On our annual visit to London, Old Tree Daiwan Bee continues to deliver our favorite food in London. Had the salt/pepper calamari and shrimp on two separate visits, flat noodles, green beans with garlic, duck with plum sauce, pot stickers, and all was wonderful! Thank you to the staff there that make us feel so welcome! read more

Food is very bland! The Szechuan Spicy Hot Beef Noodles in Soup has 3 chill pepper signs on the menu but it is not even the slightest spicy. This place is cash only also. We felt rushed and stared at the whole time we were eating. Only came here because this was one of the only things open in the area. Would not be coming back here again. read more

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Cash only (alert!). I hate places that only accept cash. Are they trying to dodge paying taxes? Food is ok (some dishes are more authentic than others). The restaurant is decorated with a nostalgic theme, but that means tiny, uncomfortable wooden stools. Not meant for a leisurely dinner. The highlights are the pork meatball soup and turnip cakes. NO RESTROOM! NO RESTROOM! Beware. read more

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After traveling Europe for a month long we were craving our Asian food. Had a horrendous experience with Pho in Barcelona... (Yes...I know... WHY?!...out of desperation. That is why) I was pleasantly surprised to walk past this little Taiwanese restaurant. It is pretty small and a tight squeeze. It was a cold evening so it was okay to cozy up with another couple on the benched seating... as long as we were not stuck in the middle. I got the beef noodle soup. It was decent. Nothing too special but we were just happy to get some Asian food in our bellies :D Husband got the Gwa Bao but was happier with my food. The service wasn't too bad that night. We got water and food as needed. read more

Old Tree Daiwan Bee - Menu that got us into the shop! - Taiwanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Slightly hidden away from the main area of Chinatown, this restaurant serves up Taiwanese street food, so think rustic, hearty fare. Taiwanese food has some influence on Malaysian Chinese food, so I decided to give it a go Cold weather is the perfect excuse for one of my favourite genres of food - noodles in soup. I plumped for the stewed belly pork noodles. I found the fatty belly pork lovely for my taste but the soup could have done with more depth and umami I also had a side of oyster omelette. I had assumed it would be similar to the Malaysian version but what arrived didn't quite match. The sauce that covered the omelette pretty much dominated I've seen other dishes I want to try but for now, it's a 3 star rating from me read more

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Food is ok, I give a 3 star. 0 star for the service. There is no signal inside the restaurant, so I ask the waitress can I move to the table near window, she said no! Even several empty tables and no one is here. Then can I use the Wi-Fi? No! ... what the hell... btw, they charge 10% service fee .. read more

I was pleasantly surprised to find this little cafe located close to Chinatown; I've heard great things about its Golders Green location but since that's so far away... Anyway, I came here once every week or two last fall, and I really like the decor - it's a pretty small space with wooden benches instead of individual chairs, and a display of cakes and pastries lining the windows (reminding me a little of 85C.) The sesame oil chicken noodle soup is GREAT! Not sure if they also serve it in spring/summer (as I recall it was a winter-only dish...?) but I do recommend it. The fried foods were alright, a little overly salty. I also liked their bubble tea (especially the boba which was always the right consistency) but at that price I prefer going to Chatime for tea since they have bigger drinks for just ten pence more... The one thing I'm not too keen on is the staff - they're not outright mean or anything, but could do with more smiling and attentiveness. In all a pretty alright place for Taiwanese food in London. read more

Old Tree Daiwan Bee - Sesame oil chicken noodle soup + bubble tea - Taiwanese Near Me - London, XGL

