Restaurants

Much thought has been given to the dim t concept. While the chain borrows from old-style Chinese restaurants – slightly tongue in cheek, you’ll be offered prawn crackers to start and fortune cookies to finish – it also provides a modern take with its slick good looks and accessible pan-Asian menu. Everyone will find something that tempts, whether it is old favourites like Singapore noodles and Thai green curry, or the wide range of dim sum served stacked in bamboo baskets. Choose prawn and lemongrass dumplings, say, or roasted pork steamed buns. Stir-fried broccoli had a generous kick of garlic, and shanghai lemon chicken came crisply coated in breadcrumbs. As with many of the dishes, a saline hit of soy sauce was needed to balance an over-enthusiastic sweetness. Dishes are well-constructed and the price is right, even if you do get the feeling that food quality and service were afterthoughts for the owners. Nonetheless, with five dim t branches in London and others further afield, the formula seems to be working. This large outlet was buzzing on our weekday evening visit.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009