Came in with only the desire for Peking Duck, and found it to be a pleasant hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. My wife wanted Peking Duck for dinner and we walked through Chinatown looking at menus and observing diners eating in outdoor sections. Even though I had done some research, in which Cafe TPT was never mentioned, she decided this is where she wanted to eat. I thought less of it at first glance, hoping to make it through without issue, and maintaining clean underwear after the meal. They say "don't judge a book by its cover" and it certainly rang true with Cafe TPT. It looks like a front or something like that, and indeed it is a no frills restaurant. But we were very pleasantly surprised with how tasty the food was. We got the Set plate D2 and a Hot and Sour Soup. It was a great meal, indeed! A variety of tasty dishes to be shared and enjoyed alongside the duck. The bathrooms left something to be desired, but they worked. There is an upstairs that we did not see, but many people were ushered up there, and a large number of Chinese people came out while we were there, many speaking to the owner and thanking him for a wonderful meal. So, I think the spot is known by the locals as being good, and we felt that way with our experience. read more

Cafe TPT - Entrance to Chinatown, right near Cafe TPT - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

This Chinese restaurant is located in China town just across from Leicester Sq and is a no frills cafe style utilitarian setting. Not good for large groups but can accommodate groups of around 4. The menu is big and seems to have a lot of selection, including dishes that you would not ordinarily find in western settings (pig stomach, duck tongues, steamed eel) as well as classics like aromatic crispy duck. I ordered a quarter duck - it was decent enough. Needed a few additional pancakes and think they must have charged me for those which I was not pleased with. Service was efficient but most horrible thing was seeing the chef keep wiping his nose on his palm. So does not score highly for chef hygiene from me. read more

Cafe TPT - Crispy duck - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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This is a cozy restaurant right next to one of the entrances to Chinatown. We ordered the roast duck and sichuan tofu. The flavors were excellent and the service was fast. Don't let the look of the interior fool you; it's a diamond in the rough. read more

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Boasting a huge menu, this Chinese restaurant serves a variety of good dishes that filled us up for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. They open at 12, and we were the first ones inside (probably less than 300 feet from our hotel). The dining area is small (seating for less than 30). As mentioned, the menu is huge and contains various fixed price menu items from £18 - £34 per person, minimum 2 people. We asked for tap water, and ordered 3 dishes. They came individually soon after, and we were done and out of there within 30 minutes. Service was efficient. Seafood lettuce wraps (£12) - a large mound of finely diced seafood (shrimp, squid, fish) and water chestnuts and baby corn, seasoned lightly with white sauce, coming with 8 large cups of iceberg lettuce and hoison sauce. It's a good dish, and I loved that the lettuce cups were individually separated from each other and washed. King Prawns & Scallops in XO Meat sauce (£18) - basic large shrimp, and good sea scallops in a tasty brown sauce (not sure it contained meat), along with pea pods, sliced carrots. Mixed Seafood with Crispy Noodle (£11) - a mix of shrimp and fish and fish balls, in the same white sauce as the lettuce wraps, served over a bed of thinly crispy chow mein noodles. Good dish. They do have a 10% service charge (it seems all the restaurants near Leicaster Square do a version of this. read more

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Came here because mum wanted to try a london Chinese restaurant. So we stopped by here to try. The vibe was awesome with old style and going up and down to get to the seating or bathroom. It was busy when we came here. But we were able to score a seat. . Mango sago bean curd dessert - this was served in a wooden mini bucket. The dessert wasn't too sweet. The bean curd was soft and smooth. It was my favorite part of the meal. . Bbq pork and duck - this was mediocre at best. The meats weren't good and tough. The sauce is bold and makes it looked really good. Also the sauce was on everything which I didn't like. It was picture perfect but texture and taste is mediocre. Wouldn't recommend. . Baked Portuguese pork chop over rice. This looked good. But the sauce lacked flavor. It wasn't like wow or I want seconds or third. It's big portion and bang for the buck. . Mixed beef tripe and beef stomach, beef tendon- this was ok. It was at least normal and ok for what it is. . Overall we had a challenge finding authentic Chinese food hong kong style. This place was the closest. I am still in search of a spot with good wok hay style food and good hong kong style eats in london. It was a great experience to try and go dine in China town london. Hope this helps and thanks for following along with my uk journey. Have a yelptastic day. . read more

