Filling a space that used to be a nightclub (or was it a couple shops?), Alan Yau has snuck his latest restaurant into a very tidy spot on Ganton St which opens onto the recently worthwhile Kingly Square. Now that the awful umbarella-awnings have been lifted away, Cha Cha Moon offers accessible, asian, al-fresco dining all but out of reach in this part of town unless you’ve pink pounds to spend.
With a simple 3-fold menu more akin to Wagamama than Yauatcha, cuisine is pan-asian (mayte!) with Hong Kong style influences. Three main types of dish are offered: soup-noodle, stir-fry and Lao Mian (on flat, stocky noodles with a side-soup). As an opening-week offer that was never cancelled all dishes are £3.50 and in the medium-small bracket. At this price it’s worth skipping the starters and going for 2 mains.
Lao Mian crispy duck, jasmine tea soaked chicken and Singapore noodles are high achievers in this class of uncomplicated box-ticking food. The huge open-plan kitchen is churning out plate after plate of pitch perfect dishes to the masses. An army of wait staff, in “have you been to the moon” t-shirts all working a specific function, buzz along precision-packed shared trestles.
Don’t expect to feel special. Once the “have you been here before” script is over there’s no love lost by the unimpressed servers. Food is brought over when it’s ready and sometimes afterwards. In earlier visits at least one plate arrived late and lukewarm but that has recently improved.
Cha Cha Moon is solid. Design, ambiance, presentation are all straight from the Yao playbook, managing an air of exclusivity despite canteen-esque atmosphere – and reality. Unfortunately the word has spread beyond the congregation and evening queues (no booking allowed) often wriggle, back out the front door. At least the display of cookery precision on the other side of the blue glass wall provides interim entertainment.
Cha Cha Moon
15-21 Ganton St
Soho, London
W1F 9BN (map)
+44 (0) 20 7297 9800
Showing posts with label chinese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chinese. Show all posts
Friday
Tuesday
Taste: Haozhan Review
Every other review of a restaurant in Chinatown includes an msg soaked starter reminiscing about Gerrard Street's good old times. Food was terrible, service non existent and any complaints answered with five thunderbolts. Not too sure about the last one but over the past few years I've definitely eaten in a few hum dingers in London's China epicenter.
Not much has changed really. Just our budgets. A couple quid extra has opened the door to the chinese powerhouses of the Golden Palace and Feng Shui Inn. Now though, for a few more pennies there's a 'modern oriental' kid on the block.
Flashing a contemporary feel, Haozhan has been opened with the help from a former chef at Hakkasan. As you'd expect he's brought a keen attention to detail and presentation and influences from Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
This being lunch, delicately grilled and herbed gyoza-style dumplings and light duck spring roll (served in a glass) made tasty light starters. Onto a clean, meaty champagne cod, soft and succulet jasmine ribs and a waiter recommended dish - beef in red wine served in a crispy noodle nest: Succulent beyond imagination and a taste not experienced before. Seeing one served elsewhere we praised ourselves for ordering a cream of pumpkin desert despite being far more satisfied than expected. It almost crept up - but everything was welll timed, well balanced and, well, delicious.
Haozhan is different. They've borrowed a couple ideas from the likes of Yuatcha, Nobu and Hakkasan and brought the experience down a level without compromising on the senses (or the wallet). It's a bit cheeky to go with such a homophonic name and, mate, the menu has pictures... but that aside and here is a welcome addition for when beef ho fun and char siu isn't quite enough.
Haozhan
http://www.haozhan.co.uk
8 Gerrard Street
London
W1D 5PJ (map)
+44 (0) 20 7434 3838
Not much has changed really. Just our budgets. A couple quid extra has opened the door to the chinese powerhouses of the Golden Palace and Feng Shui Inn. Now though, for a few more pennies there's a 'modern oriental' kid on the block.
Flashing a contemporary feel, Haozhan has been opened with the help from a former chef at Hakkasan. As you'd expect he's brought a keen attention to detail and presentation and influences from Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
This being lunch, delicately grilled and herbed gyoza-style dumplings and light duck spring roll (served in a glass) made tasty light starters. Onto a clean, meaty champagne cod, soft and succulet jasmine ribs and a waiter recommended dish - beef in red wine served in a crispy noodle nest: Succulent beyond imagination and a taste not experienced before. Seeing one served elsewhere we praised ourselves for ordering a cream of pumpkin desert despite being far more satisfied than expected. It almost crept up - but everything was welll timed, well balanced and, well, delicious.
Haozhan is different. They've borrowed a couple ideas from the likes of Yuatcha, Nobu and Hakkasan and brought the experience down a level without compromising on the senses (or the wallet). It's a bit cheeky to go with such a homophonic name and, mate, the menu has pictures... but that aside and here is a welcome addition for when beef ho fun and char siu isn't quite enough.