Old Tree Daiwan Bee is little hidden cafe behind Chinatown serving affordable Taiwanese food in London. To be honest I don't blame it for it's low rating because the staff there aren't very inviting. Their seats aren't very comfortable for long seating, the place is pretty cramped, there are no toilets and they accept cash only too. But some might find this place cute and traditional to what it's like in Asia. But I come here for the food and it's reasonable prices. You can get a bowl of dan dan noodles to fill you up for £5. Preserved egg and tofu (cold) Genuinely surprised at how refreshing and satisfying it was. Soft silky cubes of tofu against a more firmer and springy texture of the preserved egg. That's before you hit the yolks which becomes the glue, binding everything in its fluffiness. The rich sulphur of the egg gives a lovely dimension of savoury next to the light soy dressing Stewed belly pork rice This never disappoints. Lovely fatty pieces of pork, melting soft and packed full of flavour from soy marinade its been stewing in. It's divided into smaller pieces to blend more with the rice and two fattier pieces so you can get a more feel of its texture and flavour. Not bad for £4.50 Old Tree's Taiwanese three cups chicken A wonderful dish that took on all the beautiful flavours of the garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. The addition of basil really addressed the heaviness of this dish by adding a nice strong herby note across it. Made from my favourite cut of the chicken, the thigh the meat remained succulent and tender. A fine dish! Spicy dry fried green beans I wouldn't exactly called these spicy but they were nicely blistered and charred, giving it a nice smokiness flavour against the green bean itself. A little heavy on the oil and not much flavours of the garlic but the light seasoning made it refreshing as a side dish. Taiwanese style salt and pepper fried squid Not very well spiced or the most fragrant ones I've had but they were still pretty good. The best part was probably how thin the batter was. It crisped so nicely it was almost non-existence so doesn't distract on how fresh and tender the squid was, that itself was quite plump in size. Very moreish. Cold noodles (summer only) Probably my favourite dish out the whole lot. Being cold you can really enjoy the bounciness of the noodles. The peanut sesame sauce was in the right consistency, thick enough to cling onto every strand of noodle was lovely and complex as you slurp away. The sweet, sour, savoury nuttiness combination was just so moreish, with mild spices in there to give you that nice kick of heat. Cucumbers to cool it down with it's heavy moisture content as well as giving it a lovely crunch in texture. Taiwanese steamed glutinous rice pudding with Chinese mushrooms and stewed pork Another comfort food at its best. Glutinous rice shaped into a dome and then steamed to perfection so it's incredibly moist and sticky in texture. Topped with lovely diced Chinese mushrooms and stewed pork for that deep rich umami flavour to blend in with the rest of the dish. Whatever that thick orange sauce was, it was very good at adding a nice rich savoury sweetness to the dish as well as keeping the rice extra moist. Boiled dumplings I wouldn't order these again to be honest. They weren't very memorable, skin a little too thick and dry. The meatball inside wasn't very flavourful either with only soy sauce given as a dip (I would have expected vinegar and chilli). Szechuan spicy hot beef noodle soup Another disappointment. The noodles were not cooked properly and clump together at times. Beef was quite tough and dense. The broth also lacked depth although it have quite a kick due to the sichuan peppercorns and chillis. The pickled greens helped give some complexity to the flavour though. For me the most annoying part were those szechuan peppercorn shells that added this sharp crunch against the noodles. Not my cup of tea. So the place is a mix bag. Essentially you are only paying for the good food, just don't expect service or much of an atmosphere. But I will going recommend this place if you're looking for a quick place to dine rather than to wind down as like I said, there are NO toilets. The reason why this place succeeds is because they don't really have m competitors other than Leong's Legend as there are not many Taiwanese restaurants in London. read more

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This establishment serves authentic Taiwanese food. There is an Asian street food feel to this place which is great. Unfortunately, although there is a feel to atmosphere wise, the food was not the same. This place is supposed to serve authentic street food but the taste and quality of them certainly do not feel like it. The oyster thin noodle is supposed to be silky smooth noodle with the most flavoursome gravy and fresh oyster. However the noodle was more hard and thick and certainly not smooth. The gravy lack the authentic taste. Oyster was also not fresh. If the food was good it was still forgivable but even the waitress was so rude and always keeps rushing you to order and leave. I feel extremely unelcomed here. Sorry not for me. read more