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The TPT in the name refers to Dai Pai Dong, the open-air food stall that used to be a big part of Hong Kong food scene, serving up delicious eats at a great price. This place has a huge menu, of mostly Cantonese staples you would expect to find in Dai Pai Dong as well as Cha chaan teng in Hong Kong. There are also some Malaysian/Singaporean dishes too. We ordered several dishes and they are all very delicious, though the Cantonese ones are better than the Malaysian ones. We also had a tofu pudding with Mango Sago. The tofu isn't quite tender enough, and the mango isn't the best - well, more like an issue of supply it being not the season for it, but still I lapped it all up. Service is pretty good, the place is bright and clean, will be happy to return when I visit London again! read more

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I got scammed there. The service as minimal and they did something illegal which is to force us to pay the discretionary service fee of 10%. And when I asked them to remove it because it should be optional, they started to guilt-trip us by saying they'll have to deduct everyone's salary if I don't give them the tip money. When I told them this was optional, he began to be aggressive and treated us like thieves. It is a tourist trap, never in the Chinatown restaurants I've been treated so badly, and never got the fees (he told us, it is like like is this region). Please note down that their service was really bad, they didn't once be polite with us, or smile or take the time to answer our questions. I feel like I ate at a caveman's. The food was really mid to disgusting. When we enter the restaurant, it looks like a cheap Chinese caterer, I was like whatever it'll do. It was a big mistake. We got two quarters of duck with rice and pork, it was too oily, I feel like I instantly got bad cholesterol. The worst part is that I got nauseous for the whole afternoon because of how oily and buttery the dishes were. I really wish that we boycotted here, I really hate scamming, poor service and racism (I don't see them telling the local Chinese people to pay this) because indeed I speak fluent Mandarin. It was really just against us. Maybe they thought we were from America but this behaviour should be taken accountable for. It's only after that I saw people with similar experience at this address. Also 2000+ ratings on Google seems fake. They deserve 2 stars max. read more

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a mediocre experience. Walked in during the peak dinner hour and managed to get a table on the upper level. The café itself is quite tight, including the loos and stairwells. Cleanliness is mediocre and some staff wore a mask and some also wore gloves. Started off with the cereal soft shell crab and it felt like I was back in Singapore! This was probably the highlight of the meal as there was a 2 soft shell crab minimum. The soft shell crab was buttery, lightly fried, and quite meaty. Very nice. The kang kong sambal was mediocre. The local kang kong was on the thicker side, unlike the ones found in Singapore. The sambal sauce was also quite muted. The bbq pork and roast duck combo was pretty weak. Both were cooked well done and the meat was on the tougher end... Sauce was also on the bold end... The iced lemon tea was decent. Not too sweet and strong lemon along with tea flavor. Had the mango pomelo sago for dessert and it was also decent although the local mangos were quite bland and hard... £56/person after 10% service and GST for dinner. They take NFC cards. read more

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No trip is complete for my dad without checking out the local Chinese fare. Family wanted duck, I wanted a sweet, and Cafe TPT met both of our expectations. Dad did the ordering. He ordered: 1) Pork and mustard green soup - this hit the spot for everyone. Broth was tasty and mustard green not too bitter. 2) Salt and pepper spareribs - these were just ok for me. 3) Eggplant w/ salted fish - good over some rice. 4) Peking duck - don't know the last time I had this. Appreciated that they deboned the whole duck and served on top of shrimp crisps (chips). Served with plenty of pancakes, green onions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce. 5) Mango and grapefruit sago with grass jelly - hit the spot. Cold, refreshing and just sweet enough. This place was packed - more seating upstairs. Food came out pretty quickly. Lots of menu items to choose from. read more

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We only stopped by this restaurant to try their cold desserts. We had the mango and coconut with sago as well as the sweet bean curd (tofu) with red bean. The deserts were both very interesting, I never tried anything like this before, neither in Hong Kong when we visited, nor at any Chinese restaurant. The flavors were good and the tofu pretty much disintegrates becoming a watery custard. The desert with the mango and coconut was the better one in my opinion. The red bean was a mixture of beans and paste and I thought there should have been more paste to give the dessert a bit more flavor. read more

