Restaurants
Asian with a kick in Blackfriars, our favourite three for Middle Eastern and a Paris classic
Chinese New Year falls in January in 2017 (year of the Rooster, if you’re interested), so we thought we’d get in early to find an authentic restaurant that’s worth your visit. Chinese Cricket Club – named after the China national cricket team which played its first international in 2009, the year the restaurant opened – fits the bill to a T. In spite of its somewhat gaudy green styling, the quality of the food stands out as an excellent representation of aggressively spiced Szechuan cuisine. Dim sum is the ideal place to start, with the prawn and scallop dumpling showing great restraint in its filling, holding the perfect punch of flavour to rise above the light, steamed dough. Crispy aromatic duck follows before the onslaught of flavour delivered by the main plates. Ginger and chilli sea bass has enough piquancy to sate even the most hardened chilli addict, heavy with numbing Sichuan pepper and punctuated with zingy notes from the ginger. Offset the spice with a slightly sweet chicken with cashew nuts and order a side of sautéed Chinese greens to round things off. MS. 020 7438 8051, chinesecricketclub.com
This month, we indulge in unparalleled Parisian luxury, fill up on fiery Szechuan plates in central London, eat top-notch Middle-Eastern dishes and join the fun at a Mayfair icon