Haozhan
http://www.haozhan.co.uk
8 Gerrard Street
London
W1D 5PJ (map)
+44 (0) 20 7434 3838
Wednesday
Taste: Bam-bou
Charlotte Street is a little-mentioned nucleus of restaurants in the awkward corner of central London trapped between studentville Goodge and tourist hell Oxford Street. Its pleasurable tree-lined vista offering a somewhat European aftertaste to a sunny day, far less of a mouthful than the pavement bars coughed up along Frith and Greek.
At the southern end of Charlotte Street stands Bam-bou, an almost member's only arrangement of restaurant, small private function-rooms and dark moody top floor bar. I've been here in the latter two capacities and it was well geared to such pursuits. Now I would see if they've managed to squeeze a worth-while restaurant into the labyrinth of small oriental wood and cast-iron furnished rooms.
The main restaurant room is small, 15 tables or so. Its understated, hinting towards Chinese with a detail here or there. Simple western Chinese is the theme and the uncomplicated menu is neither long or fussy with 10-15 choices each for starters and mains. To the bottom of the list is a note indicating that all dishes are intended to share, one wonders why that needed stating. Share we did (as with most Asian meals) and tucked into ginger squid, sticky Hanoi Style ribs, japanese dumplings and a couple of token dim-sum plates, shrimp har gau and sweet potato croquettes. Nobody else wanted to go for Tamarind glazed frogs legs, perhaps they'd have added an elevation from what was a satisfying but far from ground breaking collection. The mains were a little less formulaic with correctly seared scallops, tender beef with kow choi & shaoshing (who?) and a marvelous preparation of sea bass not far from Cocoon's earthquake inducing equivalent. Ordering rice was confusing and we ended up with one big bowl and a handful of smaller ones of steamed rice and another few tiny dishes of coconut rice. Restaurants really need to just put a per-person price then just keep it coming, heck, rice is literally cheap as chips.
Bam-bou has an intimate feel, service is appropriate, attentive and atmosphere is swanky upper echelon. I would first recommend coming here for the other functions with supper a close runner up. As part of Caprice Holdings (which includes The Ivy and J Sheekey) it's not for the shy wallet but will top up the kudos card.
Bam-Bou
1 Percy Street
London, W1T 1DB (map)
+44 (20) 7323 9130
http://www.bam-bou.co.uk/
At the southern end of Charlotte Street stands Bam-bou, an almost member's only arrangement of restaurant, small private function-rooms and dark moody top floor bar. I've been here in the latter two capacities and it was well geared to such pursuits. Now I would see if they've managed to squeeze a worth-while restaurant into the labyrinth of small oriental wood and cast-iron furnished rooms.
The main restaurant room is small, 15 tables or so. Its understated, hinting towards Chinese with a detail here or there. Simple western Chinese is the theme and the uncomplicated menu is neither long or fussy with 10-15 choices each for starters and mains. To the bottom of the list is a note indicating that all dishes are intended to share, one wonders why that needed stating. Share we did (as with most Asian meals) and tucked into ginger squid, sticky Hanoi Style ribs, japanese dumplings and a couple of token dim-sum plates, shrimp har gau and sweet potato croquettes. Nobody else wanted to go for Tamarind glazed frogs legs, perhaps they'd have added an elevation from what was a satisfying but far from ground breaking collection. The mains were a little less formulaic with correctly seared scallops, tender beef with kow choi & shaoshing (who?) and a marvelous preparation of sea bass not far from Cocoon's earthquake inducing equivalent. Ordering rice was confusing and we ended up with one big bowl and a handful of smaller ones of steamed rice and another few tiny dishes of coconut rice. Restaurants really need to just put a per-person price then just keep it coming, heck, rice is literally cheap as chips.
Bam-bou has an intimate feel, service is appropriate, attentive and atmosphere is swanky upper echelon. I would first recommend coming here for the other functions with supper a close runner up. As part of Caprice Holdings (which includes The Ivy and J Sheekey) it's not for the shy wallet but will top up the kudos card.
Bam-Bou
1 Percy Street
London, W1T 1DB (map)
+44 (20) 7323 9130
http://www.bam-bou.co.uk/
Saturday
Taste: Mandarin Palace
We've rarely the occasion to be near Gants Hill on the weekends, but being in the area for an east London hockey match was a great opportunity to visit a favorite place. Having just returned from a week in Hong Kong, Chinese food is barely top of the genre wish-list, however there's little excuse not to come to one of the finest dim-sum restaurants in London on the way through.
The Mandarin Palace is right on the corner of Gants Hill roundabout on the busy A12. Nothing special from the outside - but don't let that deceive you. Inside is a run of small rooms, stylish and calmly dressed with traditional Chinese items and artifacts. It has a comforting elegance without the typical brute-force oriental onslaught (think Canary Wharf's Royal China) or standard Chinatown wall-size paddy field frieze.