Cafe TPT - Mango/coconut with sago (left) and sweet bean curd (tofu) with red bean served in wooden mini buckets - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

Saw this as one of the top places to go eat in Chinatown London so was quite excited for this but it turned out to be very meh like most food in London. - Wonton Soup - Got this as an appetizer and it came with 4 wontons which was a bit disappointing and some vegetables. The soup itself wasn't bad but the wontons were not great, I didn't like the small shrimp inside which seemed a little bit fake. Just in general, be wary of small shrimps. - Malaysian Fried Ho Fun - This was actually not bad even though there were some small shrimps in it which had a hard texture to it. Probably the best dish of the night though because of the solid soy sauce flavor. - Roasted Duck with Rice - This unfortunately was not great. The duck was very dry and did not have the usual sweetness of the fat and meat. Also, the sauce on the rice wasn't great, I would much rather have just the BBQ duck fat in the rice. Overall, very okay experience. Definitely wouldn't say that this is the best place in Chinatown, but also may not have ordered the right thing. read more

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Might be the worst hainan chicken I've ever had. If you stop on here, you should probably stick to the roast meats (they looked ok in the window) and maybe the desserts which my kids enjoyed. YMMV when it comes to kids and their dessert opinions. (There is 2nd floor seating so don't be scared off if the first floor is full.) read more

My favorite place in Chinatown in London. My favorite dish is the crispy duck pancakes!!!

Awesome food and great service. Located in China town. Everything was full of flavor and absolutely delicious!! Great prices and big portions! Absolutely yummy!! read more

Cafe TPT - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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One thing I absolutely hate is overpriced sub-par asian food. In this case TPT has certainly done it. The baked pork chop rice in particular was appealing with essentially just half a pork chop in the whole entire dish (see photo). The sesame chicken lacked sesame taste, the chilli wonton lacked authenticity, while the pork chop rice lacked pork chop. Saving grace was the red bean ice, at least that was nice. read more

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Solid authentic Chinese food for affordable prices. Come here frequently for a solid eat for the price

The food is generally okay in my opinion. They open until late though, so if you are around chinatown and need food until late, you should get this. The price is okay too but i love the tofu dessert so much. If you like tofu hua then you should come here to get it. Recommended for the dessert and the food to come for cheap and convenient chinese food. I would come back for the dessert again. read more

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Was going to dine in but then decided to take away. Service was horrible/rude. I asked a few questions about my item and the server talked to me like I didn't know how to read.. he kept pointing at the description and said "that's what it says, that's what's in it".. When my fiancé and I got back to the hotel to eat our dessert. The dessert had no flavor and wasn't even sweet. Looked like they just threw everything in a cup and served it to us.. read more

This is probably by far the best Hong Kong 'Tai Pai Tong' (Hawker style) restaurant I have found in London. Nothing comes close to it value, portion and flavour wise. This place is more canteen style eatery depending on where you seat. Sometimes you are jammed packed with other patrons down stairs but then there are some big tables upstairs for groups. Certainly not a place for lovers. You are here for the cheap food. The other good thing about this place is the service. Unlike some Asian restaurants where there is no customer service, there is at least some here and perhaps the other reason why I always come back here. This place is also frequented by the Asian community and that is another strong sign that it is very good food. I have uploaded quite a few pictures but there are tons of food to try here. That includes things that are not on the menu you see stuck on the window. The special menu are stuck on the walls inside the establishment. I have to say nearly all the food here are has a very home made feel to it like how your grandma used to make. So I suggest, try as much as you can and I bet you will find stuff that you will like ordering everytime you come here. Best thing is, they are reasonable and cheap! By the way, one thing they are really famous for is the dessert. Definitely try the mango based ones. Sometimes I come here just for desserts but do tell them and try only do it off peak when it is not packed as they will tell you to order food during peak time or else you need to take away. read more

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Food is below par. BBQ pork rice is too dry and lean. Baked Portuguese pork chop rice sauce too watery. Wonton noodles soup okay. Overall, so so. Dessert is good. read more

