Restaurants

With a plethora of grimy-looking restaurants sporting battered menus, Chinatown is awash with mediocrity. There are surprises, though, and while it might not appeal at first glance, Crispy Duck on Wardour Street (it has a more upmarket branch on Gerrard Street) is one such surprise. The ground floor is deceptively small. With just six to eight tables, it looks like a fast noodle café, but there are two other floors above this. A huge menu caters to Western and Chinese tastes. An appetiser of salt and chilli soft-shell crab provided a crunchy hit of salt, spice and sweet crab flavour. We stuck to seafood for the main course, choosing a whole, steamed sea bass finished with soy, ginger and spring onions; the delicately seasoned flesh was tender and succulent. As a contrast, the waiter suggested a spicy medley of green peppers, aubergine and beancurd, stuffed with minced prawn in black bean sauce. A generous portion of stir-fried mangetouts was the perfect complement. Crispy Duck isn’t stylish, but it offers good cooking and efficient service.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008