Noble Palace

 Chinese private menu dining den

Steamed king crab legs with udon and chicken oil

Noble Palace, the under-the-radar fine-dining Chinese restaurant in St James is doing something rather unique. While on the front of the website is all about tasting menus from 6, 8 to 10 courses. It has a hidden offering 'no menu concept which allows diners to pre-order what they like in advance, meaning you can request a Chinese bespoke menu as you wish and the restaurant would offer you a quote to cater to your request. This means you can always try something new whenever you visit. below is captured a recent visit to a specially created 8-course tasting menu. Interestingly enough it was my 8th visit too.

Diver scallop with king soy

Crab claw stuffed with prawn

Beggar chicken

Real winner chicken dinner...

The menu kicked off with a seafood theme, a giant Scottish scallop steamed in vermicelli and seasoned soy sauce, cooked to perfection with a sensational umami taste. Then it came with 3 servings of crab dishes (fried crab claw, legs steamed in chicken oil with udon and black pepper wok fried). I personally enjoyed the steamed version at best as it really captured the fresh shellfish aroma of the crab, the silky smooth udon, swimming in that pool of crab and wine sauce was stunning. One of the main courses was a traditional beggar chicken, served whole in lotus leaf and bread dough before serving to us, it was stuffed with chestnuts, and mushrooms, plus loaded with plenty of five spices and soybean paste, packed with umami taste.

Black pepper king crab legs

Wok fried Toothfish

Japanese A5 wagyu with quail egg and truffle on rice

Sweet potato buns, chocolate cheesecake and mango sago

Noble palace only launched in the summer of 2022 and I can't believe I have been in and out of the venue 8 times already. For me, the main draw is that I can order what I want to eat instead of having the same menu all the time. And of course, the team of experienced chefs was able to draw on their classical Chinese-trained experience to create something that can rival restaurants back in China. It is a hidden dining gem for those keen to see top-level authentic Chinese cuisine.

Food 4/5

What I paid: 
£210 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services (bespoke menu):
£150+


Caxton St, London SW1H 0PY

http://www.noblepalace.co.uk/