Sometimes, restaurants can't win. On the one hand, I'm bored with Sino-English generic menus you see in all the main Gerrarad Street restaurants in Chinatown catering for tourists. On the other hand, when I see a restaurant like TPT Cafe offer food from places as afar as Malaysia to Macau, my suspicious radar comes on as to whether the chef in the kitchen can really have such a broad range of cooking experience to do all the dishes on the menu justice. However, with the best English summer rain beating down on me yesterday, I took a hasty and spontaneous decision to take one for the Yelp family and eat here. From the choice of Malaysian dishes including quite traditional dishes such as bak kut teh (pork ribs in a medicinal stock), my eye was drawn to the £8 laksa. Really? £8 for a laksa? Right, the challenge was on. I wonder if they chose the term cafe because the seating is tight - certainly a lot of breath-holding is required to pass between some of the tables! The waitresses were also a bit grumpy for some reason though this just reminds me of the good old days of being shouted at by Chinese waitresses in Chinatown! Yes, really! A bit like John McEnroe, people used to go to places like Wong Kei on Wardour Street to experience the abuse! I had wanted to try their butter soft shell crab but sadly, you have to order 2 of these as a minimum. So, I settled for spicy wonton, which probably represents the fiery Sichuan part of the menu. The wontons arrived looking appropriately red in colour and covered in chopped fresh chilli. There was the promised chilli capsicum heat but not much more flavour other than the sour of the vinegar in the sauce. Then, the piece de resistance. A large bowl of laksa arrived. Now, a philosophical question. How much can you tinker with a dish, perhaps in a misguided attempt to even improve it, before you lose the heart and soul of a dish? Laksa is a famous hawker (street) food dish found in south east Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore where noodles and small amounts of meat, seafood and vegetables come in a rich, spicy coconut based broth. I can see how TPT are trying to justify the £8 price tag - they added some premium ingredients like green-lipped mussels served in the shell for effect as well as large prawns. However, in adding other things like French beans, the dish has turned into posh pseudo-laksa. The broth has nice seafood flavour but lacked the depth of the best laksa by omitting ingredients such as galangal (wild ginger), candle nuts and belacan (shrimp paste). Street food is best left to its humble but flavoursome roots - the European equivalent would be like trying to turn French toast into pain grillé a la francais wouldn't work! I didn't have the requisite stomach room left to try their very tempting range of beancurd desserts. A noble try by TPT and I applaud them for trying something new but I'd prefer a cheaper bowl of more authentic laksa. I may be back for dessert though read more

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Great little place to stop by and eat in the Chinatown area of London. A friend and I ordered their Roast Meats with Rice and some Wonton Soup. Both of us preferred the Roast Pork (Honey Glazed) over the Roast Duck (Too Fatty). Don't let the tiny place deceive you, there's additional seating upstairs! read more

Mediocre Chinese food. Everything we ordered lacked a "wow this is actually really good" factor. I had the roast duck + bbq pork over rice, and it was better than expected but not great. The duck was a bit on the leaner side, but it was well seasoned. The bbq pork was moist, with a sweet and savory kick. They also drizzled the rice with a black sauce that tasted of Chinese all spice and soy sauce. My friend got the wonton noodle soup and it was under par. The wontons had shrimp, pork, and mushrooms in them which was okay, but the skin was mushy and doesn't have that nice bounce you get from good, fresh wontons. The soup was bland and undersalted in our opinion, and the noodles were in small little bite sized pieces. My friend looks young, but she doesn't need to have her food cut for her like a kid! With the abundance of restaurants in Chinatown, I probably wouldn't go back here. I'd rather try my hand at one of the other places in the area with (hopefully) better food! read more

Cafe TPT - Honey pork + roast duck rice dish - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Ick is really about the only word I can use to describe the experience I had here :( Myself and Mr Debs were visiting London and were after some dumplings, so figured the best place to get them would be Chinatown! We have a fantastic place in Glasgow for dumplings (Dumpling Monkey, check it out if you're ever up our way) and after seeing a photo of the ones here we decided to try it out. The dumplings were good, in fairness, but besides them and the salt and chilli ribs, everything else was just rubbish. The place looked pretty authentic and we could see plenty of Chinese Londoners inside (always a good sign anywhere you go, Chinese Glaswegians certainly know where it's at!) so we had high hopes, particularly after scoffing said dumplings because they were good as I said. Not mind-blowingly good, but y'know, good. I also ordered some chicken satay skewers and I can honestly say that the skewers featured the most dry, most chewy, most disappointing chicken I have ever had in my life. The satay sauce was ok but lacked flavour, and I'm not even sure I ate half of the skewers because I just couldn't face it. Service was abrupt and not very friendly at all, we left slightly hungry and wishing we had picked somewhere else, sad times!! read more

