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Set just a dumpling’s throw away from the swanky Royal China Club, you might expect this slightly shabbier sister restaurant to have a bit of an inferiority complex. It doesn’t. With space for 200 diners, this is the Royal China Group’s flagship branch – and it’s got the gold panelling and linen-topped banqueting tables to prove it. Yes, the linen’s a tad faded and the gold’s lost its lustre, but there’s a relaxed, family atmosphere in their place. Not a bad swap in my book.
Dim sum’s the speciality here, and very good it is too. First up are hot sesame prawn rolls with nutty, crisp pastry on the outside and fresh, sweet prawns within. Whether fried or steamed, everything’s made fresh when you order here and it really shows – the scallop dumplings that followed were perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured, with a silky translucent casing.
Sadly, dishes from the à la carte are less assured. The crispy bird in the duck pancakes was dry, and a mixed vegetable noodle rather wet. Stick to the dim sum though, and Royal China is a lovely spot to have a long, leisurely and semi-luxurious lunch.