Bored of burgers and roasts? 7 Asian restaurants to try in London

London’s restaurant scene shows no sign of slowing down, and openings continue apace, especially in Asian and Asian-fusion cuisines.

These seven spots underline just why the British capital is indisputably one of Europe’s finest cities for dining across the world’s largest and most populous continent.

STRAITS KITCHEN

Few London hotels resonate with Singaporeans as much as Pan Pacific, a familiar name that offers a relaxed five-star escape in the heart of the city’s historic financial district.

At Straits Kitchen, seasonal British ingredients are given Asian touches to delicious effect. The £59 (US$78; S$101) five-course tasting menu offers great value for London and kicks off with a Scottish scallop with soy, chilli, and a red curry crisp for textural contrast.

Jimmy Butler, a famed British pork farmer and friend of Jamie Oliver, supplies the pork that stars as a skewer with a char siew glaze, before pappardelle is cloaked in a rich, vibrant laksa emulsion and topped with sweet Cornish crab.

The main event, a beef short rib, is fall-apart tender and sticky with a soy and stout jus. The final flourish, an elevated ice-cream sandwich, is lifted by soy and caramel.

MOI

In common with almost everywhere, London’s appetite for Japanese cuisine and culture seems insatiable, meaning that dozens of new Japanese restaurants open in the city every year. Amid varying degrees of authenticity and execution, one recent standout is Moi in the heart of Soho.

Upstairs sits a wood-fired grill, while down a striking concrete staircase, guests can choose from a 16-cover Omakase Bar, private dining, or a Listening Room for late-night tunes, cocktails, and small plates.

Moi’s focus is on the UK’s extraordinary natural maritime larder, celebrating largely British produce. A case in point: scallops from the Orkney Islands with a subtle juniper kombu; simple but brilliant mackerel crudo with yuzu; and delicate crab temaki with a sauce of apple and kimizu. Their fermentation lab also ensures that ingredients, including koji, soy sauce, and tsukemono (fermented pickles), are all crafted in-house.

POON’S

Chinese culinary dynasties in the UK don’t get more storied than the Poon family. Back in 1976, Bill Poon opened his eponymous Covent Garden restaurant and became the first Chinese chef in the world to be awarded a Michelin star.

Fast forward almost five decades, and his daughter Amy has opened Poon’s in the gorgeous Georgian-era architectural surroundings of Somerset House. The 60-seat interiors match the exteriors, creating what feels like the capital’s most elegant yet homely Chinese restaurant. It’s very much in line with Amy Poon’s vision of a place “where you come if you don’t have a nice Chinese friend who will cook for you at home.”

A £28 pre-theatre menu feels like a steal for those hitting West End shows, while the a la carte features exquisite hand-dived scallops with garlic and glass noodles, punchy Zha Jiang aubergines, and a sparky Covent Garden roast duck salad. One item not to miss is their signature claypot rice with homemade lap cheong, but our favourite is the cheekily named “The hill that Amy didn’t die on” – a heritage recipe for decadent prawn toast atop a base of lardo.

LUCKY CAT BISHOPSGATE

There’s a chance that the name of the chef behind Lucky Cat Bishopsgate may ring a bell: Gordon Ramsay. The pan-Asian eatery is one of four Ramsay dining destinations at 22 Bishopsgate, London’s tallest building north of the Thames. From here, it offers astonishing panoramas over Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and far beyond.

A sushi bar and open hot kitchen let guests look in on the action, while interiors from Russell Sage Studio ensure that those knockout views are always accentuated. It’s not the first Lucky Cat in London, as the Mayfair location beat it to it, so some dishes such as the GFC – Gordon’s Fried Chicken, with hot ‘Korean miso’ – and grilled miso salmon are existing favourites.

The menu at the Asian-inspired 120-seat spot also features new offerings like uni toast and wagyu nigiri, although it was the vegetarian plates that most won us over. Mushroom tempura with black garlic emulsion was distinctly hard to stop eating, while the tofu and spicy avocado bao with jalapeno sauce and spring onion was equally moreish – even if geographically a little confused.

KHAO SOI LONDON

Khao soi, the northern Thai noodle bowl that blends textures and flavours to truly delicious effect, is rightly beloved, and few can match the authentic flavours of those crafted by chefs Win Srinavakool and Por Haruethai Noicharoen. They opened their first restaurant in Chiang Mai, then in Bangkok, and now the Fitzrovia district off Oxford Street in central London is home to their latest incarnation, Khao Soi London.

Following the success of an initial cult favourite pop-up, diners have been lining up to get a taste of the family recipe behind the Thai street food classic. It features fresh egg noodles, a remarkable 32 spices, and their own house-crafted coconut milk. Choose from proteins including beef shank, tofu, or tiger prawns, then personalise with pickles, chilli, and herbs to complete a simply fantastic bowl – but there are plenty more dishes on the menu worth hitting up.

Don’t miss their sai oua, the classic fragrant Thai sausage, as well as a stellar take on tum khanun, an authentically fiery jackfruit salad with lemongrass, turmeric, and more. Pair it with Thai cocktails like the Lanna Old Fashioned, which also delivers a serious kick.

DIM SUM LIBRARY

Visitors to Hong Kong may know Dim Sum Library in swanky Pacific Place, and now the always-busy spot is in the UK with a prime location in the heart of theatreland, Covent Garden. Aqua Restaurant Group has been running industry-leading Asian dining destinations for a quarter of a century, and this latest opening, reflecting their heritage in the +852, shows London their evolved, refined take on dim sum.

An open dim sum counter sits front and centre, letting guests peek at the chefs in action as they fold and pleat bite-sized parcels. Featuring delicate ridges of pastry enveloping beef, their wagyu puffs are, for our money, the best anywhere, but not far behind come their black truffle har gau and the creative dan dan xiaolongbao.

Signatures from their Hong Kong restaurant include king crab spring rolls and beef fried rice with foie gras, but best of all is their unique take on British afternoon tea. Scones and clotted cream are replaced by made-to-order dim sum paired with teas, while tea-led cocktails complete the menu in a distinctly and thrillingly non-traditional dim sum palace.

3 GORGES

Finally, to 3 Gorges, a new three-floor contemporary restaurant celebrating Cantonese and Hubei cuisine that also boasts London’s priciest Chinese tasting menu at a cool £388 per person.

The affable owner, Li Zhang, has made a name for herself with the Sichuan-inspired Sanxia Renjia restaurant that now features three branches, while at the helm of 3 Gorges is chef Qian Yipeng  from Jiangsu, whose CV includes a decade at the Michelin-starred Hakkasan Group.

Chinese scrolls, chandeliers, mirrors, and ornate lamps combine to give the interiors an Art Deco feel, while private dining rooms and a bar with a wide-ranging cocktail menu also feature.

At lunch, every dish shows exquisite execution, from the supreme dim sum platter – especially the XO scallop dumpling – to a drunken Carabinero wild prawn with fermented glutinous rice. As for the £388 menu, expect Peking duck with caviar, king crab noodles, abalone with fish maw, cheesy baked lobster, and much more besides.