Cafe TPT - Grilled pork dumplings - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Ordering crab in a Chinese restaurant is always a time consuming and messy affair - this is not first date food! So gold star to TPT for bringing it out first and waiting until we were done with it before bringing out our other dishes. Crab was spicy and finger licking good and by far the best dish we got. Stuffed tofu clay pot came to the table bubbling hot. The tofu was silken and super soft but deep fried. Lovely contrast in textures although I would have liked more Napa cabbage. Green beans were tasty but there was too much dark soy sauce. Our potstickers were not freshly made and clearly reheated. A disappointment. But still, I enjoyed the meal. Our waiter was particularly chatty and friendly. Will definitely come back! read more

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This restaurant was recommended to us by a friend of ours. The food was really good. Brings me back to the food I had in Hong Kong. The two of us crave for more, we will come back again for sure. The owners was very friendly and helpful. Restaurant is small and sparsely decorated. Seating ground floor and first floor. The restaurant fills up quickly so get there early because seating is limited. Prices are reasonable. read more

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Amazing Chinese food! We did a set menu for 4 people and honestly the portion sizes were so generous. The food was so tasty and the restaurant was extremely clean. Service was fast but still did not feel rushed, the waiters were always checking when we had empty plates/glasses which is great and the staff were friendly. This is a great small restaurant with true authentic food, definitely worth the visit if you go to Chinatown. read more

Cafe TPT - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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It isn't the prettiest place - plain, tiled floors, cream walls, crammed with as many tables as they can fit into the space. However, many customers are keen on their dessert menu, which sells regular sweet beancurd (chilled) for £3.50, and everything else at either £4 or £4.50. All the desserts are liquid-based, and are served in aluminium-lined wooden tubs - deep ones! Although there are many choices, some dishes differ from another just by the addition of a fruit, or sago jellies. For example, the regular sweet beancurd can come in mango 'soup', with red bean, or with fruit, among several other additions and variations. It's like how salad is basically lettuce, cucumber and dressing, but the British have created Niçoise, Wardour, Caesar, which are basically additions or renditions of what is, essentially, giraffe chow. I ordered a tempting 'Mango & Coconut with Black Glutinous Rice & Sago'. The mango & coconut refers to a thin, creamy 'soup' with both flavours. It was served cold as well, and very delicious and refreshing! However, due to the use of coconut milk and the seemingly endless depth of the dessert tub, it's a good idea to come here with an empty stomach. Cafe TPT is definitely a recommended place to visit with friends for a taste of good quality Chinese dessert! read more

Cafe TPT - Sweet beancurd a.k.a Tau Huey, at Café TPT! (Chinatown London) - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

Small chinese joint. It was pretty pricy but I chose it because it looked packed and I wanted roasted duck and this place offered a quarter. I didn't want half or whole. It was 8 pounds for a quarter of a duck, what a rip off. It was okay too. Wasn't the best duck I've tried and definitely wasn't too fresh. Probably been hanging there for awhile. Other food looks good though. read more

Cafe TPT - Quarter of a duck - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

