Gold Mine

Roasted duck temple

Steamed chicken with spring onion & soy

Gold Mine has somewhat gained a reputation of serving the best traditional Cantonese roasted duck in London. The classic Chinese restaurant in Bayswater is loved by the local Chinese communities for its old-school Cantonese cuisine, things that you are unlikely to find in your local Chinese takeaways, such as salted fish & pork cooked in a clay pot and lamb stew with tofu sheets. The restaurant was doing a decent trade over lockdown, especially with its infamous roasted duck, but for me, many Chinese dishes lose their quality after traveling so I always prefer to dine in.

Hawker Chan Taipei

Soy chicken star?

Hawker Chan

Hawker Chan created a massive storm back in 2016 when its original site in Singapore earned a Michelin star, and it became the very first street food/hawker style food stall to achieved such status. The Michelin star surely has changed chef-owner Chan's life, his signature soy chicken became an iconic dish, and making Hawker Chan one of the top destinations for tourist. In 2017, Hawker Chan has expanded into Taiwan, with 5 chains strong across Taipei. The menu is very short, with the hero dish soy chicken taking center stage, along with BBQ pork, pork ribs, and roasted pork belly. So it short, it is very much just like any roasted meat restaurants in Hong Kong.

Emperor Foods Taipei

Taiwanese fried chicken

Emperor Foods

Taiwanese fried chicken or pork is one of those items you got to try when you visit the country, treated as a local snack or a casual meal, the main difference in Taiwanese fried chicken vs the western style is that it usually contain a great depth of white and black pepper, as well as Asian spices, and often contain less batter. Emperor Foods is a mini-chain that is known for its fried pork chop and chicken, and on my visit to Taipei, I decided to pay a visit for a fast lunch.

Niu Dien Beef Noodles Taipei

Beef sensation

Red braised beef noodle

I ended up trying 3 beef noodles joints on my Taipei trip and Niu Dien is my last stop, it is a fairly new restaurant with modern decor and design. The open kitchen is located at the front of the restaurant and diners can see how the chefs prep all the dishes. Niu Dien takes the beef very seriously and it uses a mixture of thick cuts of beef ribs and shin for its beef noodle dishes, which is very unusual vs the classic Taiwanese beef noodles. The classic version would normally use shin chopped in small pieces.

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles Taipei

Old School beef noodles

Beef noodles

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles is perhaps the most famous beef noodle joint in Taipei, the casual eatery has been around since the 50s and is now a Taiwan institution. The meal is very small and is all about the beef noodles, with two choices, either the clear beef broth or the red braise broth. Liu Shandong is extremely old school and you would be expected to share a table with strangers if you don't have enough people to make up a whole table and is walk-in only.

Yongkang Beef Noodles Taipei

Red braised beef noodles

Red braised beef tendon noodles 

Beef noodles is a must-try item for anyone visiting Taiwan, but there are so many beef noodles joint, it is hard to pick the right one. Yonkang is a classic Taiwanese beef noodles restaurant in central Taipei, it is somewhat iconic with long waits in every lunch and dinner hours. Since the Michelin guide entered Taipei, it is also one of the few casual noodles restaurants that have been awarded a Bib Gourmand, taking the popularity to the next level.

Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice Taipei

Braised pork rice in its full glory

Braised pork belly by Jin Feng

When you visit Taiwan, besides the national dish beef noodles, braised pork rice is also a must try. I got nothing but love for the comforting rice dish, and it is such a shame that not many places does it in London. The braised pork element is basically minced pork, marinated in soy, rice wine, garlic, and spices. Jin Feng is a classic street stall/restaurant in Tapei, and perhaps the most famous one for Taiwanese braised pork, highly recommended by the locals. 

Hangzhou Xiao Long Bao Taipei

Old school Taipei xiao long bao joint

Crab roe xiao long bao

If you think of xiao long bao in Taiwan, you would think of Din Tai Fung for sure. However, there are many other restaurants offering top xiao long bao elsewhere and Hangzhou is one of those places. Located in central Taipei next to National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, which made it a great place for lunch if you visit the location. Hangzhou is a really old school canteen style restaurant, and its signature dish is no less the xiao long bao, along with other dumplings such as prawn and vegetables. It has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and has become a top dining spot for tourist, as well as the locals. 

Yat Lok

In demand roasted goose

Roasted goose and BBQ pork (Char Siu)

If you are traveling to Hong Kong and is a real foodie, the chance is Yak Lok is most likely to be high on your to visit list. The reason is simple, Yat Lok is renown for its legendary roasted goose, which the special cooking formula has been passed down by many generations. The family business is hugely popular, with people queuing every day no matter what time it is. The restaurant has also been awarded a Michelin star since 2016, taking its popularity to the next level and became one of the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world.

Homeslice Pizza

20 inches goodness

Homeslice Pizza

There are countless statements on what is the right way to make a proper pizza, from how thick is the base to the type of cheese just to name a few. But for me, as long if it tastes good, I am not bothered if it is New York style or British style. Homeslice offers 20 inches wood fired pizza, which you can pick up to two flavours and cooked to order. The classic salami with Parmesan was all about peppery and mild spicy flavours, the freshness of the rocket went beautifully with the nutty and rich taste of the cheese and cured meat. The pizza dough was soft and smooth, cooked perfectly and dare I say, it was even a notch above one of my personal favourite pizza joint Franco Manca.

