GREAT BRITAIN - Best of Europe 2014 - page 862

Authentic Chinese Food in and near Chinatown
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here .)
The main drag of Chinatown (Gerrard Street, with the ornamental archways) is lined with
touristy, interchangeable Chinese joints. But these places seem to have an edge.
YMingChineseRestaurant —acrossShaftesburyAvenuefromtheornategates,clatter,
anddimsumofChinatown—hasdressyEuropeandecor,seriousbuthelpfulservice,andau-
thentic Northern Chinese cooking. London's food critics consider this well worth the short
walk from the heart of Chinatown for food that's a notch above (good £12 meal deal offered
12:00-18:00, £8-12 plates, open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:45, closed Sun, turquoise corner shop at
35-36 Greek Street, tel. [phone]).
New World Chinese Restaurant is a sprawling, old-fashioned Chinese diner that just
feels real. It's a fixture in Chinatown, serving cheap Cantonese food, including dim sum
and a similar dinner menu with an array of little £3 dishes, as well as main courses and
fixed-price meals (daily 12:00-24:00, dim sum daily 12:00-18:00, 1 Gerrard Place, tel. 020/
7734-2508).
Jen Café, across the little square called Newport Place, is a humble Chinese corner eat-
erymuchlovedforitshomemadedumplings.It'sjuststoolsandsimpleseating,withfastser-
vice,afun,inexpensivemenu,andadevotedfollowing(£3-6plates,Mon-Wed10:30-20:30,
Thu-Sun 10:30-21:30, cash only, 4 Newport Place, tel. [phone]).
Wong Kei Chinese restaurant, at the Wardour Street (west) end of the Chinatown drag,
offers a bewildering variety of dishes served by notoriously brusque waiters in a setting that
feels like a hospital cafeteria. Londoners put up with the abuse to enjoy one of the satisfying
BBQ rice dishes or hot pots. Individuals and couples are usually seated at communal tables,
while larger parties are briskly shuffled up or down stairs (£7-12 main dishes, cash only,
Mon-Sat 12:00-23:30, Sun 12:00-22:30, 41-43 Wardour Street, tel. [phone]).
More Sedate and Upscale Options, on Lexington Street, in the Heart of
Soho
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here .)
AndrewEdmundsRestaurant isatiny,candlelitplacewhereyou'llwanttohideyourcam-
eraandguidebookandnotact like atourist. Thislittle place—with ajealous andloyal clien-
tele—istheclosestI'vefoundtoParisianqualityinacozyrestaurantinLondon.Themodern
European cooking and creative seasonal menu are worth the splurge (£5-7 starters, £12-20
main dishes, Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 18:00-22:45, Sun 13:00-15:30 & 18:00-22:30, come
early or call ahead, request ground floor rather than basement, 46 Lexington Street, tel. 020/
7437-5708).