However, not here today to browse the exhibits. We and the mostly Asian contingent have come for dim-sum, and here is exactly the place I'm referring to after visiting Yauatcha. They've pretty much every dish going; har-gau, siu-mai, cha-siu-bao... all splendidly fresh and priced at around £2/dish. My taste for dim-sum is purely implicit, delicious is as close as we'll get.
Well worth the trip.
Mandarin Palace:
559-561 Cranbrook Rd,
Gants Hill, Ilford
Essex.
IG2 6JZ
Tel: 020 8550 7661
The Mandarin Palace is right on the corner of Gants Hill roundabout on the busy A12. Nothing special from the outside - but don't let that deceive you. Inside is a run of small rooms, stylish and calmly dressed with traditional Chinese items and artifacts. It has a comforting elegance without the typical brute-force oriental onslaught (think Canary Wharf's Royal China) or standard Chinatown wall-size paddy field frieze.
However, not here today to browse the exhibits. We and the mostly Asian contingent have come for dim-sum, and here is exactly the place I'm referring to after visiting Yauatcha. They've pretty much every dish going; har-gau, siu-mai, cha-siu-bao... all splendidly fresh and priced at around £2/dish. My taste for dim-sum is purely implicit, delicious is as close as we'll get.
Well worth the trip.
Mandarin Palace:
559-561 Cranbrook Rd,
Gants Hill, Ilford
Essex.
IG2 6JZ
Tel: 020 8550 7661
Monday
Taste: Dragon-I
Lan Kwai Fong is a Hong Kong's few blocks of party paradise. Scaling the steep terrain of the island the path upwards is not a light walk after a couple cocktails in the humidity but of course there are a chain of escalators present to help out. By night Dragon-I is one of the city's most exclusive spots, filled with it's most glamorous celebrities I'm told (not that I'd recognize any).
On the weekend the club operates as a trendy dim-sum restaurant. Now I know its trendy, cheesy, western dim-sum but honestly, it was almost as good as Yuatcha. For anybody who's had enough of the real stuff to appreciate it's simplicity, Dragon-I offers a cheeky escape. All you can eat too!
Dragon-I
The Centrium 60 Wyndham Street
Hong Kong,
Telephone: + 852 3110 1222
www.dragon-i.com.hk
On the weekend the club operates as a trendy dim-sum restaurant. Now I know its trendy, cheesy, western dim-sum but honestly, it was almost as good as Yuatcha. For anybody who's had enough of the real stuff to appreciate it's simplicity, Dragon-I offers a cheeky escape. All you can eat too!
Dragon-I
The Centrium 60 Wyndham Street
Hong Kong,
Telephone: + 852 3110 1222
www.dragon-i.com.hk
Tuesday
Taste: Yauatcha
On the corner of the Berwick Street market, Yauatcha waits incensed. A 5 metre tropical fish tank runs along one side of the restaurant, and a thin view of the cake counter along the other. The remaining facade - a wall of opaque blue glass emanates the restaurant's distaste for sub-chic lesser mortals.
Yauatcha is the next child of Alan Yau, who's siblings include a couple hundred Wagamama restaurants and elitist big brother Hakkasan. It's Michelin rated (the only Chinese restaurant with a star), recently voted in the top 10 of London's restaurant and best 50 in the country.
The building is split over two levels, ground floor tea & cake room - downstairs main restaurant. Although it's possible to eat in the tea room, it's a whole world away from what lurks underneath and weak in comparison.
Underground is an obsidian, designed, oppressive hive of activity. One wall is a translucent window to the steamy kitchen where chefs outlines blur in and out of focus with hectic blade-runner effect. Waiters squeeze between tables (steer clear of table by the stairs). In fact it's a little too close. If you're not coming here for atmosphere, give it a miss because you'll be chewing on it for the whole meal.
I know there are reviews-a-plenty heralding Yauatcha as the best dim-sum place in town. I profess to be a no-fuss traditionalist when it comes to dim-sum so would rather be over in low-cost china town for such cuisine. Here, however is on another level for a different purpose, Jasmine tea soaked ribs, sea bass Mooli roll, Wagyu beef Cheung Fun and Pandan Wrapped chicken spoil the senses rotten.
Yauatcha is a perfect match for those soho-types who talk loudest to be heard furthest. It's fantastic place to come if you're not keen on a relaxed eating experience and are happy to pay for quite the opposite.
Yauatcha:
15-17 Broadwick Street
London, W1F 0DL
Tel: 020 7494 8888
Yauatcha is the next child of Alan Yau, who's siblings include a couple hundred Wagamama restaurants and elitist big brother Hakkasan. It's Michelin rated (the only Chinese restaurant with a star), recently voted in the top 10 of London's restaurant and best 50 in the country.
