Jidori

Yakitori in Covent Garden

Tsukune: Minced chicken and egg yolk

When you think of Japanese food, you most likely will think of sushi and ramen right away, but there are so much more than that. Yakitori is a type of Japanese grilled style of cooking, using a range of sauces such as soy sauce and teriyaki sauce for marinating meats or vegetables. Yakitori is a popular choice to pair with beer and sake back in Japan. Located in Covent Garden, Jidori is a Yakitori specialist by Brett Redman, who is also the founder of the brilliant British restaurant Elliot. The menu has a selection of Japanese small eats, ranging from raw seafood to comfort food such as fried chicken, or with an injection of an Asian twist. The main event is the yakitori skewers, with a heavy focus in the chicken.

Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine London

£100 duck meal

Signature Peking Duck

When Imperial Treasure was first launched in late 2018, it was one of the most anticipated openings in London, as the restaurant group itself is a big deal back in the Far East, with over 20 fine dining restaurants, and some has gathered Michelin stars status. The London site has since gathered mixed reviews from the UK media, some label it as overpriced and soulless, while some has rated it as one of the best Chinese restaurants in London. I have eaten at Imperial Treasure already once and was not overly impressed with the cooking, 6 months later, with an updated menu and time to settle down, I was hoping for improvement.

China Tang London

Comfort Chinese food at its best

Pumpkin rice

Located inside the luxury 5 stars Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, China Tang is a classic Chinese restaurant, headed up by the talented head chef Fong. If you are looking for stunning presentations or creative concepts in Chinese cuisine, this is not the place to you. China Tang is all about good old fashioned Cantonese food, with a few regional classics along the way, such as Peaking duck and braised tofu. I have been to China Tang more than 7 times now and slowly managed to try most of its dishes from its a la carte menu. However, chef Fong provides seasonal special every once a while so I got the chance to try some exciting new dishes for my 8th visit.

Park Chinois

Traditional Chinese banquet in style

Eight treasures duck

Chinese banquet is all about feasting, when family or old friends getting together to have a long-lasting dinner, usually with at least 10 courses of dishes to ensure a memorable evening. I have yet to have a proper Chinese banquet experience in the UK, as it usually contains difficult dishes from a technique's point of view and required long hours of preparation. However, if one UK Chinese restaurant can pull it off, it has to be Park Chinois. The luxury fine dining Chinese restaurant has fast become my personal favorite of mine, thanks to its uses of top-grade ingredients with a team of top chefs. For my sixth time at Park Chinois, I opted for a banquet style menu, prepared specially by the kitchen. 

The Ledbury

Still the champ

Lobster, shitake, asparagus

For the regular readers of my blog, I am sure you are aware The Ledbury is my no1 restaurant in London for a fine dining occasion. There is just something special about this place that no other restaurants can match in London. The service is world class for a start, as is the quality of the cooking, which has a perfect balance of creativity, elegance, and taste. Chef-owner Brett Graham has maintained the high standard for over 10 years now and is rare to see a restaurant to be at the top of the game for so many years. For my 12th visit, I opted for the tasting menu, as usual, knowing that I will be in for something really special.