We had a lovely Friday lunch here after attending the Changing of the Guards. The restaurant is…read morestunning and service was first rate. Total team effort, dedicated to high level service. My wife and I both ordered the dim sum lunch special. Good mix of dumplings. Asparagus. A bun. A stuffed rice roll. A spring roll. Mushroom chow fun. All good. The mushroom chow fun was probably my favorite. My son ordered a chicken dish with a sweet lemon sauce. That was different and very good too. 4.5 Stars.

Lunch BBQ set menu is tasty and quick for those of us going to a theater matinee…read more The duck is pretty tasty with rice and asparagus along with the pork trotter slices as an appetizer. Hot and sour soup was also nice. Great service. All in all, I think it's a good value pre theater. I was in and out in about 45m.

Don't you hate it when a really pretty person is really shy and you thus never get to know her?…read moreWell, this is how I feel about the "Dim Sum House" in Golders Green. Let me explain this analogy: When I talk about a pretty person, I actually mean the nice decor and the really welcoming and friendly staff at this place. In fact, I've yet to find a Chinese restaurant where the staff is more courteous and polite. And this prettiness also extends to the way the dishes look and how they're presented - beautiful! Especially the dim sum looks fantastic. Now, let's talk about the shy part of my analogy. And by shy I mean the flavours of the dishes. In fact, it feels like the chef was toning down the ingredient list to make it more appealing to a more European audience, but unfortunately that didn't work neither for me nor my Taiwanese partner in crime: we were looking for authentic and bold flavours, but they were just not there. (My triple-meatball noodle-soup not only lacked in flavour, but also in meat...I think I counted a total of 6 tiny meatballs.) So, as much as I usually make a fuss about how important really good service is, I have to say that if we could swap, I'd rather have the usually rude and ignorant staff of many Chinese establishments, but the boldness of a real Chinese meal in exchange! (Foodwise I really think they don't deserve three stars, but because the service was so nice, I would feel terrible not to give three stars...)

The dim sum is good. But the manager is an unfriendly boor who seems to hate his customers. He does…read morenot bother to dress properly, and greets his diners with an attitude of 'what are you doing in here? how dare you come in to my restaurant!' It is a pity because the dim sum is delicious, and the service of the other staff is generally decent. Yesterday the manager seemed reluctant to seat my party upon arrival because we had no reservation. This was in spite of there being many free tables all evening. At the end of the meal he accused my friend of giving him a counterfeit pound coin when it came to paying the bill. Although I have heard that around 20% of pound coins in circulation are counterfeit, I have never actually been accused of paying with one and it is surprising that the manager would choose to alienate a customer for the sake of a pound. I would recommend to the manager of this establishment that he learns to treat his customers with the respect and courtesy. He should also dress like a restaurant manager in a dark suit and tie. His attitude to customers and presentation lets the whole restaurant down. It is a real pity because the food is good.

Really enjoyed dinner and drinks here for my girlfriend and me. Definitely recommend it.read more

Born in Hong Kong so I have had lots of dim sum in my life. While it is not traditional dim sum,…read morethe flavors are solid and tasty. My colleague and I ordered one of the set menus to try a little of everything. The steamed and baked dim sum starters were tasty and beautifully arranged. We had the spicy dumplings to follow, then a number of wok stir fry dishes (beef, chicken, etc), and bok choy. Dessert was a carrot cake and fruit mousse, I ate the mousse and it was very good. Service was quick and attentive. We opted to eat at one of the outdoor tables since it was a nice night outside. However, the garbage trucks driving by and picking up garbage in front of us was not that appetizing. It was nice to people watch from our spot though. The drinks menu was really cool but a lot of options. I opted with a spritzer that had some fruity taste. Overall, I enjoyed our meal.

Yet another Chinese gem for those living in North London. In fact, I think this restaurant is…read morebetter than most of the tourist halls in dingy downtown Chinatown. The decor is very plain; i.e. no gaudy or tacky decorations. The service is quick and friendly... When ordering, pay attention to the special Hunan menu...the other menu offers dishes Cantonese style, which can be found anywhere in Chinatown...

