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Chinese food in Chinatown very rarely goes beyond classic Cantonese cooking, but Baozi Inn (from the creators of Bar Shu, currently closed for refurbishment until April 2009) breaks the mould by serving the traditional street foods of Sichuan and Beijing. From the former, you can try spicy beef noodles with sharp red chilli oil or classic dan dan mian; from the latter, zhajiang mian (minced pork noodles) or the ubiquitous baozi (steamed buns) that are so popular in northern China.

When to go :
For lunch on the cheap. Slippery, al dente ‘dragon’ wontons in a flavoursome broth of your choice – spicy ‘red oil’, or clear and savoury.

Address :
25 Newport Court, WC2H 7JS (7287 6877). Leicester Square.
Info :
http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/101229/Baozi_Inn

To describe Sushi-Hiro as minimal would be an understatement. Its facade, which emulates a recently bankrupted restaurant with frosted out windows and no sign of life within, tends to scare away unknown passers-by. Coupled with bizarre opening hours and a blatant disregard for self-promotion, one might wonder about the sanity of the loyal crowds of diners Sushi-Hiro pulls. The reason is simple – this is where you find some of the best sushi in London. With all efforts concentrated on perfecting the sushi on offer, diners have learned not to expect frills such as noodles or teriyaki; the only hot item on the menu is a simple miso soup.

When to go :
When a depressing refrigerated box of supermarket sushi just won’t do. Anything on the menu – which means: sushi.
Address :
1 Station Parade, Uxbridge Rd, W5 3LD (8896 3175) Ealing Common tube.
Website :
http://www.sushihiro.com.hk/

A case-study in Chinese chic done well and without the cringe factor. Visiting this louche restaurant is to descend (literally; it’s in a basement) into a world of decadence, of sultry 1930s Shanghai style with James Bond intrigue. And while Hakkasan is no longer under the sole stewardship of Alan Yau (he sold it off to an Abu Dhabi-based company in 2008), there has, so far, been no discernible dip in quality – food, drink or otherwise. The bar serves up luscious Oriental-inspired cocktails (a dangerous place to linger) and the kitchen excels in the kind of creative Cantonese cooking even purists would be powerless to resist – take sweet-and-sour Berkshire pork, with its tang taken from pomegranate instead of the usual pineapple. The à la carte is wonderful to peruse, but the dim sum menu (great value, but lunch only) offers up equally sumptuous fare – venison puffs and scallop shumai with tobiko (flying fish roe) are sublime.
When to go :

At lunch, ask for the dim sum menu and order from that. To finish off, ask for the century egg congee (savoury rice porridge) served with spring onions and thinly sliced fried dough sticks.: Address :
8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD (7907 1888). Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Website :

The original Cah Chi in Raynes Park has long been one of our favourite Korean restaurants; this new branch has a different vibe, but it has the advantage of being slightly closer to central London. You won’t find watered-down Korean food – all the dishes we’ve tried here have been confidently rendered with no compromise on flavour. Crisp pa jeon (a sort of pancake) filled with fresh seafood and spring onions, or strips of raw beef sizzling in a stone bowl (dolsot) with rice, pickles and vegetables, being just two of many great examples.

When to go :
For Korean food without the clichéd barbecue-side theatrics. Fill up on the panchan (small side dishes) and move swiftly onto the grilled marinated meats.
Address :
394 Garratt Lane, SW18 4HP (8946 8811). Earlsfield rail.
Website:
http://www.cahchi.com/

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