One of more pricey eateries in Chinatown although decor is no fancier than the typical small Chinese canteen you find in HK. The typical photos of food stuck around the walls of the inside of the restaurant, most being their specialties and more for the adventurous diners or those familiar with the cuisine. Unlike most restaurants in China town they serve both Cantonese and Malaysian dishes although half the customers when we went there weren't even there for a main meal but for their infamous chilled sago and tofu puddings. We decided to give everything a try... Spicy wonton This sadly was quite forgettable. The filling was too coarse with opposing textures of softer prawns and chewy pork. It was lazily made and the chilli sauce lacked depth and complexity. Laksa May have been expensive priced at £9.00 for Chinatown but it was justifiable with the generous topping of mussels, fish balls, tofu and richness in flavour. It was incredibly creamy and satisfying with the fresh bouncy egg noodles that held onto it's consistency even after soaking in the soup. A satisfying laksa overall. Stir fried pea shoots with fermented tofu These were incredible. They were young, fresh and sweet and the fermented tofu sauce on top gave it the depth and saltiness it needed. I'm not really used to such a creamy addition of fermented tofu but whatever they did, it worked. I do miss China though where this dish wouldn't need to have cost me £9.00. Baked pork chop fried rice with a cheesy sauce Flavours of the west to the east and the taste of comfort food. The pork chops were pink and salty, almost like gammon. It was the perfect addition to the more mild creamy cheesy sauce and the fried rice underneath. With such rich flavours I was genuinely shocked that everything was seasoned perfectly, nothing too salty. Pigs stomach with pickled mustard greens This may raise a few eyebrows but it's that lovely salty tangy soup that is so comforting to have in the cold. It was a dish found advertised on the wall along with their other specialties. The stomach was bouncy but soft enough to chew through due it being stewed in the soup for a while bringing out the umami taste in the soup. The seasoning was perfect. It's a dish that needs time to enjoy and we did. Coconut and mango sago We didn't realise the desserts were so popular until we saw everyone scooping out from this cute little white ceramic pot then remember seeing it displayed all outside the window. Sadly I made the wrong choice and ordered the coconut and mango sago which was quite unsatisfying. There was barely any sago, a few mango pieces here and there but mostly just coconut milk, which don't get me wrong, tasted great and creamy. It felt more like a drink than a pudding. Honey melon tofu pudding This was a much better selection. Lovely soft silky chilled tofu against the honey melon purée, adding a strong refreshing sweetness throughout the tofu. So moreish! I did like Cafe TPT and found the quality and portion sizes made up for the extra pounds you pay per meal. Not everything was perfect or creative but we were content with most of our order. Service was friendly and efficient although they do have a bit of attitude but that's just in our culture. Will definitely return for their tofu puddings and their laksa. The place is quite small so prepare to wait if you're dining in a group. read more

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Very authentic taste. Good prices and portions. Everything was tasty. Except the roast pork wasn't crispy enough. read more

Cafe TPT - roast meat combo, portuguese pork chop baked rice, rice, vegetables - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Chinese restaurant with the best services. Had dinner with kids in this restaurant. Very considerate. Dropped chopsticks a few times, new chopsticks were handed right away. read more

If you've never been to Hong Kong and wanted a little taste of it, this is the place to be. The restaurant front with its narrow opening, roast duck hanging in the window, hot broth steaming next to it...but that's somewhat normal nowadays for a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown right? But once you sit down, you know you're in the right place. A menu tossed at you with the expectation that you already know what you want, order quick, eat quick, get out quick. Oh and the noise. Don't expect to hear yourself think, let alone a decent conversation with your meal mate. But what really hits the core is their fantastic food. Admittedly, the food they serve is not actually always found Ina typical HK cafe but whatever they serve is good. Must have? Sichuan style string beans for £7.50. Best I have ever had. Also mango sago with grapefruit and bean curd for £4.50. What! HK dessert at its finest. And the portion is giant (comes in a little cute bucket/pail) Should have? At least one sizzling stone pot dish. No not your typical HK dish but they have a whole listto select from and you simply can't go wrong. We were recommended the aubergine/eggplant with fish sauce and minced pork - delicious. About £9. Things you also should know: - menu on wall that's not on paper - they have a pretty large seating area upstairs great for groups - minimum £8 per person charge - 10% service charge added on top of ur bill - open until 1am!!! 4.5 stars. We came here two nights in a row after out HK guest told us she came here two days in a row herself. read more

I ate here twice in a period of a week, the food is good and service quick. The menu is mostly Cantonese, the first time round I got the roast duck over rice it was good, but I have had better. What compensated this average meal was it was the place itself is clean, service quick, pleasant waitress and it wasn't too expensive. Second time round I had the Chicken curry, expecting a more Singapore kind of a chicken curry.It turned out to be more a Malaysian style, which was a pleasant surprise and very tasty.The chicken comes with bones, I am quite used to eating chicken with bone so no big surprise there. My husband got the steamed fish the first time, it was very tasty and the fish was very fresh. Second time around he got the roast pork, I thought it was too sweet but he liked it and ate it all up. Definitely a good find I must say, will make a stop at my next visit. read more

