Yauatcha (Chinese) – London, England (9/10)
Jun 20th, 2007 by admin
[UPDATE: 26/05/2009 I revisited Yauatcha, so please read new review here]
Yauatcha and Hakkasan (both owned by Alan Yau) are currently the only two Chinese restaurants in the UK with Michelin stars (one each). Yauatcha serves mostly dim sum throughout the day and into the evening, unusually for a Chinese restaurant, along with some expensive mains. Unique in terms of both cuisine and stylish interior design, I can honestly say that Yauatcha is my favourite Chinese restaurant.
I’ve yet to experience bad service, having eaten here numerous times over the last few years. The staff are always delightfully polite and attentive, without being overly intrusive, and I never feel under pressure to leave when my 90 minutes are up.
To guarantee maximum comfort, I usually request a particular table when making a reservation, having learnt some good table numbers off by heart. I like to sit against the wall on either side of the restaurant, rather than in the centre where it’s loud and bustly. The level of music is the only thing I dislike about Yauatcha. It’s far too loud to hold a proper conversation, resulting in people shouting all around you, and the tables are situated quite close together. I’ve started sitting upstairs in the teahouse now, where it’s quieter and airier.
The ingredients are very special indeed and I’ve yet to taste such unique dishes anywhere else. The various friends I have brought here have all loved the experience and one particular friend, Brazilian jazz and soul superstar Ed Motta, eats here regularly whenever he visits London, spending huge amounts each time. The 90 minute rule never applies to Ed…
My favourites that I order regularly are the prawn and gai lan cheung fun (£5.20) – fresh and crunchy, shiitake and duck roll (£3.80) – the duck just melts in your mouth, siew long bun (£3.80) – the juiciest Shanghai dumplings ever, grilled Shanghai dumpling (£3.50)- very tasty, prawn and enoki mushroom dumpling £4.50 – again super fresh, and then I finish off with the stir fry Penang kweitio noodles with prawns (£8.80) – which also comes with gigantic plump scallops. The food always arrives speedily and piping hot, something that not all restaurants manage to do consistently.
Of course it’s more expensive to eat here than in regular Chinese restaurants, but if I’m quite careful not to choose the grilled wagyu beef (£38.00) for example, the bill is never heart-stopping. Last time I paid £40 for two people including service and fruit drinks, but without alcohol. Of course, with Ed, it would be more like £350.00 with alcohol (including vintage Dom Perignon!)
You can also just have divine cakes with tea in the teahouse upstairs if you’re looking for a tranquil place to meet with friends. My favourite is the Matcha Pamplemousse (green tea mousse cake with grapefruit on top) and the cafe latte is dreamy. They also serve afternoon tea, which costs about £8.00 and comes with small hot scones, lovely jams and clotted cream. Cakes and other delectable nibbles can be bought from the counter to take home…
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:
Yauatcha
15 Broadwick Street (on the corner of Berwick Street)
London W1F 0DL
Tel: +44 (0)871 2238066 or (0)20 7287 8484