Local Friends is a value for money Chinese restaurant on North End Road in Golders Green which I…read morefound on Zomato. First things first, the menu on Zomato is outdated and doesn't include, for example, the shredded pork crispy noodles I originally called to order. I had to settle for a chicken chowmein instead. They didn't have any of the beef or pork items from the previous menu either, so I accepted the beef with green pepper the lady on the phone suggested. Do you at least have a wonton soup? I asked. Yes, of course, we have wonton soup, she shot back. And with that, I ordered my first home delivery from Local Friends (free in the general vicinity for orders of £20 and above). My order arrived within 40 minutes, not bad, but they forgot to include the sauces, chopsticks, and menu I requested - basically, they forgot everything except the food. I couldn't decide if the noodles were dry, bland, both or simply disgusting. They weren't good, that's for sure. Not until I mixed the beef in. In all honesty, the beef was pretty good on its own but mixed in, it saved the noodles from the bin - desperate times, desperate measures. And lastly, the wonton soup was let down by the wontons themselves, which tasted...off. So, a thumbs down from me for Local Friends. Next time I want to order Chinese in I'll call family-run Oriental Star opposite Finchley Road station. Hey! Now read this - Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from, each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism. What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join me on Instagram @ravenousxerxes or email me on xerxes@dellara.com.

Shanghainese at the top of its game…read more Xiao Long Bao to die for. Dim sum as good as any I've had in the NY/NJ metro area. Lobster was amazingly fresh and served over perfect ginger scallion sauce. The greens were as fresh as any I've tried. Top tip: Reserve in advance. This place fills up quick from walk ins. Sits in Chinatown near all the tourist spots.

Stumbled upon this spot because we just needed to rest for a bit, and they had patio seats. We were…read morepleasantly surprised, I'm always on the hunt for some good rice noodle rolls, and they were pretty good. Service was excellent as well. This was my first Chinese restaurant experience in the UK, I'd say it was not bad at all. Come for dim sum if you're in Chinatown or Leicester Square area.

Super cheap, high-quality dim sum including shanghai dumplings - bite into them and slurp hot soup…read more(so moreish). My regret of the evening is not ordering a set to myself. I always get the excellent char siu pork buns. Sweet and fluffy outside, sticky and sweet inside. Plus, there's fishball soup! Another childhood favourite. As Mr Jamie Oliver would say: loverly.

Just shared an amazing meal at Lovely House, situated in my favourite part of Peckham. A tiny joint…read morewhich may not appear particularly promising from outside, hosts a feast of Chinese treats within. My girlfriend and I shared a meal with my mum and sampled amazing Chicken Shu Mai, griddled pork dumplings and har gao. All were delicious and extremely fresh. After this we shared a variety of mains including a delicious Duck Ho Fun - so tasty! The staff are lovely and so friendly, they overheard my mum discussing that she had sore throat, and suddenly they brought over a small bag of special Chinese tea they said would help her sore throat - so kind! The price is so reasonable as well, we paid about £16 a head and that includes two alcoholic drinks each, if you skipped the booze you could eat even cheaper.

Seriously avoid. Unless you want mediocre crispy Beijing duck. I have two good friends who…read moreregularly come here and I have had the pleasure to do so several times as well. I use the word pleasure only in association with their company. Not the food. What I mean to say is I have given this place multiple chances but every time I think it can redeem itself it disappoints. Everything about this place reeks with mediocrity. The duck is the reason my friends visit - they love it. I have had better Beijing Kaoya and even if it is palatable it's certainly not worth the ridiculous prices they charge. It maybe because I have high standards for Chinese cuisine having lived in China that I feel this restaurant represents everything that is wrong about Chinese restaurants in the west. Overly commercialised dim sum, oily egg fried rice , trying to hard to assimilate for western taste and not sticking true to raw Chinese flavours. Whilst my friends likely still go for the duck I cannot be part of this overpriced and underwhelming experience. Sorry Goldfish but you have to better.

Contrary to what this page may say (depending on the time of reading). This place is very much open…read more:) The place is right in the midst of the trendy part of Hampsted with your coffee and cake shops. It's almost a little out of place, but nicely so. On weekends they do a Dim Sum buffet. This includes a nice selection of Dim Sum, some chinese takeaway type items like noodles, prawn toast, ribs, egg fried rice and sweet and sour chicken. This is brought to your table automatically like at Big Easy so you get a selection of everything. The items are served 3 at a time which is perfectly decent. I counted around 8-9 various dim sum/fried items including a yummy sticky rice leaf along with everything else mentioned. The Siu Mai was the best I've ever had and everything was top quality and apparently made by the chefs. We finished off pretty much from the first round and the staff were excellent and attentive. Never trying to rush you out. On the contrary, constantly asking if there was anything more we'd like and even noting and topping up water/drinks as required. Top notch service and unlike what you normally expect in Chinatown. Well after order about 50% more food which I'll be honest, was mostly eaten by myself, we were ready to grab the bill when we were told if we'd like our buffet dessert served to us. My heart sank a little. I didn't know there would be dessert! Had I saved enough room? We were told the options. One was a custard bun. Meh. The next was chinese brown sugar cake. Then an interesting nut cake. We ordered that and it was excellent. Like a cross between a fruit cake and a christmas pudding. Would I recommend this place? Absolutely. It may be a little on the pricier side when you factor in the cost of individual dishes. But as an all-you-can-eat affair, the convenience, service and wide array of selections definitely saves you any hassles. You just need to find a space to put it. If you're one that can eat, this can certainly end up being a great experience and more!

