Image above: The delicately fried taro paste croquette from Imperial China. [Sunday 08 March]
After the demise of Laureate (RIP), one of my favourite dim sum places in Chinatown, I’ve been l;ooking to find a replacement ever since to satisfy my cravings.
So far, I’m enjoying eating at Leong’s Legends with its appetising xiao long bau dumplings, oyster omelette, and sea bass cheung fun. But looking to try out somewhere new, I went with Winnie to try out Imperial China. Set back from Lisle Street it was obvious someone had put a lot of effort into the decor of the place with the koi fish swimming underneath the mini wooden bridge you crossed to enter the restaurant
As for the food itself, the dim sum was alright. Some they did really well, like the taro croquette above, and some was just strange, like the beef cheung fun that didn’t quite taste like beef … or any other identifiable meat either!
The meal came to about £12 to £15 per head and whilst the restaurant was alright it didn’t really stand out beyond the other old dim sum haunts in Chinatown so something to add to the list but not sure if I would really go back.
Image above: The array of well-presented dim sum at Plum Valley including the superb prawn in fried beancurd cheung fun in the foreground. [Sunday 22 March]
Then yesterday, it was the turn of Plum Valley with Winnie, Yingshun, and Dave. Eating there was a familiar yet different experience altogether. Familiar in the sense that it too focused a lot on its decor the ambience – just as Imperial China does. However, instead of the wide banqueting hall feeling of most dim sum restaurants packed full of boisterous Chinese families on large round tables, Plum Valley exuded a calm chic atmosphere with its dark wooden fittings, overhead spot lights, and soft booths.
Image above: The fusion foie gras steamed dumplings which were delicious. [Sunday 22 March]
The menuthere was an interesting combination of the standard fare, such as the beloved prawn in fried beancurd cheung-fun, with some fusion novelties, such as the foie gras steamed dumplings, which were very tasty indeed. But, of course, enjoying all of this didn’t come without downsides such as tea being charged per person, service being less snappy than it should’ve been, and a higher price point of £15 -£20 per head.
Image above: Dave remorselessly eating the carved little ducky in one go! [Sunday 22 March]
But those flaws aside, Plum Valley reminded me of Haozhan with its similar approach to fusion Chinese food with both doing their own variation of wasabi prawn. I enjoy both places and they’re great places to take friends to experience something different to the usual dishes they’re accustomed to. But they are also places I’d save for a special occassion so I’d only go there once in a while … not every week I used to with Laureate.
So the hunt continues …