The building is split over two levels, ground floor tea & cake room - downstairs main restaurant. Although it's possible to eat in the tea room, it's a whole world away from what lurks underneath and weak in comparison.
Underground is an obsidian, designed, oppressive hive of activity. One wall is a translucent window to the steamy kitchen where chefs outlines blur in and out of focus with hectic blade-runner effect. Waiters squeeze between tables (steer clear of table by the stairs). In fact it's a little too close. If you're not coming here for atmosphere, give it a miss because you'll be chewing on it for the whole meal.
I know there are reviews-a-plenty heralding Yauatcha as the best dim-sum place in town. I profess to be a no-fuss traditionalist when it comes to dim-sum so would rather be over in low-cost china town for such cuisine. Here, however is on another level for a different purpose, Jasmine tea soaked ribs, sea bass Mooli roll, Wagyu beef Cheung Fun and Pandan Wrapped chicken spoil the senses rotten.
Yauatcha is a perfect match for those soho-types who talk loudest to be heard furthest. It's fantastic place to come if you're not keen on a relaxed eating experience and are happy to pay for quite the opposite.
Yauatcha:
15-17 Broadwick Street
London, W1F 0DL
Tel: 020 7494 8888
Friday
Taste: Cocoon
Cocoon nestles on the first floor of that dominating curved complex at the southern end of Regent street. Although only 20 paces from the Picadilly epicenter of the universe, once upstairs you're distant enough to shake off the tourism and unwind.
Comprising of five oval 'cocoon' dining areas middled by a swanky and well-stocked circular bar, the restaurant is an alluring and intimate use of space. Soft interior design, earthy lighting and shallow egg-chairs make walking to the table feel more like tip-toeing through an amazonian millionaire's tree-house chill-out.
Wait staff glide between the tables with stealthy trained ease - they've obviously done a year on Hugh Grant's yacht or a couple seasons with Wimbledon VIPs. However, when it came to questioning one or two of the more elaborate choices on the menu all ours could do was struggle to read back the printed descriptions. It would've been nice to feel more involved in the menu.
And what a menu it is. Pan-asian by category so sushi, dim-sum, dumplings, tempura (soft shell crab!), fine seafood and Wagyu beef are all jostling around on the menu. If you've come as a pair be prepared to spend some time shortlisting this cornucopia of choice.
Scratch that... I'll make it easy - Ebi roll of Prawn Tempura, Wagyu beef and Teryaki: divine. Beef foie gras gyoza: fiendish. Chillean sea bass in black bean & shaoxing wine: almighty. A holy trifecta of taste and top of my food-heaven list.
Cocoon is a popular place with jackets and shiny skirts alike and the exclusive ambiance from both the restaurant and bar is magnetic. As such prices come with an extra cool-tax, however it could be worse. A meal for 2 with wine can be sub £100 with a lean eye on the menu.
Swanky, impressive, relaxed. Pucker up, put on a shirt and your fine-food face... then head over.
Cocoon
65 Regent Street
London, W1B 4EA
+44 (20) 7494 7600
http://www.cocoon-restaurants.com/
Comprising of five oval 'cocoon' dining areas middled by a swanky and well-stocked circular bar, the restaurant is an alluring and intimate use of space. Soft interior design, earthy lighting and shallow egg-chairs make walking to the table feel more like tip-toeing through an amazonian millionaire's tree-house chill-out.
Wait staff glide between the tables with stealthy trained ease - they've obviously done a year on Hugh Grant's yacht or a couple seasons with Wimbledon VIPs. However, when it came to questioning one or two of the more elaborate choices on the menu all ours could do was struggle to read back the printed descriptions. It would've been nice to feel more involved in the menu.
And what a menu it is. Pan-asian by category so sushi, dim-sum, dumplings, tempura (soft shell crab!), fine seafood and Wagyu beef are all jostling around on the menu. If you've come as a pair be prepared to spend some time shortlisting this cornucopia of choice.
Scratch that... I'll make it easy - Ebi roll of Prawn Tempura, Wagyu beef and Teryaki: divine. Beef foie gras gyoza: fiendish. Chillean sea bass in black bean & shaoxing wine: almighty. A holy trifecta of taste and top of my food-heaven list.
Cocoon is a popular place with jackets and shiny skirts alike and the exclusive ambiance from both the restaurant and bar is magnetic. As such prices come with an extra cool-tax, however it could be worse. A meal for 2 with wine can be sub £100 with a lean eye on the menu.
Swanky, impressive, relaxed. Pucker up, put on a shirt and your fine-food face... then head over.
Cocoon
65 Regent Street
London, W1B 4EA
+44 (20) 7494 7600
http://www.cocoon-restaurants.com/
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