Flat Iron Covent Garden

Meaty business

Flat Iron Covent Garden

The steak concept restaurant Flat Iron is going from strength to strength, it has just recently just launched its third site, and it is the biggest to date. Over two floors, with a cocktail bar and a butcher room, in the heart of Covent Garden. While the steaks at Flat Iron will never be as good as the very best from London, it is one of the best low budget steak mini restaurant chains. I always tend to order the specials rather than the standard Flat Iron cut, partly due to the lower quality of the texture. The sirloin was indeed fabulous, super tender and moist with the perfect seasoning, quality wise was not far off to Hawksmoor. However, I would love the fat was cooked a little longer to get a lovely crispy edge. The standard flat iron was not as tender, but still packed with rich meaty flavours. For me, the sauces were really not necessary as it takes away the delightful richness  of the lovely steak.

Muga

Comforting hot bowl

tonkotsu ramen

Nothing beats a good bowl of hot ramen in the winter, this classic Japanese street food item had become a rather trendy eating concept for the past few years in the UK, with Bone Daddies one of the pioneers to kick off the "London ramen revolution". Muga on Panton street was opened in the summer, unlike most other ramen joints elsewhere in London, Muga is all about sticking to the traditional methods. On the night of my visit, everywhere else were Japanese apart from my party of two, this is a good indication to show Muga is the real deal and as authentic as you can get in London.

Pho & Bun

Chaotic

Not so rare "rare beef pho"

Pho & Bun is a brand new Vietnamese restaurant launched by the same people behind Vit Eat in Holborn, located in Shaftesbury Avenue nearby Chinatown. For me the location of Pho & Bun has its advantage and disadvantage, the prime location ensure there are plenty visitors flow, but also it faces high numbers of competitions, as most other Asian restaurant in the area would cost less. The concept of Pho & Bun is simple, the restaurant majors on pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle cooked in hot broth and steamed Asian buns with a modern burger twist. They also offer a tasting menu so you can sample a selection of its a la carte items if you are not sure what to order.

CoBa

Vietnamese barbecue

Spring rolls

CoBa is another brand new Vietnamese restaurant that just opened recently, located in York Way, north of King Corss. The brainchild of Damon Bui, who used to run a popular supper club. The concept of the restaurant is BBQ grilled items, Vietnamese style, using traditional BBQ marinade method and serving it with fresh vermicelli salad. I visited Coba in its soft launch period to access the 50% off deal.

Fold

Vietnamese rolls

Fold

For some reason, it appears Vietnamese is the next hot food trend in London, especially with three brand new Vietnamese restaurant opening within a month. Instead of sticking to a more traditional root (such as Cay Tre and Song Que Cafe), these new restaurants all have some kind of contemporary elements added to its USP. One example is Fold in Brick Lane, are championing its rice paper rolls, stuffed with fresh herbs, vegetable, cold vermicelli and meat or seafood. 

Tayyabs

Old school Punjabi

lamb chops

If you live in London, there is a low chance that you would have never heard of the famous Tayyabs, a Punjabi restaurant in East London that opened back in 1972 and has been popular ever since thanks to its affordable price and quality curry. My advice would be if you can, come at lunch time as evening can be extremely busy and there is a chance you might have to wait if you have booked a table in advance.

Song Que Cafe

Vietnamese cafe

grilled pork and spring roll vermicelli

Song Que Cafe has long been a popular Vietnamese restaurant in Shoreditch, the super affordable price with fast services makes it ideal for students, night outs or a quick meal. The classic grilled chicken satay with peanut sauce was a touch too dry on my last visit, however the seasoning was bang on. The phos were excellent, rich meaty bone broth flavours with silky smooth noodle. Bear in mind it is a noisy place and do expect you will be rushed out as soon as you are done with your meal at busy hours so not an ideal place for family or long conversation.

chicken stay

spicy squid

Food 2.5/5

What I paid: 
£14pp 

Average cost without drinks and services:
£15pp

134 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DY

http://www.songque.co.uk

Byron

Burger champ

Sweet Caroline

Byron shows no sign of slowing down expanding in 2015, now a household name and one of the most successful premium burger chains in London, with more stores planning to open in the rest of the UK. One of the successful formulas behind Byron is its simplicity, doing one thing exceptional well, hence the slogan "Proper Burger". The other is coming up with monthly specials to keep up the marketing and social media buzz, the specials are usually tied in with cultures and seasons to make it exciting and keep the Byron's image fresh. 
Some of the specials I've tasted lately:

Chicken Shop

Going downhill?

Chicken Shop Holborn

Chicken shop was one of the most talked about openings back in 2013, part of the Soho group, one of the pioneers in setting up the trend in chicken premiumisation make overs, the premium chicken joint is now 5 branches strong in London with more opening under way. I was very impressed with its quality chicken when I first experienced it at its first branch in Kentish Town but fast expansion always has a risk in reducing the focus and quality, so I headed to the Holborn joint and wondered if it can be as good as it was first launched three years ago.

Song Que Cafe

Causal Vietnamese goodness

Song Que Cafe, photo from management

Kingsland Road in Shoreditch is blessed with some top Vietnamese restaurants, there is just something special about Vietnamese cuisine that I absolutely adore, the refreshing flavours with bold and powerful tastes, for me is like a mixture of Thai and Chinese cuisine with a soft French touch (Vietnam is ex-colony of France). Song Que Cafe is renown for its good value Vietnamese cooking, nothing fancy, just simple classic dishes at a very affordable price.