Plum Valley

Contemporary dim sum joint

Dim sum selection

 

Inside London China Town, you are spoiled of choices with so many Chinese restaurants, even when you narrow it down to places that serve Cantonese dim sum, we will still be talking over 30 places to pick from. Plum Valley had long been one of those places I am keen to try as besides the standard traditional dim sum, it also offers some modern items with a creative touch. The restaurant clearly tries to make itself stand apart from its neighbors, with a dark, temple-like decor which is unusual for a Chinese restaurant. It also offers an afternoon tea deal with you can enjoy dim sum with bubbles and tea.

Fried milk pudding

Beef tripes

Scallop and spinach dumpling

I ordered a selection of dim sum from its lunch menu (most Chinese restaurants don't serve dim sum in the evening). The grilled eel rice roll was really interesting, the sweet eel was wrapped in a thin crispy layer of tofu sheet, followed by another layer of really well-rolled smooth rice sheet. It had a lovely combination of savory flavours and texture. The whisker black cod rolls were another creative dish, the fish was nicely seasoned and the pastry was crispy yet not oily at all. The best dim sum for me was the scallops & spinach dumplings, steamed perfectly as the sweetness of the scallop combined nicely with the spinach which created a lovely umami taste. 

Eel roll

Prawn and vegetable dumpling

Fried cod roll

My dim sum lunch at Plum Valley was a better than expected experience, the creative dim sum wasn't overly gimmicky while still maintaining the essence of true Cantonese cuisine, and well presented. Overall I found it more refined than most other places nearby, which showed Plum Valley has a strong and experienced dim sum pastry team. For Cantonese cuisine in Chinatown, I would say Plum Valley would be the no1 for dim sum. For seafood like stir fry lobster or steamed crab, head to Orient. You have the excellent Gold Mine for roasted meat and Cafe TPT for Hong Kong canteen-style food. 

Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£26 per person with tea

Average cost without drinks and services:
£20 for lunch

£30 for dinner

20 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JQ

https://plumvalley.co.uk/