Noble Palace

Classy Cantonese banquet 

Peking duck

Noble Palace, the low-profile Chinese restaurant hidden in St James has been a regular spot of mine when I am seeking a casual dim sum meal or a full-on Cantonese-style banquet feast. The kitchen is pretty fixable of coming up with a bespoke menu to your liking according to classic Cantonese cooking, as long as you give the kitchen a week or 2 notice in advance. For my 18th visit, I came up with a menu containing some classic Chinese British dishes such as sweet and sour pork and dishes popular in Hong Kong, but have yet to get mainstream interest like the seafood clay pot and wok fry Dover sole.

Abalone soup

Grilled five spiced quails

Steamed scallop with soy

I would say the Peaking Duck at Noble Palace is pretty close to the peak of what you can find in London (Park Chinois and Imperial Tressure are also outstanding). The dry, flavoursome crispy skin and meat just how it should be. The star dish of the meal was a Dover sole dish cooked to a classic Cantonese method of all fillet wok-fried with vegetables, and the bone deep-fried to a level it turned into a giant fishbone crisp. This is pretty much the Chinese answer to fish and chips. The sole was cooked to perfection, very moist and carried a hint of smokey aroma. The umami fish bone was outstanding, very crunchy, and greatly contrasted with the soft sole meat.

Peking duck

Wok fry dover sole 2 ways

Iberico sweet and sour pork

The banquet-style feast from Noble Palace was a welcoming change as I found too many Chinese restaurants in London's menu have stayed the same over the years, so it is refreshing to get to sample some rare dishes. Having said that, even in dishes like sweet and sour pork, Noble does it really well, using top quality Iberico pork, as well as a great balance of sugar, tomato and vinegar sauce mixed so is not as thick or acidic as you would find in Chinatown. You are paying a premium when dining at Noble, but you do get a sense of exclusivity, more smart service and finer cooking to warrant the cost.

Food 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:

£80 (Dinner)


Caxton St, London SW1H 0PY

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