United Kingdom

London

Jenny Phung

The original hub for London's Chinese community - who arrived in the late 1800s - was in Limehouse, yet the circumstances of post-war London forced communities closer into the centre of the city to seek stronger economic opportunity. In the 1950s, Soho was a hub for a multitude of communities - including Jewish, Italian and Irish - taking advantage of cheap rent and bohemian nightlife. The Chinese soon joined and Soho's Chinatown took shape, amplified by an influx of migrants from Hong Kong. Soho's Chinatown is one the most iconic places in London and the largest of its kind in Europe - but with over 70 shops, cafes and restaurants serving east Asian cuisine, it can be hard to weed out what's really worth visiting and even harder to decide what type of dish you're going to want to eat. 

Thankfully, Chinatown regular Jenny Pheung, 

, is a bonafide expert on the scene - regularly frequenting the area to buy ingredients for her residency at 

, get inspiration from to find inspiration from the kaleidoscopic range of foods on offer. In celebration of Chinese New Year, she picks her top 8 places to go.

Lo’s is the best noodle wholesaler. They stock the freshest steamed noodle sheets supplying all of China Town and beyond. These are like art to me. The best QQ. We’re so lucky to have this open to the public, go and check them out. 

This is my go-to unpretentious dim sum spot. There’s just something about the familiarity of going to the same place every time. It's quick, dependable and the portions are large. I've spent so many afternoons catching up with friends here. Order the prawn mince bean curd chung fan; it's the perfect bite and possibly my death row meal!

The place to go for Hong Kong roast meats and Cantonese dishes. I go here when I want a treat, and only the best quality meats will do. I go with a group so we can order lots of dishes to try a real variety. So much more fun than eating your own singular meal. To everyone hating on small plates menus; it’s how us Chinese have eaten forever!

Oh how I love these cakes. The super soft sponges and light cream makes for the perfect, not too sweet cakes. If you're lucky you can buy the youtiao (fried dough sticks) whilst they're still soft and chewy. I love these so much, the chew, the satisfying texture of the dough. A tip when ordering dim sum elsewhere; get fried dough stick chung fan. And thank me later.

This used to be my student go-to restaurant. If you want a large, substantial meal go here! The queue moves quickly and the service is brisk. It’s a good place for an affordable meal. Top picks: Their bento boxes, katsu curries and the tendon tempura bowl. 

On Tuesday nights (one of Ling Ling’s nights off), I'll start at Misato and order the chicken curry katsu. It’s a huge plate of fried chicken, hot curry sauce and rice. Perfect for when I’m starving, before heading to the ICA for the cheap cinema nights. The film selection is impeccable. It's my perfect Tuesday date night and I've been doing it since I moved to London. 

I obviously need to give the wat tan hor a shout out! The thick gravy flat noodles with seafood dish is my absolute FAVE. 

I always hit up all the supermarkets when in Chinatown but Loon Fung is my fave. It stocks almost all the ingredients we need at Ling Ling’s and it's so dependable. 

I love Japan Centre's sushi. It's the most convenient shop; a food hall and a supermarket! I often pick up furikake, miso, rice etc. I like their premium matcha powder too. The sushi is such great quality and super fresh. It’s so laid back I often go for solo lunches and just zone out whilst everyone is bustling around you. 

Lotus Garden

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