With blue skies above and the mercury steadily rising, Chinatown London can help prolong that sunshine feeling whether or not this warm spell lasts….
Orient London – Seafood Specialists
While the interior of this restaurant is modern and stylish, the purveyors hail from one of the oldest families in Chinatown – the Yeungs. And here, the old family traditions are kept alive.
Those traditions start every morning when the two Executive Chefs, both from Hong Kong, arrive at 4.30am to accept the day’s deliveries and begin making the food they’ll be serving that day.
The way the food is prepared and presented is true to how you would find it back in Guagdong, the way people from the region have been eating it for hundreds of years. But, unique to Chinatown, the focus is on fresh seafood – whether that’s seafood Dim Sum, the delicate flavour of Braised Whole Abalone (sea snail), the sizzling pop of Squid with Ginger and Spring Onion, mouth-watering Baked Crab or their signature Fresh Lobster.
Shibuya – Japanese sushi and shaved ice
Shibuya is a master of Japanese café cuisine. The modest, two-floor space on Shaftesbury Avenue manages to be a café, bakery, bar, sushi joint and ice cream parlour all rolled into one.
Serving classic sushi favourites like California and Maki Rolls, but also some unique varieties like crunchy Caterpillar Roll with tempura flake, avocado and tuna, or the feisty Volcano Roll with tempura prawn, eel, wasabi mayo and spicy mayo sauce.
Their ice creams aren’t just any ice cream. They’re gigantic, towering piles of shaved ice heaving at the seams with Oreos, strawberries, mangos and azuki red beans. A phenomenon best witnessed first hand.
Behind the counter is a tempting array of baked Japanese cake delights if your sweet tooth needs to be sated further. Our favourites are the Matcha Roll Cake (a squishy sponge filled with a whipped green tea cream), or Nama Cream Strawberry Cake.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Following the French occupation of Vietnam, the Vietnamese took the French art of coffee and made it their own. The unique character of their classic iced coffee requires patience, but it’s worth waiting for.
To make the coffee, a little metal filter called a phin is used. This is placed on top of a glass, packed with ground dark roast Vietnamese coffee, and then filled with hot water. Slowly, very slowly, the coffee drips in to the cup, perfectly brewed. Condensed milk is added, plenty of ice and voilà, a delicious chilled drink that refreshes completely.
The idea is that the rich dense flavour will be delicately diluted as the ice melts so don’t rush. Your sipping pace should be leisurely to give you the necessary time to unwind and savour the moment completely, as done in Vietnam.
Ca Phe Da – iced black coffee
Ca Phe Sua Da – iced coffee with condensed milk
Ca Phe Trung – coffee with egg yolk (no ice)
Available from Le Hanoi (Macclesfield Street)