London Food Guide｜Found an Incredible Michelin Chinese Restaurant

If I say London is a food paradise, it shouldn't be an exaggeration at all, right? Walking through the streets and alleys, all kinds of cuisines and snacks are waiting for me to discover. I only worry that I don't have enough time to try all these delicious foods. The famous Chinatown indeed gathers many great eats, but sometimes it's just too crowded. Today I'd like to share two Michelin Chinese restaurants I've tried and found to be really good.

Hakkasan: It has two branches in London, one on Hanway Place and one in Mayfair. It was once ranked 14th among the world's best restaurants by Restaurant Magazine and is a very renowned upscale traditional Chinese restaurant. Among them, the Hanway Place branch is its original location, opened in 2001, and has earned a Michelin star rating along with a series of prestigious international awards.

The ambiance at Hakkasan is also very beautiful, reportedly designed by a famous French designer. It features both traditional Chinese carved wooden screens and a very Western-style bar counter. The overall lighting gives a mysterious feel, and I noticed that many diners around were also travelers to London visiting and checking in.

Dish after dish was presented on the table. The most popular ones include the crispy and rich roast duck, the tender and flavorful champagne steamed fish, and the dim sum platter consisting of beef puffs and shrimp spring rolls. The delightful blend of Chinese and Western flavors left both my companion and me full of praise.

As for drinks, they have everything from creative cocktails to aged wines to various Chinese teas. More ingeniously, every drink pairs harmoniously with Hakkasan's dishes, creating a burst of flavor on the palate—truly exceptional.

I also enjoy Cantonese dim sum and a more casual dining atmosphere, so I went to Hakkasan's sister restaurant, Yauatcha.

This authentic Cantonese restaurant is a frequent spot for all my Cantonese and Hong Kong friends; the flavors are very genuine. It offers a full day of dim sum, as well as Western desserts and a variety of teas, wines, and cocktails. For example, the classic smooth cheung fun with shrimp, the tender and plump crystal dumplings with scallop and wine, the thin-skinned and generously filled crab meat xiaolongbao, the innovative signature black pepper beef puffs, the soft and sticky lotus leaf chicken, and the classic and delicious Typhoon Shelter-style spicy crab, among others.

As one of London's few upscale Chinese dim sum teahouses, Yauatcha, founded in 2004, won several international awards within just one year and was voted by readers of The Times as one of the world's top 50 restaurants. All dim sum is freshly made daily by professional chefs. Yauatcha's kitchen team is entirely composed of Chinese chefs.

Yauatcha has two branches in central London, one in Soho and one in the City. The menus are identical, but the experiences differ. The Soho location is closer to Chinatown, near many theaters, tourist landmarks, entertainment and shopping centers, making it ideal for enjoying a wonderful meal after shopping. The City branch is in the heart of the financial district, where many business people come dressed in formal attire. Many CEOs, bank executives, and corporate management teams dine here. Moreover, the night view here is beautiful, making it a must-visit spot for a panoramic view of London!