The La Mian Stall is an institution and long time resident at the the sunday market at Brick Lane…read more To find them, they are near the top of brick lane market, right underneath the underpass, closer to Shoreditch High Street Station than Aldgate East. Sundays only from some time in the morning until 5pm when the market shuts down. What you will find is a little taste of Asia in the best possible way. Hand-stretched flour noodles (la-mian) made right there before your very eyes, boiled, then served in the broth and meat accompaniments of your choosing. I had one with minced pork and 'special sauce' (who doesn't like special sauce?) and it was really good. The noodles were (obviously) really fresh, the broth was decent, and the pork bits salty and flavourful. AND all for about £5 a bowl. They also have chicken, roast pork, chilli tripe, and all kinds of available versions in addtion to some wok-fried items and really tasty dim sum. The only dim sum I tried was char siew bao, and it was legit (£1.50 for two). Plus they have a plastic table-clothed table for a few people (can maybe fit about 8 or so people) and some cheap plastic stools to sit on, so it is one of the few places along the brick lane market where you can actually sit down to eat. So authentic in its practicality and function that it makes me smile. This is also a great stall because you can stare at the guy making noodles, which is a fun show in itself. He's got skills.

** IMPORTANT NOTE: I think these guys go on holidays for 3-4 months at the beginning of the year,…read moreso don't freak out like I did when I kept visiting Brick Lane every Sunday hoping to catch them! Hopefully they'll be back soon :( ** I've been extremely picky about Chinese food since arriving in London, but luckily, this little La Mian stall under the bridge at Brick Lane has got it right! Fresh hand pulled noodles (la mian), swimming in a bowl of broth with your choice of roast duck, chicken, minced pork, and a few other variations. They also serve up other small dim sum items, such as pork buns, shrimp dumplings (har gow), pork dumplings (shiu mai), spring rolls, etc. I've tried their roast chicken leg, which is very good. The broth that they use is a mixture of soy, chicken (possibly beef) bouillon stock powder, plus a few other things. I think the broth could be better, but for the quantity I get, and by London standards - there's not much else to complain about! I've also had their tan tan noodles, which came with 5 or 6 pork shu mai. The shu mai was alright, I don't think they make this, and it was in a spicy peanutty soup. I've had proper tan tan noodles before, and this kind of missed the mark. Tasty in general, yes.. but doesn't really resonate a true bowl of tan tan noodles. i think I'm just gonna stick with normal noodles in a basic broth + meat! As for seating, there's a little table with a few small stools, but good luck getting a seat unless you're on your own! There's also a huge jar of chili oil on the table too, so don't forget to drizzle some over your noodles before taking off. The cost is very reasonable, especially for the quantity that you get. I think it runs you anywhere from £5.50-£7 per bowl, and even though they don't look THAT big - don't let it deceive you, as you will literally have to roll away. In Chinatown, a crappy bowl of noodles will cost you about £6, plus their "discretionary" (translation: mandatory) service charge. However, be prepared to wait for your food! Its awesome watching the noodle man do his thang, but with everyone standing around watching, its hard to figure out where to queue, and if people are even waiting in the queue. I believe this is a 2-man show, and while I get that they are popular and I'm sure they're popping out as many orders as they can - we waited 45 minutes for 4 bowls of noodles, which is a bit ridiculous. I think if they had a 3rd person in there, it would really speed things up. In any case though, if you have a lazy Sunday, get in line :)

The prices here are somewhat high for the dim sum, but you get elevated classics like siew mai…read more(shrimp and pork dumplings), lopatkou (fried radish cake), various tools with bean curd skin, chagio (Vietnamese fried spring rolls). The salt fish fried rice is decent but needs more salted fish pieces

