Put down the fortune cookies, throw out the beef in black bean sauce - this is the real food of China as I know it.
One of the things I loved the most about China was the food. The first words I learnt to say revolved around ordering my dinner in little restaurants, and travelling in China was always accompanied by new dishes and enticing smells. Of everything I learnt about China as a country, one of the things I learnt the best was how it has such a huge mix of different cuisines and how it's really impossible to define Chinese food by one dish or one style, but what shocked me the most about the food in China was how little it resembled any of the Chinese food I had eaten in the UK. There weren't any prawn crackers, the food wasn't covered in sticky sauces, and even the food that had the names of foods I recognised didn't taste anything like what I'd eaten and enjoyed at home. It was nothing like the local Chinese takeaway, no, it was a million times better.
Since I've come back to the UK I've missed a lot about China, but the thing I've missed the most has been the incredible food that I was lucky enough to eat every day. Finding anything that came close to the food I had in China has been a struggle but after a lot of trial and error I have found a few spots that almost make me feel like I'm back in China. My plan is to update this as and when I try different restaurants, so enjoy and check back for new additions to the most authentic Chinese restaurants in London.
Xi'an food is very different to a lot of Chinese food. It is firey spicy, aromatic and knocks your socks off. It's really usual to find it done well out side of China, but Xi'an Impressions manages with ease. The restaurant itself is tiny and always full of Chinese people looking for a taste of home (a good sign), but if there aren't any tables available go for a take away - the food will taste just as good eaten on the sofa at home. The thing that I love the most about Xi'an Impressions is that that they don't even try to cater to Westerners, they know what they do and they do it well. There is no sweet and sour, there probably isn't anything that most people would even recognise as Chinese food for the most part, but everything I have tried there is sensational. Keep in mind that if you aren't great with spice you might want to ask the chef to tone it down a little.
You can't really go wrong when ordering here, but there are some dishes which stand out for me. For a cold noodle dish (go with me on this), try the Xi'an cold noodles (西安凉皮) noodles. They were one of my go to dishes in China and are so so good. Chewy rice noodles with shaved cucumber and spongy tofu, covered in a sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a whole lot of chilli.
They can be very spicy but because the noodles are cold it's managable. For a hot noodle dish, try the amazingly named Biang Biang Noodles. They are amazingly named because biang is the most complicated Chinese character, no one can write it without checking first and I can't even type it because it's too complicated for the computer dictionary. It takes 63 strokes to write it and I think it's a pretty cool character, just look at it!
The most fun thing about Baozi Inn in it's interior decoration. The whole place is decked out as a flashback to the Communist Era in China. Posters of Chairman Mao plaster the walls, the chairs and tables are low and wooden, the walls have the old fashioned menu slats that you rarely see anymore. Nostalgia is always fun.
But what is more fun is eating delicious Chinese food! I always get the beef noodles (I am a noodle fiend), but the dan dan noodles (担担面) and bbq sticks are also particularly good here. Dan dan noodles are noodles with greens, minced meat and a spicy sesame sauce, so moorish that I have been known to make the long walk to China Town and lunchtime to satisfy a craving. Come with friends and order everything, but if you're dining alone still get a few of the cumin lamb sticks, no matter how many you get you will always wish that you had got more!
Lanzhou noodles is, to me, the epitome of what a basic Chinese restaurant should be.
Walking into the restaurant I was immediately transported back to every little restaurant I went to in China for some quick rice or noodles. It’s hot, its crowded, the tables and chairs are a little bit too small, it looks like it wouldn’t pass the food hygiene inspection…basically, it’s exactly as it ought to be – and the food doesn’t disappoint either.
This is hands down my favourite place for noodles in London.
My advice is to skip the buffet style selection in the window and stick to what the Chinese are likely to be eating – noodles. The key thing that makes these noodles particularly good is that they’re made in store, fresh every day. There is no doubt about this because you can see the man stretching the dough right by the till. There are dozens and dozens of variations on the noodles but the key choices to make are meat, style, and how they’re cooked.
Meat: ranges from vegetables, beef and pork, to the more exotic – pigs ears and stomach.
Style: noodles can be either 拉面 (là miān), pulled noodles that have been stretched into spaghetti-like strings, or 刀削面(dāo xiāo miān) knife shaved noodles where strips of noodle dough and shaved straight into the boiling water. I like both for different things, in soups go for là miān, in a stir fried or dry dish go for the dāo xiāo miān.
How they’re cooked: noodles are either in soup, dry or fried.