Wardour Street in China Town boasts a couple of eateries that have been easy go-to places for my friends and I whenever we're feeling peckish. First there is the controversial Wong Kei, offering a variety of authentic Cantonese dishes at competitive prices with a generous seating capacity and there is also Misato, a cute and comfortable Japanese option again with reasonable pricing. For that reason Café TPT has eluded me despite establishing a quiet reputation for decent seafood and an impressive selection of Pan-Chinese cuisine. I ordered the following: - Duck tongues with traditional chilli and salt - Deep fried crispy oyster - Boiled rice The duck tongues arrived first and are peculiar little things, shaped a little like duck beaks and they make you realise how long tongues really are. I was reminded of eating chicken feet, with their spongy texture which need to be eaten with careful precision, patiently removing bones as part of the ritual. It's an experience that gets better and better with each piece. I think it's a combination of getting used to what is an unconventional dish, being desensitised with every bite whilst also realising how very tasty the sauce is. It has a salty moreishness and spice which brings out the flavours of the fresh coriander and garlic with a lovely tanginess perhaps from vinegar or citrus. The oysters come in a generous serving but have a rather disappointing flavour. They are served with lemon wedges which do nothing for them and even the chilli oil does little to help. These were also billed as being crispy but were actually quite soggy. The game-changing moment however came from dipping them heavily in the duck tongue sauce whereby the limp batter actually helped to absorb the moisture and turned this into a half decent dish. We turned up on a Friday evening and were seated immediately and comfortably with speedy service and friendly staff. Perhaps other dishes may have been better but I didn't see enough to warrant opting for Café TPT ahead of its neighbours anytime soon. read more

After wandering around aimlessly in Chinatown for half an hour, my husband and I stumbled upon Cafe TPT. Oh what a wonderful surprise. We didn't realize what time it was, and ended up being in a big rush to catch a show. Luckily, they're so fast! My husband settled on the sweet and sour chicken which was super yummy. The sauce was just the right amount of sweet and sour. The chicken was tender and juicy. Just the right size portion too. I had the fried chicken lo mein noodles. OMG it was so delicious. I'm craving it again right now. I added some red chili to it to make it extra spicy which was the perfect addition. I love how Cafe TPT is so unassuming looking from the outside, then you enter into a tiny authentic delicious cafe! read more

Like Annie W I was umm-ing and ahh-ing over whether to give this 4 or 5 stars. As I'm in a good mood, I'm going for 5. Mum was coming up to London (my little sister was on holiday and she was so bored she'd offered to take me for dinner) and as is traditional, we always go for Chinese. Generally, I'd take her to The Golden Dragon in Chinatown but wanted to go somewhere different. Mum's first comment when we arrived was 'It's TOO HOT!'. Admittedly, it was pretty toasty in there but it also reminded me of being in Singapore which was comforting. There was a little bit of confusion when we were deciding on dishes as we both had different menus. Whilst mum kept complaining that there was nothing on the menu she liked (not really that partial to chicken feet or intestines) I had no trouble choosing. Once the menu issue had been sorted, mum read hers like it was a good book. We started off with your usual veggie spring rolls (I'm not a fan of these so won't comment) and crispy duck pancakes. This was good, although the hoisin sauce tasted more tangy than usual. As is usual in my family, we tend to get a bit over-excited at the thought of eating out and so had ordered way too much. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs in this case. My Malaysian Laska arrived - a giant cauldron of steaming, hot, coconutty slurpyness. There were beautiful plump mussels, juicy fish balls, strips of chicken and giant prawns. I'm dribbling as I write this! Mum's dish was beancurd stuffed with prawn. And it was so fantastic, mum had to do some crazy Kung-fu Panda moves on me with her chopsticks in order to protect her food. For someone who professes to have 'forgotten' how to use chopsticks, she suddenly became a dab hand. I think our downfall were the drinks we ordered at the start. Pineapple ice was perfectly refreshing after a sticky Tube journey and the Coconut Water with grass jelly and redbean was a meal in itself. The service was akin to a cat eyeing up the next door neighbour's dog. Which is to say, it was pretty good for Chinatown. Our Jasmine tea was constantly topped up, we weren't rushed and even though we didn't warrant a hint of a smile, the staff were patient and polite. Unlike some people, I love this style of service - I'm not a fan of fawning waiters and waitresses. Just as long as there's no blatant rudeness, it suits me just fine. I'd def recommend it - it's cosy, bustling and the food is reasonably priced and delicious. read more