Dim sum in London? Yes, absolutely! If you know where to go…read more.. Just like So Cal, the best Chinese restaurants in London are not located in Chinatown. Royal China is in the Hyde Park area, across from the northwest corner of the park (Princess Diana Memorial Playground). It is literally just steps away from two tube stations -- Queensway on the Central Line or Bayswater on the District or Circle Lines - so you can easily get there from almost anywhere in central London. The dim sum was legit and comparable to some of the top players in the San Gabriel Valley. I was particularly impressed by some of the dishes that are hard to find outside of Hong Kong. FRIED MINCED CUTTLEFISH BALLS: Even some of the best dim sum places in the SGV don't offer this or can't make it right. But this was perfectly 5 stars! The batter was light, and the minced cuttlefish filling had a good consistency and bounciness. The cuttlefish filling was mixed with some chopped water chestnuts which was the authentically correct Cantonese recipe. It was delicious and without even a hint of fishiness (GREAT!) PAPER WRAPPED PRAWNS WITH SESAME SEEDS: This is another bold and hard to find item. The wrapping tasted like bean curb wraps and it was deep fried. The prawn tasted fresh and again, without a hint of fishiness. A generous sprinkle of sesame seeds added the final touch to this delicious and creative dim sum plate. TURNIP CAKE: Pan-fried to a nice golden brown, these slices of turnip cakes were truly my cup of tea! Without the fishy dried shrimps that so many restaurants in the SGV tend to use, this dish was like a breadth of fresh air! Instead of dried shrimps, the cakes were mixed with small pieces of cured meat (Chinese sausage) that gave it a truly Cantonese flavor. The other dishes were good but not as impressive. SIU MAI was good and was comparable to those from an average SGV place. The black bean sauce of the PORK SPARERIBS was yummy but the dish was mostly bones with little meat. We also ordered a CHINESE SAUSAGE AND CHICKEN RICE which was topped with small pieces of thigh meat that were rather bland. The only flavor for the rice came from the Chinese sausage. Overall it was still a delightful and solid 4-star dim sum experience. I will definitely be back the next time I find myself in the streets of London.

First of all the name of the restaurant has changed to China Modern. Since I found it on Yelp as…read moreShanghai Modern it was difficult to find. I called the restaurant to make sure they offered Peking Duck which they confirmed. When my order of Peking Duck came it was not good. The duck seemed like it was made then frozen then steamed or microwaved. The skin was loose and floppy not at all crispy. I didn't order Crispy Duck but Peking Duck is not supposed to come with loose and floppy skin. I complained and sent it back. I just ended up ordering cha shu bao instead. My husband ordered a Mapu Tofu. The food tasted fine but we both ended up needing a toilet before too long.

When in a big city a trip isn't complete until you have had an amazing dinner in China Town. We…read morearrived in China Town a little later then we had planned around 10pm and started looking around to find a great spot. We came up to Shanghai Modern and after a quick glance of their giant menu (I mean literally giant it's huge and outside of the restaurant) this had to be the place we were going to go to. They had pretty much everything we were looking for. We sat down and the staff was quick to come check in on us. We of course had to start off with some Dim Sum and of course half a Peking Duck. For Dim Sum we got the Wonton In Garlic And Chilli Oil and the Signature Pork Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) The dumplings were fresh and amazing. I really could have kept them coming all night but there was more food that we had to get. The Peking Duck was also great. Crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. I was a little bummed that it was served with Chinese Pancakes and not Bao Buns but it was still amazing. Now to the main event as we got a lot... We went with the: Fried Chicken With Dried Chilli Spicy Szechuan Beef Broth Kung Po Chicken Shanghai Fried Noodles With Shredded Pork Crispy Chilli Shredded Beef Fried Chicken With Dried Chilli - This was tied for my favorite dish. It's always one of my go-tos. I sounds like it's just fried pieces of chicken with chili but it's so much more then that. Just so much flavor. It you have never had it it's a must. Crispy Chilli Shredded Beef - This was also tied for my favorite. I love a good crispy beef dish. The sauce was great and the beef was still so tender. Kung Po Chicken - This is just a classic that is always going to be good and is a crowd pleaser Shanghai Fried Noodles With Shredded Pork - Did you really get Chinese of you don't get noodles? Of course not. These noodles we so fresh and the sauce was great. We didn't even realize we were getting pork in it when we ordered so that was a nice surprise. Spicy Szechuan Beef Broth - This was for sure our wild card dish. The beef was great but this is a true Szechuan dish. You could tell by the fresh peppers and how peppery it was. If you're not ready if it that flavor blast is going to get you. We had an amazing time and of course meal at Shanghai Modern. If you are in London and want some amazing Chinese with all of the offerings this is the place to come to.