Old Tree Daiwan Bee - Taiwanese Near Me - London, XGL

As a huge fan of Taiwanese cuisine, it pains me to give any Taiwanese restaurant a bad review - and I thought long and hard about any redeeming factors that could allow me to at least give a pity 2*. But this place just doesn't serve authentic Taiwanese food, the prices are high even by London standards, and the service is poor to boot. To put it in perspective, my two Taiwanese friends I went with were even more disappointed than I was. Take the oyster omelet (oazen) as prime example - it is a completely nontraditional preparation (see attached picture). Here they take the oysters/vegetable/starch and quite literally wrap it in a fried egg, so that the egg is completely distinct from the ingredients. So the moment you try to split it up or bite into it, the oysters/vegetable/starch just fall out of the fried egg. This is one of Taiwan's most famous and recognizable dishes and the preparation here is just shameful. We also ordered the beef noodle soup and the three cup chicken. While the basic flavors and preparation were better (not that that's saying much, especially as it's pretty much impossible to screw up three cup chicken), we found both dishes rather bland - especially the beef noodle soup, which was barely spicy at all. Worst off, the service was at best indifferent and most of the time was just plain unfriendly. Considering all of the above and at about £9 per dish and very small servings, there's just no justification to visit here. read more

Old Tree Daiwan Bee - Their so-called oyster omelet / oazen - literally the oysters/vegetables/starch wrapped in a fried egg. Totally inauthentic. - Taiwanese Near Me - London, XGL

Dropping this place to a no go. Food is worse the prices are higher. Everything is over seasoned. Too much sauce and the ingredients not fresh. Everything is brown so a very drab eating experience. Won't go back. read more

Old Tree Daiwan Bee - Taiwanese Near Me - London, XGL

Great Taiwanese food, reminded me so much of home:) The place is quite small, so i wouldnt recommend groups bigger than 4. They have quite a selection of small plates, and a few mains with rice/noodles. The small plates can add up to quite a bill, so i would recommend getting a main, and a small plate to share. We had the pork schnitzel with rice and dan dan noodles, which were both amazing, and shared a small plate and a drink each. That, and a super yummy strawberry puff to share left us both super stuffed but sooooo satisfied! The bill came to £31 for 2, which i think is totally worth it for good food in London! read more

Old Tree Daiwan Bee - Strawberry cream puff! - Taiwanese Near Me - London, XGL

Really good food, we had the chicken with rice and it was really nice, but they should say it comes with pork on top. One of my friends ordered the "famous famous lamb noodles" which were again really nice. As starter we asked for the dumplings and were really surprised to see they came with no sauce or anything. The bubble tea is also really good. Why 3*, then? The staff is so, so difficult. It took a while to get the soya sauce and we ordered a lemonade only to be told with a nasty face they didn't have lemonade. We were really confused after seeing all the staff cutting lemons like crazy and when we looked at other table and we pointed at a lemon looking drink, she said: that's lemon juice! and rolled her eyes. Seriously, can't you just tell us you have lemon juice instead, darling? We did not take long to decide, we knew what we wanted but we did have to wait a good five minutes for you to stop cutting lemons and do what you are supposed to do and take our order. Would I go again? Maybe, but I having passed a couple of times, I decided to go somewhere else instead. FYI- there is no toilet. read more

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First of all, DO NOT use the map built into Yelp's app to find this place. It will send you on a wild goose chase. Type the name of this restaurant into your map app and you are good to do. I don't know why I obsess about eating at a Taiwanese restaurant when I travel outside of the US. So far, I have not found a place that tastes like the real Taiwan. This place attempts but falls short. The restaurant is small and probably have seats for about 25-30 people. Menu selection is somewhat limited. I chose the oyster vermicelli and oyster pancake. The oyster vermicelli is somewhat authentic and the pancake less so. Service is swift. read more

Ordered: Mapotofu, Taiwanese pop chicken, Buns, Ramen amongst others Price: £20-£30 per head Review: Its OK I guess. Its quite expensive for the portions. I was pretty hungry after the meal....I guess its a nice place to go when you're feeling like a quick bite to eat. Not a place for something serious. read more

