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Imperial China
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Visitors to this regal-looking restaurant must first negotiate a curved red wooden footbridge at the front entrance. Thereafter, hospitable staff lead you to tables in a handsome, wood-panelled room with low lighting. At weekends, the place is packed with chatty Chinese families and groups of students, but on a Friday night it was filled with mostly western couples and the type of diner who prefers red wine to tea. We were pleased to find the evening menu as enjoyable as the daytime dim sum. The daily house soup was a clean, savoury broth stewed from chicken bones (with hints of ginseng), served with a plate of appetising poached peanuts and black-eyed beans sprinkled with light soy sauce. Enormous steamed scallops with vermicelli noodles and shiitake mushrooms slid down deliciously, while a stir-fried dish of pork with crunchy lotus roots in nanru (fermented red beancurd) sauce was every bit as flavoursome as expected from a dish rich with this pungent condiment. The only dip in the meal was a salt-baked chicken, which tasted bland in comparison and was messily assembled. Still, there’s clearly skill in Imperial China’s kitchen.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- White Bear Yard, 25A Lisle Street, Chinatown, WC2H 7BA
- Area: Chinatown
- Tel: 020 7734 3388
- www.imperial-china.co.uk
- Category: Chinese
- Travel: Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus tube
- Times: Meals served noon-11.30pm Mon-Sat; 11.30am-10.30pm Sun. Dim sum served noon-5pm daily. Dim sum £2.30-£3.60
- Price: Main courses £5.90-£26.50. Set meal £16.50-£31.50 per person (minimum 2). Minimum £10
- Credit cards: AmEx, MC, V
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I recently organised a hen party in one of the private karaoke rooms at Imperial China. I was a little nervous having read some not great reviews. But having had a brilliant time I wanted to put a good review up to counteract the less positive ones!
The food was fantastic. Some of the best chinese food I've ever had. The vegetarian and the one with food allergies (there is always one!) were very well looked after. Two less people turned up on the night and we were not charged for them (even though the small print says you will be). There was so much food and we did feel bad that so much of it went to waste. The house wine was very reasonable - £12.90 a bottle and was very drinkable. They left all the empty bottles on a side table - I guess this was in case anyone wanted to question the bill at the end but we felt no need (but I thought this was good). The staff and service were amazing. Very attentive and polite. They were a little quick clearing the plates away and ushering us out at end of the night. The place was very clean and very plush. The karaoke was great - very up-to-date and easy to use. All the other rooms seemed to be having a good a time as us. I (along with all the 25 strong hen party) were very impressed and no one had a bad thing to say about it. We had the £27.50 set menu and drank A LOT for 4 hours. The final bill worked out at £50 a head which we all thought was very reasonable.
I would heartily recommend this restaurant for any sort of party for the private rooms. And having sampled the food, I would say the a la carte menu must be great and will certainly be returning for a meal.