May 13, 2019London’s culinary scene is saturated with restaurants and cafe’s, along with pubs in every street corner. Every winding road leads to new culinary discoveries. From the modest eateries offering affordable eats to more esteemed Michelin-starred options catering to patrons with more sophisticated predilections, each one teems with pride to their own specialty, an ode to their heritage and nationality.
Middle Eastern cuisine dominates some of London’s busy streets. In some parts, Chinese, Japanese or Korean restaurants thrive in between local pubs and beautifully decorated cafes for a lovely time of crumpets and tea. London’s Chinatown stands out with effervescent vibes and seemingly endless opportunities to satiate hankerings for mouth-watering eats.
London literally have thousands of Asian restaurants to choose from. We found ourselves in luck when a friendly local we met on a train shared with us her favorite places in London to eat. That, plus some of our own research to ensure we find delicious eats during our London trip. From our experience to yours, here are some of our favorite places to eat in London to indulge in Asian fare.
Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall
Contact Information:
Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall
399 Edgware Rd, London NW9 0FH, UK
Phone: +44 20 8205 9098
Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall boasts of being the newest and largest Asian food court in London. We love Asian food, and better yet, sample the ones we’ve never had before. This destination, for us, is almost daring us to seize what treasures it holds within. It is, after all, deemed as London’s capital for Asian cuisine.
Walking in, you are immediately greeted with an array of restaurants each serving cuisines from different nationalities. Fresh sushi, noodle dishes, rice dishes, steamed dumplings, Asian street food, colorful desserts and so much more. It was quite overwhelming but in a very exciting kind of way. If you’re hungry and you know it, just order what looks good and enjoy. My wife and I ended up ordering £50 worth of food but it was well worth it. Needless to say, it was borderline gluttony and staying awake after that gargantuan meal was a challenge to overcome.
What we tried:
Kym’s Chinese Restaurant
Contact Information:
Kym’s Chinese Restaurant
19 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 8AR, UK
Phone: +44 20 7220 7088
This restaurant came to us as a recommendation from the friendly local we met on a train. We were exceedingly glad we went.
Kym’s Chinese Restaurant was opened by Executive Chef and owner Andrew Wong, who also owns a Michelin-starred restaurant, A. Wong located in Victoria. The restaurant opened its doors late 2018, and was greeted with much anticipation and heightened culinary expectations.
Behold the beautiful cherry blossom tree at the bar near the entrance. First impression, amazing. The atmosphere feels halfway between fine dining and contemporary casual. Relaxed but evoking an aura of extravagance and sophistication. Service was exceptional. And to top it off, the food was worthy of an applause, and each dish an elevation from traditional Chinese culinary standards.
What we tried:
Amrutha Lounge
Contact Information:
Amrutha Lounge
326 Garratt Ln, Earlsfield, London SW18 4EJ, UK
Phone: +44 20 8001 4628
Our personal discovery of Armutha Lounge was made through TripAdvisor. Out of over 18,000 restaurants located throughout London, this vegan restaurant managed to reach the top surpassing London’s carnivorous culinary legends, and continually seduce the palates of locals and tourists.
Our first mistake was to assume this restaurant was solely an Indian restaurant. Yes they serve delicious curries and deep fried Indian pakora, but they also serve fusion dishes from their modest menu selections. We even asked if they serve garlic naan, but unfortunately they don’t. Secondly, possessing the TripAdvisor blue ribbon means you have to call to procure a reservation. The restaurant has an intimate setting. By that, seating is limited and the restaurant was fully booked that night. But our luck turned when we realized that we can have our food to go. Or as Londoners would say, a takeaway.
Even with the lack of presentation of our takeaway containers in plastic grocery bags, the food we ordered was fantastic! We were absolutely surprised at how good everything tasted, considering it is vegan. If I can make vegetarian meals like this, I would probably give up my carnivorous ways and opt for a healthier vegan lifestyle. Menu items are quite affordable. Definitely getting more than what your money is worth.
What we tried:
Shuang Shuang Hotpot
Contact Information:
Shuang Shuang Hotpot
2nd floor of, 64 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6LU, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7734 6697
Chinese Hotpot is an immersive dining style that you simply have to experience. In a nutshell, you start out with a delicious broth flavored and seasoned with a choice of herbs and spices. While the broth is coming to a boil, you pick out your dipping sauce. Finally, pick out your choice of fresh meat and vegetables to be cooked in the now boiling broth.
Shuang Shuang has a contemporary take on this Chinese eating tradition. Conveyor belts transporting fresh meat, vegetables, seafood and other hot pot favorites on color-coded plates to indicate various prices per serving. Broth is boiled in a user-controlled electric stove. Each customer has his own personal broth so it doesn’t get too steamy.
This was our first Chinese hot pot experience, and we can say that it was a lot of fun. The whole experience was both immersive and exciting. I feel like a kid playing with multiple ingredients and trying out different flavors. Definitely a must try if you’re in Chinatown London.
Lucy Jurkowski
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