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London is rightly famed for its multicultural make-up and nowhere is this better celebrated than in capital's food. Time Out and BBC on-line food writer and critic, Sejal Sukhadwala, picks five of its best world restaurants Click to view Top 5 London World Restaurants.
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Best Chinese With Friends (Royal China) |
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 The most fashionable food trend in London right now is "small plate eating" - small dishes designed for sharing. And what could be more perfect than spending a leisurely afternoon with friends sharing platters of stunningly beautiful dim sum? |
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| There’s no shortage of dim sum restaurants in London, but unfortunately many of them are mediocre, selling flaccid, rubbery dumplings made from poor quality pastry and cheap meat. Making good dim sum is extremely difficult and complicated - it’s high art combined with specialist technical skills - and it’s not easy to find good quality dim sum chefs outside Hong Kong, where you’ll find the best in the world. |
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 Luckily though, standards have improved dramatically in recent years, and there are now many upscale venues serving superlative dim sum in the capital. These tend to be expense account places, so Royal China is that rare thing: a seriously good Chinese restaurant renowned for its authentic, imaginative and perfectly executed dim sum at reasonable prices. |
Touch the Heart |
| The word dim sum literally means "to touch the heart" in Cantonese, or, less literally, "small snack". At this flagship branch of Royal China, you’ll find classic varieties like steamed (scallop dumplings, roasted pork bun) and fried (sesame paper prawn roll, turnip paste with dried meat). |
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 There are also many braised, fried and soup noodle dishes on the dim sum menu, such as cheung fun (steamed rice flour rolls sprinkled with soy sauce and sesame oil), ho fun (thick rice noodles), and e fu (flat egg noodles). A special dim sum menu lists lesser-known varieties, such as abalone and chicken dumplings and pan-fried sea bass roll; and there’s also a selection of rice dishes. |
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| To finish, there are such delights as steamed sweet lotus paste buns and black sesame paste dumplings in peanut crumbs. All dumplings are priced at between £2.30 to £2.70 per portion and noodle dishes cost from £2.75 to £9.50. |
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| Other than the dim sum menu, there’s also a main menu that lists, among other things, several abalone dishes, an excellent selection of soups, an amazing variety of seafood, and a range of hotpots and other chef’s specials. The food is delicate and non-greasy, with well-balanced flavours. |
Box of Jewels |
The word that I most associate with excellent quality dim sum is exquisite: it should be like the chef opening his heart and presenting you, and you alone, with the finest, most precious jewels in his collection.
Suitably, then, Royal China has a jewel-box of an interior, with swans taking flight and crashing waves on glossy black lacquered surfaces, as well as mirrored walls, lots of plants and fresh flowers, and luxuriant thick patterned carpets. |
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 The main dining room is busy and bustling - especially at weekend lunchtimes, when you should be prepared to queue - but the gold room at the back is quieter. Service from the smartly attired staff is professional, and if there are any children in your party, they’ll be well looked after. |
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| What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, then, than with a sensationally elaborate but light and refreshing banquet of dim sum, accompanied by fragrant jasmine tea, a few of your closest mates, and the tinkling sound of laughter? |
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| Royal China, 13 Queensway, W2 4QJ. Tel: 020 7221 2535. www.royalchinagroup.co.uk. Bayswater or Queensway Tube. Restaurant open Mon-Thu 12 noon-11pm; Fri-Sat 12 noon-11.30pm; Sun 11am-10pm. Dim sum served daily 12 noon-4.45pm. 2-course dim sum lunch for two with tea and service: around £50. |
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