Pork Xiao Long Bao @ Din Tai Fung
If you like dumplings, then you ought to hear about Din Tai Fung. Having opened just before Christmas, there is a chance the queues may just about have died down by now… or not. It’s that unassuming looking place on the south edge of Covent Garden’s piazza, which just happens to be the first UK location for a 60-year-old Taiwanese dumpling house that currently has more than 160 branches worldwide (Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, the US, and more) and Michelin stars in Hong Kong and Macau.
You go here for the pork xiao long bao (steamed dumplings filled with soup), which are as fun and as comforting and as aromatic as you’d hope. As a little premium, give a couple of the truffled ones a go on the side. But beware that your food comes thick and fast as the kitchen works to get everyone their bamboo boxes full of steaming joy. With 250 seats split across two floors, this is a mammoth kind of place, and the vibe is functional. But don’t let that hold you back: the staff are busy but keen to help, and you are welcome to order as you go if unsure of amounts. Also consider the pickled cucumber, piquant Sichuan chicken and some house chicken broth.
5 Henrietta Street, London, WC2E 8PT; dintaifung-uk.com/
Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun @ Imperial Treasure
At the other end of the spectrum is Imperial Treasure, which has come over from Asia with Michelin stars stuck proudly to its suitcase to a stately Grade II-listed, white-fronted new home on the cusp of St. James’s. Your ears may prick up at a signature Peking duck dish costing £100, but don’t let that scare you off entirely; a portion of the Cantonese roasted duck comes in at a more approachable £25 and the set menus, giving you an overview of the cuisine, start at £88.
However the true bonus of a successful Chinese restaurant arriving from China itself is that it brings local favourites with it – ones that you might not have tried – and so it’s worth going off-piste (which will also help portion control). Chicken feet anyone? Sea urchins? The latter is gaining popularity here but the former is something even the waiters try to put you off ordering at Imperial Treasure if you seem a bit, erm, Londonish. Full disclaimer: the texture is somewhat alien, but the sauce is sticky and moreish. It all depends on how adventurous you're feeling...
Really, you should go straight to the dim sum menu and not look back: king prawn steamed dumplings are fresh and light, crispy golden net prawn noodle rolls are a pure treat with fantastic textures, and who doesn't love a venison puff? Finish with the charcoal custard buns, their jet black colour off-set by the golden sprinkles on top and silken buttercup custard within.
9 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4BE; imperialtreasure.com
Kubalah, Yoghurt & Tomato Confit @ The Coal Office
The uber stylish Coal Office restaurant is designed by Tom Dixon and catered by The Palomar’s Assaf Granit. So you get Middle-Eastern-inspired food amid sleek metallic surroundings, overlooking the now burgeoning Coal Drops development in King’s Cross. Serving breakfast through to dinner all week long, this food is seriously tasty. Smaller plates are recommended so you can try more, and that also gives you an excuse to order the bread, all of which comes with wonderful sides. Like the signature ‘kubalah’, which is like a slightly more savoury brioche and served with tart yoghurt, tomato chutney and a sprinkling of oregano. It’s pure pleasure.
Of the breakfast offering, the green shakshuka will always please (eggs baked with spinach, feta and cream) and the pancakes are pepped up with ras el hanout. The mini scones will most definitely hit the spot – they are served with a rich, smooth, utterly heart-warming chicken liver pate; every day should start this way.
2 Bagley Walk, London, N1C 4PQ; coaloffice.com
Kadajifi Custard Fritters @ Yeni
If passing through Istanbul, Yeni Lokanta is a must-try. Chef Civan Er sticks to traditional Turkish ingredients and flavours, but with many a modern idea. And while that m-word can trigger (often justifiable) alarm bells, he has the accolades to prove that it all works beautifully. Happy days, then, given that he has just opened up his first international site in Soho. In what used to be a Vinoteca, on Beak Street, you will find a big josper grill at the back of a gently humming dining room, in which bare wooden tables, white-washed brickwork and turquoise tiling are delicately lit by glowing lamps and tea lights for a relaxed holiday bistro vibe.
Food can be approached as the ubiquitous sharing fare, or as straightforward starters, mains and desserts. If feeling brave, try the 12-month-old feta, pan fried and served with samphire, spiced honey and hazelnuts. Otherwise, the olive-oil-braised celeriac comes so thinly sliced, so doused in lovely oil and lemon juices, so soft yet slippery, we’ll be damned if it wasn’t some fish ‘crudo’. We’re assured not, but the resemblance is uncanny (and delectable). In the mains, octopus comes devilishly charred but tender and satisfying. And don’t skip the bite-sized kadajifi-covered custard fritters – they will convert even sugar-phobes and are served piping hot next to buffalo milk ice cream. Coffee is traditionally done, and only for the brave.
55 Beak Street, London, W1F 9SH; yeni.london
Manhattan ‘On Draught’ @ Balthazar x Saxon + Parole
Cool pop-up alert: on Monday and for three days only, New York-style bistro Balthazar will host New York cocktail bar Saxon + Parole. If you like American whiskey, then this is your week. The menu is a set of American classics given gusto, with an on-draught Manhattan using Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve, plus vermouth and leather bitters (yes, leather). There is also a New York Sour using Yellowstone Bourbon and turmeric honey, and a fizzy take on a Boulevardier. We’ll opt for the Whiskey Highball: Rebel Yell Rye with quince syrup, quince cider and malic acid. Obviously. This is a flying visit so don’t miss out.
25 – 27 February
4-6 Russell Street, London, WC2B 5HZ; balthazarlondon.com