When we went to Murger Han it was full of Chinese people, always an excellent sign, and after looking at the menu I could see why. Murger Han has taken all of the tradition food of Xi'an and elevated it for a London Mayfair location. It has more of a Western restaurant vibe than some of the other restaurants on the list, but that doesn't mean that the food is any less authentic. My favourite thing had to be the Biang Biang noodles. I mentioned before that they were different to any Biang Biang noodles that I'd ever had before, but the noodles were fresh and the toppings delicious.
I also loved the cold sesame noodles, and I would say everyone should give them a try! Once you get over the idea that noodles should be hot then a new world of noodle options opens up for you!
The flagship dish at Murger Han, and the reasoning behind the name, is the Murger (otherwise known as a rou'jia'mo 肉夹馍). Soft almost pita-like bread, filled with shredded meat - sometimes with spicy green peppers, sometimes with a extra sprinkling of cumin. Literally it means a meat sandwich, and it is known as the Chinese equivalent of the hamburger. If you don't try it expecting it to be like a hamburger then a murger is a beautiful thing. I used to have one every week in Yinchuan after teaching training, and its a food that holds a huge amount of nostalgia for me. I've never found one as good as from the little shop in Yinchuan, but that's not to say the ones from Murger Han are bad...not by a long shot!
Good luck finding this place, it's in the middle of China Town, there is no English sign, and I'm not even sure Food House is it's real name. The best option is to look for 風味食堂 on the outside of the building. Even though it is a nightmare to find for the uninitiated, it is so so worth it. Food House is absolutely my favourite Chinese Restaurant in London. That is a big claim, but it is so so good and I keep finding myself going back and, most importantly, I am never disappointed. Don't expect good service, or for the staff not to roll their eyes when a group of non-Chinese people walk in. Expect them to patronise you a little bit by telling you that its different Chinese food to what you will be used to and that it's going to be spicy, and also expect to have an epic meal.
My favourite time going to Food House is when a group of 10 of us went for a friends birthday, that many people mean that I could go to town ordering everything on the menu and share some of my favourite food with some of my favourite people.
I have never had anything bad at Food House, but some of the stand out dishes for me are:Fish Fragrant Eggplant (yu xiang qie zi 鱼香茄子)
Fried Chinese Cabbage
Twice Cooked Pork (hui guo rou 回锅肉)
Kelp and Shredded Tofu Skins
Red Chilli Oil Noodles
It seems like Biang Binag noodles are having their moment in London, more and most restaurants selling these addictive noodles are popping up, and it makes me so happy that proper Chinese food is having it's moment.
Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles is the bigger and younger sibling to Xi'an impressions so expect similar things. The great thing about this location is that because it is considerably bigger, you are more likely to get a table and (at the moment) less people know about it.
As with Xi'an Impressions, the stars of the show are the cold noodles and Biang Biang noodles, but the rest of the menu is worth a try too. I love the cold starter dishes like the smacked cucumber with garlic sauce, and tofu skin salad; even if you're unsure, just order them for the names!
One of the things I loved the most about China was the food. The first words I learnt to say revolved around ordering my dinner in little restaurants, and travelling in China was always accompanied by new dishes and enticing smells. Of everything I learnt about China as a country, one of the things I learnt the best was how it has such a huge mix of different cuisines and how it's really impossible to define Chinese food by one dish or one style, but what shocked me the most about the food in China was how little it resembled any of the Chinese food I had eaten in the UK. There weren't any prawn crackers, the food wasn't covered in sticky sauces, and even the food that had the names of foods I recognised didn't taste anything like what I'd eaten and enjoyed at home. It was nothing like the local Chinese takeaway, no, it was a million times better.
Since I've come back to the UK I've missed a lot about China, but the thing I've missed the most has been the incredible food that I was lucky enough to eat every day. Finding anything that came close to the food I had in China has been a struggle but after a lot of trial and error I have found a few spots that almost make me feel like I'm back in China. My plan is to update this as and when I try different restaurants, so enjoy and check back for new additions to the most authentic Chinese restaurants in London.
P.S ANY ADDITIONAL RECOMENDATIONS ARE VERY WELCOME!
Xi'an Impressions
Address: 117 Benwell Rd, London N7 7BW
If you only eat one thing try the Xi'an cold noodles (西安凉皮） or Biang Biang Noodles, and there will be no regrets.
You can't really go wrong when ordering here, but there are some dishes which stand out for me. For a cold noodle dish (go with me on this), try the Xi'an cold noodles (西安凉皮) noodles. They were one of my go to dishes in China and are so so good. Chewy rice noodles with shaved cucumber and spongy tofu, covered in a sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a whole lot of chilli.