Pretty well priced Chinese food. Ordered steamed fish with ginger and scallion(tasty fish!), morning glory with tofu sauce (or the spicy sauce), scallops and shrimps with xo sauce(saucy, pretty good), eggplant and fish in stone pot (yum!), and a plate of duck + cha sui. Everything was so delicious and authentic! There's upstairs, probably 2 or 3 tables that could fit 6+ party. Even though the place doesn't look super fancy, but food is good and service was pretty fast. My only complaint: their dessert. We ordered mango with grass jelly- too much mango sauce, very very little grass jelly. Fruits with grass jelly- quite nasty actually.. probably gave me a 2" square cube of grass jelly cut into tiny pieces, then fruit slushy mixed with probably max 5 pieces of canned fruits. No bueno, don't get! Tofu fa with red bean was... alright... not great. Not soft and silky at all though. Milk tea was good though! A little taste of Hong Kong in a cup, recommended! Mango and chinese grapefruit with sago was pretty good too. Overall, recommended! But be careful what you order on their dessert menu. Everything is pretty reasonably priced, food tasted authentic. Yummms! read more

I can't claim to have tried every single Chinese cafe in Chinatown (working on it!), but TPT is definitely a shining beacon of good, fast snacking, my go-to every time I don't want to spend ages thinking about where to grab a bite. After working my way through a few similar cafes, I soon came to the conclusion that TPT offers the best-tasting food, the friendliest service, and the most bang for your buck (quid??). Desserts are their forte--sago (mini tapioca pearls) with mango and grapefruit, smooth, smooth milk tea with fresh boba, and the ever-elusive tofu-fa (make sure you ask if they have it because they often are out!). Particularly generous portions for their dessert, especially compared to the popular Cafe de Hong Kong, which I think is only so popular due to their prime location, but that's another story (or review, rather). The quality of their entrees fluctuates more, hence the four instead of five stars. I've only tried their yin-yang fried rice--the good--and their spicy noodles--the bad--so it's a 50-50 so far. Sample is too small to be reliable, of course, so make of it what you will. I will add, though, that they have killer chicken wings. Putting aside the food itself, I would suggest not expecting too much of the decor or ambiance. Down-to-earth Chinese cafes usually are not big on either one, so we're talking bare white walls, fluorescent lighting, and sometimes loud talking. But you go there for the food, right? Maybe there is a cafe superior to TPT in Chinatown, but until I find it, this is always a safe choice. read more

More like 4.5 stars but I was so impressed with the finding, I'll round up this time. We scoured all over Chinatown checking out the menus and crowds and so glad we did because we found quite the Hong Kong cafe gem. So impressed with it in fact, we came here twice! Cafe TPT is actually better than many Chicago places, located in a small but bright and warm two story space. Right when you enter one of the cooks is busy at the noodle and HK bbq station. Pretty awesome. Service is prompt and efficient, food comes out fast and prices are CHEAP! Hits: +Congee great flavor. +Wonton noodle (get the he fen or wide rice noodles). The wontons are HUGE. They stuff each one with like 4-5 shrimp and ear wood mushrooms. Talk about generous! +Tofu hotpot. Altho it claimed to be hotpot on the menu, it was less your traditional hotpot and more claypot. Tofu stuffed with fishcake with thick clear garlic sauce poured over it. So good with rice! +Salt and pepper (w/ slices of chili peppers) spareribs +Mussels in black sauce +Mango sago! (or xi mi lu) Yumm. Misses: -Spicy noodle. They claim it's Szechuan but I could not detect any iota of peppercorn in it. Just some regular old spicy sauce with a small hint of sweetness. Bleh. read more