Gold Mine

Classic Cantonese cuisine in Bayswater

BBQ roasted duck

Bayswater is pretty much the unofficial second China Town in London. There are a few numbers of traditional Cantonese restaurants, as well as a Chinese supermarket. The flagship of Royal China Group's restaurant is also there. The location also boasts the famous roasted meat specialist Four Season, as well as the classic seafood restaurant, The Mandarin Kitchen. On the same street, Gold Mine is considered to be the most authentic and down to earth Cantonese restaurant. There is only one way to find out, and that is paying it a visit. Gold Mine is so old school that it doesn't even have a website and booking is by phone only.

Pei Pa Tofu

Pea shoots cooked in ginger sauce

To start, I opted for the traditional Cantonese roasted duck. The skin was hardly crispy but the spices and seasoning were wonderful, the meat was also tender and has much less fat vs Four Season's duck. At £17 for a half duck, this is great value for money. Up next, is another classic, the salt-baked chicken. The meat was very moist and cooked to perfection, the salted ginger sauce on the side was also finely blended, it was the star dish of the meal. The less impressive dish was the salted fish and pork belly clay pot, I just found the ratio of fish and pork was very unbalanced. The sliced gingers also all clump up together rather than spreading across the dish evenly. It was average at best.

Pork belly and salted fish cooked in a clay pot with ginger

Salt baked chicken

In the end, I found Gold Mine was pretty decent, but nothing special. It is a solid traditional Cantonese restaurant, offering plenty of classic dishes at a very reasonable price. If I live in the area, I would be more than happy to head back. The service on the day was pretty decent too, far better than any Chinese restaurant in China Town, no rushing you to order or to pay up the bill, which is very rare to see in a classic Chinese restaurant in London. I over order and ended up paying just above the £30 mark for my meal, but even the most expensive set menu at Gold Mine is only £26 per person which contains 8 dishes to share between 4, it is great value for money.



Food 2.5/5

What I paid: 
£31

Average cost without drinks and services:
£25

02 Queensway, Bayswater, London W2 3RR

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