Fyi- this place is cash only! Yum! Well, at least I think it was delicious...my current cold is preventing me from tasting food for my first couple days in London but my husband said it was delicious so I'll believe him! We ordered number 27 (8.8 pounds), hot and sour beef noodles. The menu showed 2 spicy chilis and this was a really good spice level, enough to make you sweat just a little bit. 3 chilis would be too much for me here. The beef was high quality and thick and the carrots were delicious. Definitely a great choice to warm your soul on these winter nights. We also ordered number 2 (4.5 pounds) which was a pork belly steam bun sandwich and this was amazing. I'm normally pretty skeptical of fatty meats, but hey, when you're in an exotic place like London, why not try something new ;). The meat was definitely fatty but it tasted great so no complaints here! Definitely give this place a try! It's very cramped and there is no restroom, so don't go to this place for the ambiance. read more

The little Taiwanese restaurant that could. OTDB is usually a quiet spot most of the week and early evening, but usually can get busy on the weekends and Friday. The food here is always good, with pork being their better dishes. As others have said however the restaurant is quite small and the furniture is abit uncomfortable, nevertheless this spot is one of my go to restaurants if I'm in the mood for Taiwanese read more

Worst service ever...as a Taiwanese, I feel sorry about this... Food is Okay, not good as I expected though. FYI, cash only.

When I randomly passed this place and looked at the menu, I couldn't believe my luck. THEY HAVE RED BEAN MILK HERE!!! And one can put bubbles in that if ones chooses to. I was looking for that stuff all over London - Red Bean Milk Bubble Tea. Couldn't find it anywhere. Until now! Also some nice red bean pastry (can you tell that I love me some red bean?). It was quite yummy too, with the bubbles being neither too hard, nor too soft. As far as price was concerned, the red bean milk with bubbles was about 4.50£ and one of those small balls filled with red bean paste was 2£. The combination of the staff not being particularly friendly (I wanted to barge in there and go "Oh my god! You guys have red bean milk!!" - but once I saw their faces, it instead became "Uhm... one red bean milk please"), as well as the price at least for my taste being a tad high (if memory serves me right, Candy Cafe was better in that regard) makes me drop the rating down that one notch from a perfect one. If you want to check out photos, look up the timeout page for this place. I won't upload those images here for obvious copyright reasons. It is also mentioned in a review there that allegedly somebody was charged for sitting down with just dessert. Personally, I didn't encounter that. Hell, I even read a book while taking my sweet time sipping that red bean milk. Of course the place wasn't very busy at the time and one should say that it IS incredibly tiny. So... we'll see what more people will report as time progresses, I suppose. So far, so good in my opinion. read more

I would absolutely recommend Old Tree if you're looking for Taiwanese food in London. The soup broth isn't hugely flavourful, but all other dishes were delicious. read more

I stopped here for a quick bite the other day when I happened to be in Chinatown. This is quintessential cheap eats - just to manage expectations: the restaurant is the size of small street side stand you would find in a night market in Taiwan; I think it seats no more than 15 people; cash only; there is no bathroom available. You can, however, be in and out in less than 20 minutes. There were 3 staff members (probably 2 too many) there, with the food coming up a food elevator from a kitchen, presumably downstairs. The menu is full of classics like minced pork over rice, pork chops and rice, oyster omelette, oyster noodles, Taiwanese sausage, etc. I wouldn't say it's comprehensive, but it has most of the main things. A bowl of the minced pork over rice was only £3.50, which I thought was very cheap, but they ended up giving me just a tiny spoonful of the minced pork, and I had to ask for pickled vegetables, which was an extra £1. The pork chop was £4 and totally hit the spot. I was happy with the meal but came in with nostalgia for a night market food stand - if you want good service, white tablecloths, or to linger at your table, you are better at one of the many other Chinatown establishments. read more

Best restaurant in Chinatown and really affordable. The portions are perfectly sized and the bubble tea is exceptional.

Great service and awsome taste! Although the dishes are a little bit pricey but the taste really worth it. Like here!