Joy King Lau

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Types of venues , Restaurants and cafés ,

Mid-range

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Time Out says

Tue Sep 27 2011

The joy of Joy King Lau is its steadfast refusal to deviate from the old Chinatown line. While others promote regional cuisine, smarten their premises and slicken their service, here you get a voluminous roll-call of Cantonese classics, a utilitarian three-storey eating den, and hurtling staff who veer between sweetly swift and abrasively brusque.

We were barged out of the slightly gloomy ground floor and squeezed into an antediluvian lift up to the surprisingly airy, light second floor. It’s best to come during the day and order dim sum; the full menu of myriad stir-fries is prosaic in comparison.

Portions are large; nearby, four diners were tucking into heaped meal-in-one platefuls of noodles with messy gusto. The dim sum seems to have improved of late. All our snacks were served piping hot and full of flavour.

Best was the grilled dried shrimp cheung fun, still radiating heat from its crisp exterior; best bargain was the ‘assorted meat glutinous rice’, a hefty helping full of ham, pork, chicken and sausages for £3.80. Fried snacks are brought first, so our deep-fried custard buns had to be consumed early.

Yes, some snacks lack finesse, but we left satisfied and replete.

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Venue location

Address:
Joy King Lau London
WC2H 7BL

Phone:
020 7437 1132
Website:
www.joykinglau.com
Opening hours:
Meals served noon-11.30pm Mon-Sat; 11am-10.30pm Sun. Dim sum served noon-5pm Mon-Sat; 11am-5pm Sun
Transport:
Tube: Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus tube
Price:
Main courses £7.50-£18. Dim sum £2.40-£4.50. Set meal £11.50-£35 per person (minimum 2)
Map
1. Joy King Lau
  - London
    WC2H 7BL
  - 020 7437 1132
  - www.joykinglau.com
  - 51.511040,-0.131102

Categories:
Food and drink
Facilities:
Eating and drinking facilities. Restaurant and bar facilities. Take away. Reservations required
Occasions:
Late night

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Comments & ratings

(4 ratings)

Pre-dinner theatre, had the cheap set menu, it was genuinely horrible. Everything gelationous and homogenous tasting, vegetables overcooked and the meat had clearly been (over)chemically tenderized. the fried rice was passable, everything else was consumed reluctantly and in small quantities. Even the tea tasted cheap and unpleasant. The beer was fine!

Barry The Eater Sat Mar 9
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Pre-dinner theatre, had the cheap set menu, it was genuinely horrible. Everything gelationous and homogenous tasting, vegetables overcooked and the meat had clearly been (over)chemically tenderized. the fried rice was passable, everything else was consumed reluctantly and in small quantities. Even the tea tasted cheap and unpleasant. The beer was fine!

Barry The Eater Sat Mar 9
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My husband and I had our first date here 14 years ago, we now go with our two kids almost every other weekend. The food is reassuringly good quality, inexpensive and delicious. Go now and make sure you book!

MB Tue Aug 14 2012
Rated as: 5/5
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Amazing best place I've been to eat in Chinatown

ed Sat Jul 14 2012
Rated as: 5/5
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Succulent Discovery . This is truly worth the visit of chinatown. Just go and taste.

Marie b Sun Mar 25 2012
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I have been dining at Joy King Lau for over 10 years. I have never been disappointed with their excellent food.

Leila Rolfs Tue Nov 22 2011
Rated as: 5/5
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