In celebration of Lunar New Year, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite Chinese restaurants in the City of London which are delivering. They’ve had to close their doors to in-restaurant dining, but that hasn’t stopped so many from charging on, continuing to serve up dim sum feasts, giant bowls of noodles and all the Peking duck you can dream of.
A few have even designed new menus and dishes just for the occasion, helping us ring in the year of the Ox, hoping it is immensely better than last year’s year of the rat. And you don’t only need to indulge in all of their offerings on 12 February. Go through the entire list during this lockdown and let us know your favourites!
Yauatcha
It’s no secret that we’re a little obsessed with Yautacha in Broadgate Circle. It is one of our very favourite restaurants in the City of London. Much of this comes down to not only the quality of flavours but also the incredibly creative presentation of each small and large dish – even when getting it delivered these days.
And to make it even better, they have created dedicated set delivery menu just for Lunar New Year. This includes their much-loved Venison puff being reimagined as an Oxtail puff. But that ain’t all. They’ve also got special patisseries and branded Ox face masks available for delivery nationwide. Everything at Yauatcha is done to perfection – with these festive offerings being no exception.
This mega feast is the perfect way to say farewell to the year of the rat, greeting the year of the ox in epic style.
1 Broadgate Circle EC2M 2QS
Murger Han
These guys opened their first branch within the City of London last year, during all the chaos of the pandemic. We can only imagine how tough that would have been. But even though their doors are closed for lockdown 3.0, they are still delivering all over London.
Order from here when you want something that’ll challenge those tastebuds of yours. Flavours here aren’t watered down for Western sensibilities – which isn’t for everyone.
But it’s so good to change things up, especially these days as we are living such monotonous lives. Try their famous binagbiang noodles, clay pots and meat patties at ridiculously good prices. And then add a few random things to the order just for fun. Last time we went, we ordered the clam skewers which came with no description.
These bizarre rubbery bits of clam covered in a peanut, ginger and garlic sauce were a huge win. So, next time you order from these guys, order something classic like the noodles and then pick another dish at random – be a bit more adventurous in the year of the Ox.
10 Philpot Lane EC3M 8AA
Ping Pong
While we do love a fancy dining experience, it is also so refreshing to find unpretentious food in the Square Mile. Some restaurants try to make everything modern, quirky and Instagrammable but this kind of Chinese cooking is simple and honest.
They do things well but don’t fuss over presentation and fanfare. It’s also super affordable. You’ll order stacks on stacks of dishes without breaking the bank.
Just order as much as you want and keep the leftovers for lunch the next day – because this stuff gets better with a little age, like day old pizza. Plus, they are delivering all your dim sum favourites via Deliveroo these days so it’s super easy to get.
Unit 7-9 Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street EC4M 9BE
Three Uncles
A trio of friends hailing from Hong Kong have set up this small eatery by Liverpool Street Station, serving up damn good Cantonese roasted meats, noodles and dim sum. They brought Takeaway-friendly Chinese food out of China Town and into the Square Mile. And we all got to benefit from this when we were in the area.
The duck is delightful, but we are all about getting the mixed meat platter and a side of char siu bao buns for an extra dose of delicious gluttony.
And fortunately, they’re delivering all their best bits these days. Try them out next time you want something special for lunch while you’re working from home – it will give you all the inspiration you need to get on with the rest of the day.
12 Devonshire Row EC2M 4RH
Master Wei and Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles
Chef Wei Guirong and Zhang Chao opened Highbury’s tiny Sichuan noodle restaurant, Xi’an Impression, a few years back. And before the pandemic hit, it was almost impossible to get a table here. But this success has allowed each of the founders to open up their own restaurant. Chao runs Biang Biang Noodles in Spitalfields while Wei runs the kitchen at Master Wei in Bloomsbury.
Both specialise in biang biang noodles which are of the thick and wheaty variety (much like a pappardelle pasta). They are then served in a thick spicy, garlicy sauce with meat or in a room temperature broth full of fresh herbs and spices. A huge bowl of this deliciousness is exactly what you need in these cold winter months.
13 Cosmo Place, Bloomsbury WC1N 3AP & 62 Wentworth Street, Spitalfields E1 7AL
