Wan Chai Corner, chinatown

Wan Chai Corner, chinatown (£££)

London can be very tribal sometimes—football teams, the best tube line, north versus south of the river... and people get very serious about it all. Potentially, however, the most virulent of all these debates is: which takeaway trumps all the rest? Which cuisine, taken and warped for the British audience, is best? The answers normally lie between two camps: Indian and Chinese.

I’m not going to sway in this debate. No way (don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of both). But if I had to step in and sample classic examples of both of these, I know that for Chinese food, Chinatown is where I’d go. For those who haven’t been to Chinatown, it can be an almighty task to decide where to eat. Crossing through those majestic red and gold gates, you are suddenly inundated with choices. From succulent-looking roasted ducks in the windows to pictures of Dim Sim on menu boards, the menus might look the same, but with careful research, you can find some slight but important differences.

For many people, their Chinatown restaurant of choice is also a very tribal affair. And I am partly guilty here. Wan Chai Corner, after recommendations from many friends and coworkers of mine, has become my Cantonese restaurant of choice; would I consider going anywhere else in Chinatown (well, apart for some Dim Sum), no!

Wan Chai Corner looks like the restaurant you’d imagine if someone told you to picture a Chinatown restaurant: large round tables, pretty tablecloths, and a fish tank by the door.

Upon entering, we were quickly seated at a table with a tome of a menu given to us. A meal of this kind always works best with as many people as possible; with a menu meant for sharing, the more people you have, the more you can order. Unfortunately for this trip, there were only two of us, so tactical ordering was needed. We ended up going for mixed hors d'oeuvres, roast duck cantonese style, sizzling king prawns (we did order prawns in black bean sauce, but apparently that’s not what fate wanted us to have), and egg fried rice.

First up was our plate of mixed hors d’oeuvres. The beauty of this dish is that no matter where you go, you know what will be included; what you don’t always know is how good the food will be. We first tucked into the prawn toast—crisp, perfect triangles, well seasoned with a soft and not overwhelming seafood taste. The spring rolls too were golden and crisp, with a generous vegetable filling—even better when dipped into the sweet chilli sauce. The highlight of the plate, for me, was the spare ribs. Falling off the bone, they were cooked well and generously seasoned in sauce. The spicy, smoked shredded chicken was curious but welcomed, though more smoked than spicy. Finally, the seaweed Sweet, crisp, and topped with soft brown sugar, the seaweed tasted like every other seaweed I’ve had (and that’s not a bad thing).

With a tsingtao in hand, we then waited for our mains to arrive. Then, all at once, our food arrived. The first thing put down were the sizzling prawns. As mentioned, it wasn’t exactly what we ordered (we asked for prawns with black beans and chilli), but we weren’t too mad (and only realised about halfway). Then there was the roast barbecue duck, a glorious plate of roasted meat. Finally placed down was our egg fried rice, portioned into two bowls for us.

Starting with the prawns, despite the mixup, as I’ve said, we weren’t disappointed. The prawns were well cooked and well seasoned, with the soft onions (literally) sizzling away alongside the mangetout. Slightly saucy and not too oily, it made a moreish combination when topped with rice. The rice itself was perfectly cooked, although there could have been more eggs in the egg fried rice.

Perhaps what I was most excited for, however, was the barbecued duck. Where we were seated, we had a prime view of the chef chopping up and portioning the duck (among other barbecued meats). The duck was soft and succulent, with a rich flavour complemented by the barbecue sauce. Slightly sweet, with a gamey body, the duck was just what you wanted. The duck was the perfect dish to have alongside the prawns—a louder dish against the quieter seafood.

As anyone who has been to Chinatown knows, it’s never a long meal. The moment we gave any inclination that we were done, our server came over to take away our plates. After declining the offer of ordering another beer, we asked for the bill. An enjoyable meal, but also not a cheap one. Can you get similar food for cheaper? Of course, you can. You’d be a fool to think you’d get it anywhere within the gates of Chinatown, however.

Will I be back, though? Very likely. Although I will try again with more people, There was plenty on the menu I knew I liked or wanted to try, and it is only with more people or more visits that I will get through it.