Baozi Inn
Address: 25 Newport Ct, London WC2H 7JS
If you only eat one thing try the dan dan noodles and cumin lamb skewers
But what is more fun is eating delicious Chinese food! I always get the beef noodles (I am a noodle fiend), but the dan dan noodles (担担面) and bbq sticks are also particularly good here. Dan dan noodles are noodles with greens, minced meat and a spicy sesame sauce, so moorish that I have been known to make the long walk to China Town and lunchtime to satisfy a craving. Come with friends and order everything, but if you're dining alone still get a few of the cumin lamb sticks, no matter how many you get you will always wish that you had got more!
Lanzhou Noodles
Address: 33 Cranbourne Street, London WC2H 7AD
If you only eat one thing make it the 牛肉拉面 (niú ròu là miān) order in English as beef là miān and you should be presented with a steaming bowl of noodles and green vegetables in a delicious broth. Douse it in vinegar (trust me) and you have the perfect meal.
Walking into the restaurant I was immediately transported back to every little restaurant I went to in China for some quick rice or noodles. It’s hot, its crowded, the tables and chairs are a little bit too small, it looks like it wouldn’t pass the food hygiene inspection…basically, it’s exactly as it ought to be – and the food doesn’t disappoint either.
This is hands down my favourite place for noodles in London.
My advice is to skip the buffet style selection in the window and stick to what the Chinese are likely to be eating – noodles. The key thing that makes these noodles particularly good is that they’re made in store, fresh every day. There is no doubt about this because you can see the man stretching the dough right by the till. There are dozens and dozens of variations on the noodles but the key choices to make are meat, style, and how they’re cooked.
Meat: ranges from vegetables, beef and pork, to the more exotic – pigs ears and stomach.
Style: noodles can be either 拉面 (là miān), pulled noodles that have been stretched into spaghetti-like strings, or 刀削面(dāo xiāo miān) knife shaved noodles where strips of noodle dough and shaved straight into the boiling water. I like both for different things, in soups go for là miān, in a stir fried or dry dish go for the dāo xiāo miān.
How they’re cooked: noodles are either in soup, dry or fried.
Murger Han
Address: 8A Sackville Street, London W1S 3DF
If you only eat one thing eat the 3-in-1 Biang Biang Noodles. They’re different to how I’ve ever had Biang Biang Noodles before, but word to the wise when they ask how spicy go for a little spicy - the beef has a good kick to it.
I also loved the cold sesame noodles, and I would say everyone should give them a try! Once you get over the idea that noodles should be hot then a new world of noodle options opens up for you!
The flagship dish at Murger Han, and the reasoning behind the name, is the Murger (otherwise known as a rou'jia'mo 肉夹馍). Soft almost pita-like bread, filled with shredded meat - sometimes with spicy green peppers, sometimes with a extra sprinkling of cumin. Literally it means a meat sandwich, and it is known as the Chinese equivalent of the hamburger. If you don't try it expecting it to be like a hamburger then a murger is a beautiful thing. I used to have one every week in Yinchuan after teaching training, and its a food that holds a huge amount of nostalgia for me. I've never found one as good as from the little shop in Yinchuan, but that's not to say the ones from Murger Han are bad...not by a long shot!
Food House
Address: 48-36 Gerrard St, London W1D 5QQ
If you only eat one thing eat everything! I honestly couldn't recommend one dish, go with a big group and order as much of the menu as you can manage!
My favourite time going to Food House is when a group of 10 of us went for a friends birthday, that many people mean that I could go to town ordering everything on the menu and share some of my favourite food with some of my favourite people.
I have never had anything bad at Food House, but some of the stand out dishes for me are:
Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles
Address: 62 Wentworth St, London E1 7AL
If you only eat one thing eat the Xi'an cold noodles (西安凉皮)
Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles is the bigger and younger sibling to Xi'an impressions so expect similar things. The great thing about this location is that because it is considerably bigger, you are more likely to get a table and (at the moment) less people know about it.
As with Xi'an Impressions, the stars of the show are the cold noodles and Biang Biang noodles, but the rest of the menu is worth a try too. I love the cold starter dishes like the smacked cucumber with garlic sauce, and tofu skin salad; even if you're unsure, just order them for the names!
TO TRY
Hutong @ The Shard
Hunan, Pimlico
Silk Road
Chilli Cool
Local Friends
Bao
Dilara Uyghur
Etles Uyghur Restaurant
Hao Hao Chi
Your photos look amazing especially Murgen Han. I really miss eating there as the food is always served quick and hot. I'll have to try the other places when the lockdown is over.
ReplyDeleteI'm craving now! I hope you'll be able to check out and comment my post: http://nyamwithny.com/murger-hans-xian-biangbiang-noodles/
Nice Blog
ReplyDeleteNow you can get amazing Chinese Food from the famous Chinese Restaurant Named-MamaLan