Our punter says…
The infamous queue wasn’t anywhere near as bad as we had expected, at around 15 minutes (although a guest in front of us documented the queue on their camera). The menu was easy to navigate, with pictures, and an ordering form made the process really easy. Service was spot on, and we had a super-friendly waitress who was always there when we needed her.
To start we went for fragrant pork with garlic and wood ear mushrooms. The pork rolls were crunchy, fresh and had a delicate garlic flavour – a hit with both of us. The mushrooms, although unusual to look at, were fairly palatable, with a nice kick of ginger, but my dining partner was not a fan of their rubbery texture.
Having read a lot of hype about the steamed dumplings we expected amazing things. Unfortunately, although they were pleasant enough and there was plenty of theatre surrounding their preparation (thanks to the glass-walled kitchen) and delivery, they didn’t quite live up – the flavours were bland and the insides a bit waterlogged. Controversially, we actually preferred some of the other dishes.
The beef noodle soup came next – there was rich, umami flavour in the broth but the meat itself was dry and tough, which led to jaw ache. The garlic spinach side was an unsung hero – well cooked, far from soggy, and fresh tasting, with a punchy garlic seasoning. I felt like a hungry Popeye shovelling those leaves down.
Our favourite dish of the night, though, was the chilli pork wontons. Its fragrant sauce had a just-right chilli kick, and the filling was tender. We had to fight it out over who got the last one and decided we would consider returning just to eat multiple plates of these.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Overall, the atmosphere was a tad clinical and lacked the vibe we were expecting, but the staff were faultless. Some of the menu seemed on the expensive side (we avoided the £8.50 egg-fried rice), and what did arrive was a mixed bag. But, there were some great flavours in some dishes. Wontons for the win!
Total bill for two, excluding service: £86.30