it’s sort of dropped off the radar. Will try and revisit soon.
Helen: Apologies if I sounded a bit dismissive of your review. I absolutely rate your opinion. I guess I was just genuinely surprised you rated it so averagely, especially as your other reviews are pretty accurate in my eyes. However, I totally appreciate that we’re talking about a very subjective topic. Thanks again for a great review page. Having now found this page, I will definitely be checking back regularly for recommendations
Peter Wong – what have you done indeed! I like debate on my blog, so keep the comments coming! Leong’s Legend was surprisingly good when I last went. The dim sum selection is small, but it’s nice to supplement the choices with some ‘Taiwanese’ xiao chi. Have a look at the post which is linked above.
Well now, I’ve just come back from Leong’s Legend. I have to say that it was a very pleasant experience and therefore a good recommendation, thank you Marcy/Helen.
The restaurant itself is rather quaint and homely. It felt more personal than a lot of the restaurants in the area. The service was decent enough although not delivered with a great deal of grace, enthusiasm or glee it must be said. However, it was perfectly adequate.
From a food perspective I was very pleased. The fried shredded turnip was delicious, a very subtle and delicately flavoured dish with a lovely texture. In fact so delicate that they really had to be eaten on their own and certainly not with any chilli sauce (much to my frustration!!).
The braised belly pork was was extremely flavoursome although absurdly fatty (75%). Eventually guilt got the better of me and much of the fat regrettably had to be sacrified. But the meat was beautifully succulent and the accompanying sauce (and rice) was spot on.
The ‘Legend’s Sui Long Bao’ were exceptional. As good, if not better than Gerrard’s Corner. The texture, and balance of flavours was perfect.
The Taiwanese mini kebab was also good, if a little unusual. The coriander leaf was the surprise here but it was a lovely match with the pork belly and peanuts. Not quite sure about the dough/bread that comes with it but I liked it for being something different.
The pork and chive dumplings were interesting to look at but disappointed somewhat. They lacked punch and where an accompanying sauce might have brought them into their own, instead the strange tasting sauce actually made them worse. It was a poor combination in truth.
From a food stance I’d say Leong’s Legend was very good and certainly offers good value for money. From a dim sum perspective my gut feeling (!) is that it doesn’t quite hit the mark. Indeed your review/recommendation makes a reference to this.
When my girlfriend and I walked out we felt satisfied with the taste experience and the actual food we’d eaten but couldn’t help but feel slightly bereft of our dim sum fix, if you see what I mean.
I will definitely go back to Leong’s Legend but I think it would be for the purposes of mixing up the venues, rather than as a staple for dim sum.
In our eyes, for dim sum specifically it’s a 7/10 but for food generally it’s an 8.5/10.
My mother’s coming to town on Monday, could this be another excuse for dim sum somewhere?! Is this an addiction??!
Peter – thanks for your feedback on Leong’s Legend dim sum!
Hi there Helen. Went to Leung’s Legend today for dimsum. Had 7 dishes, and, although a couple were particularly well prepared, I wouldn’t head back again. The best dish was sticky rice in lotus leaf – one of those dishes I always order as a benchmark to see how well it compares. Must say, 5 out of 5 stars- chockfull full of treasures (ie, chicken, duck, sausage (lap cheung), chestnuts, mushrooms etc.) and impregnated with the flavour of the leaf. On the otherhand, as you report, the duck/chestnut fried dumpling (gummy, sweet and not properly heated) and pork/chive shuijaio dumplings disappointing (soggy & tasteless). So for dimsum I am sticking to my fave – Royal China, Docklands branch. Mike
Mike – hello! I must try the glutinous rice next time. Shame to hear that those dumplings weren’t good. Did you try the xiao long bao? They were pretty good, although the Yum Cha ones are better. I’ll have to revisit Royal China one day. I don’t have such fond memories of it after being a loyal customer of two branches for many years…
I use to like Gerrards Corner – I thought their Dim Sum was good quality/price wise (ie not the best but very good value for money).
Went back recently and they have cut quite a few items from the Dim Sum menu including my favourite “Mixed Meat Croquettes”. Was very disappointed as it means I need to find a new restaurant that does them. Do you have any suggestions?
Martin – not sure if ‘mixed meats croquettes’ is wu kok (taro croquette which has meat in it) or not, but if it is, it’s available at all dim sum restaurants…
Helen Yuet Ling
Went with a friend to Pearl Liang yesterday to try the Dim Sum. Wow – have to say they were very good. Wish I lived closer to it.
They didn’t have the Mixed Meat version of the croquette but had a pork one. The shell around the pork was very nice and crispy and sugary. I asked the waitress what they were called and she said “Hang Soy Gok” (spelling?). Is that the name for the taro croquette? Thanks.
Thanks Helen and everyone for the comments. I’m looking forward to a visit to Pearl Liang. Helen, keep up the great writing and reviews!
Try China Boulevard in Wandsworth with views over Thames. Cheap and very tasty!
Martin – ‘wu kok’ is taro croquette, ‘ham seu kok’ is the croquette that has meat in it. Glad you liked Pearl Liang!
Shiobe – you’re welcome, I hope you’ll like Pearl Liang and other restaurants that have been suggested here…
A – thanks for the recommendation, though it’s a bit far for me!
Helen Yuet Ling