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| Top London Dim Sum Restaurants 2008 |
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Since 2006, there have been many new dim sum restaurant openings in London, and few of them sliding nicely into our new list. With the emergence of Hakkasan in 2001, the world of dim sum in London has become chic, high quality, and world class, rivalling many top dim sum temples in Asia. So this list is substantial in every respect. This year, in another article that will follow shortly, we will also bring our top choices for the rest of the UK. Pearl Liang Pearl Liang is a new entrant but has become a favourite amongst many diners. After a shaky start with the virgin kitchen producing mediocre dim sum and a location that requires you to find it by walking between platform 7 and 8 at Paddington rail station and going through a maze before arriving at the newly built Sheldon Square, Pearl Liang has quickly shown its talent at producing the highest quality dim sum on offer. The menu includes the greatest hits done great and the décor is chic. The chef and owner both hail from the respected seafood haven of Mandarin Kitchen. 8 Sheldon Square, Paddington Central, London, W2 6EZ - Tel: 020 7289 7000 Plum Valley Another new entrant and only a few months old but Plum Valley has dove head on into the competition and is rising to the top. The dim sum is fresh, innovative, and full of organic and high quality ingredients. The décor screams Soho, the service admirable, and the location is CHINATOWN (not kidding). 20 Gerrard Street, London W1D 6JQ, Tel: 020 7494 4366 Shanghai Blues Following on the heels of Hakkasan, beautiful, trendy Shanghai Blues serves up some of the best dim sum in the city. Certainly the best dim sum east of Soho. It is the only quality dim sum restaurant anywhere near the City. The unique combination of quality ingredients makes a meal there memorable. You pay for this privilege so more for an expense account or a special occasion. 193-197 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD, Tel: 020 7404 1688 Royal China Before all the designer dim sum restaurants appeared in the millennium, Royal China ruled the dim sum world in London. The stern military-like service is very pre-1997 Hong Kong. The dim sum was the best you can get in London. In the past year, quality appears to have slipped perhaps due to attention being diverted to their posher Royal China Club restaurants (see below). 13 Queensway, Westminster, London W2 4QJ, Tel: 020 7221 2535, + several other branches. Royal China Club As a response to the success of the posher and designer dim sum places that have emerged, the Royal China group launched Royal China Club. The quality of food and the décor is line with the new competitors. The dim sum is more innovative and tastier than the standard Royal China. It has less glam and glitz than Hakkasan or Yauatcha but the food is up there. The cheung fun is tender but with good consistency and pre-cut up so you don't have to break it apart with chopsticks (a nice little extra to help justify the premium you pay!) 40-42 Baker Street, Marylebone, London W1U 7AJ, Tel: 020 7486 3898 68 Queen's Grove, St. John's Wood, London NW8 6ER, Tel: 020 7586 4280 Hakkasan Hakkasan changed Chinese food's image in the UK by making it hip, trendy, innovative, very high quality and enticing Western customers even at much higher prices. The dim sum broke the mode of mediocre, boring Chinatown dim sum. It also helps that the décor is award-winning, the service top-notch, and it attracts celebrities. Thanks for Hakkasan and the copycats it has spawned, London may be the best Chinese food city outside of Asia. 8 Hanway Place, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HD, Tel: 020 7907 1888 Yauatcha Soon after the success of Hakkasan, Alan Yau opened its sister restaurant, Yauatcha, where dim sum is served all day for those who can secure a reservation (much easier now that the ground floor café is now used as tables for dim sum as well). The décor and the innovation and quality of dim sum is of the same high standard as Hakkasan. The Shanghai dumpling is the best in town. 15 Broadwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0DL, Tel: 020 7494 8888 Lotus Floating Restaurant This is the one restaurant in this list where the clientele, and there are hundreds of them in the huge floating restaurant on a boat, is almost exclusively Chinese families. It's loud and hectic and the décor is tacky. But you get excellent well priced dim sum of the quality you would pay much more for in central London. Located in the Docklands, you have to either live here or really want to come here for the food and there are plenty of Chinese diners to prove it's worth the trip. 38 Limeharbour, Inner Millwall Dock, London E14 9RH, Tel: 020 7515 6445 Shanghai Hidden away in Dalston in East London in what use to be a pie and jellied-eel restaurant on a tacky high street, this Chinese restaurant sticks out like a sore thumb. Step inside and you'll find the rooms full of Chinese diners enjoying some of the best dim sum in town. Clearly some of these diners have trekked to Dalston just to eat here so join them for what is a great treat. 41 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, London E8 2JS, Tel: 020 7254 2878 Dragon Castle Another great Chinese dim sum restaurant in an unusual location - Elephant and Castle. Brave the urban jungle to step into a culinary temple full of Chinese diners gobbling up delicate and flavourful dim sum at good prices. If you see Chinese people looking lost in the Elephant & Castle area, they're looking for the restaurant. 100 Walworth Road, Elephant & Castle, London SE17 1JL, Tel: 020 7277 3388
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Back by popular demand, our new best in class list of London dim sum restaurants is now fully updated for 2008. The response to our 
