Restaurants

Shaftesbury Avenue has always been a gulf wider than the Yangtze, as far as Yming is concerned. To the south is Cantonese Chinatown with all its bustle. Here, all is serene, with pastel-blue walls, framed artworks, pastel-yellow tablecloths, unspeakably bland muzak, and staff who are models of brisk proficiency and politeness. Chinese diners are a rarity, their place taken by tourists, theatre-going couples and business folk. Given this, food is better than you might expect. Full-flavoured dishes from across China appear on the list: lamb from the north, dry-cooked beans (correctly salty, oily and chilli-hot) from Sichuan, and the classic double-braised pork in hotpot (this version redolent of star anise, with tender belly pork and butter-like fat: exemplary apart from the pork being sliced too thinly). Less appealing was an oily special of emperor’s vegetables with scallops and prawns (perked up by shrimp paste and chillies), and an overcooked starter of fried goujons of smoked fish. With bright new restaurants nearby specialising in regional Chinese cooking, Yming needs to up its game.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009