Yi Ban Chinese Restaurant & Bar

Yi-​ban is more a convenient place to have dim sum for those who needs a cheap parking space, wants to avoid the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, going to an Excel event or for the locals in the area. There is definitely nothing exciting about the place unless you like plane spotting over at London City airport whilst eating and looking at the quiet Thames.
On the outside it barely looks like there was a restaurant inside. The sign was just an old plastic banner half falling down and attached to the Regatta Centre that looks like it is desperate for some refurbishment. It had a lift taking you up to the first floor where the restaurant was but even the lift looked like it was made in the early 90s being small, dark and cramp.
Inside however was much lighter and nicer. The windows were clean allowing you to view the Thames view and City airport.
There was a clear dim sum menu with photos and English translation. To order however you had to pair the number of the dim sum on a Chinese ordering sheet and then circle the quantity you want. It had the prices too which wasn’t too expensive or cheap. They had all the classic dishes you expect from a decent dim sum restaurant and more but lacked creativity. I like this method of ordering as it gives you control and an idea of how much you’re ordering to avoid embarrassment or wastage of food. If you want to order any noodles, rice or anything additional from the a la carte you would have to tell the waitress who would add it in.
They must also been having a lot of Vietnamese customers as they have started to sell Vietnamese coffee. We didn’t try though so can’t review.
Service was friendly and quick. Dishes came within minutes of ordering.
Turnip cake
Being pan fried rather than deep fried it was more starchy and bouncier than usual. There was a nice contrast between the crispy thin edges and the cake itself. However there seems to be more rice flour than daikon itself as I could barely taste the latter and it was lacking other ingredients to give it flavour. I’ve had better.
Taro croquettes
This in the other hand was probably one of the best taro croquette I’ve had. The pastry was thin and light whilst bursting with thick and smooth sweet taro inside.
Prawn and chive dumplings
I really appreciated the pastry which held well and al dente. However it was mostly what it was as they weren’t so generous with the filling of prawns.
Shanghai dumpings
The Shanghai dumplings were one of the better ones. It was filled with a lovely amount of stock and the pastry held everything well including a lovely soft pork meatball inside.
Chicken claws in black bean sauce
They were lovely and soft, fleshy skin falling off the bone as soon as you eat it. I couldn’t fault it as they were seasoned well, lots of flavour. I would recommend.
Crispy pastry savoury meat croquettes
These were disappointing. They came pretty huge but was just an empty shell with maybe half a teaspoon of mince meat inside.
Glutinous rice rolls
The bun around it was nice and fluffy but the rice inside was cooked with too little water and therefore was too dense. There were just hard pieces of boiled peanuts in there, hardly giving it any flavour. Disappointing.
Grilled bun with with minced pork and vegetable
I’m getting the feeling that they bulk up most of the dim sum on the carb side whilst thinning out the filling. The pork bun was lovely and fluffy but there was more of that than the meatball itself and so the flavour of the meat was lost in there being actually quite juicy and tasty.
Spring onion deep fried doughnut Cheung fun
These tasted good. If you like the contrast between crispy and silky then this is the dish for you. The dough was well fried and the rice pastry thin and velvety. I also liked the fact that the dipping sauce came separately so the textures weren’t lost and the flavours won’t be drowned by salt.
Beef flank noodles in soup
Beef flank noodle soup was something we ordered off menu. It would be poor of me to judge as I devoured a lot of stronger flavours before this dish. But they were generous with the beef which was lovely and tender and the broth was light and fragrant. Sadly we can’t judge the noodles as they turned mushy as we left it soaking too long.
Fried custard buns.
These were a little disappointing. The pastry managed to collapse overtime making the outside very wrinkling. The bun was also very dense and chewy but I did enjoy the thick sweet custard inside.
Yi ban does have a lot of space and a nice inviting atmosphere after you enter the restaurant that restaurants in Central London might not offer. However only a few dishes stood out and a lot more being disappointing. I definitely see no reason for returning especially not living in the area. However if you just left an Excel event like us and looking for a decent restaurant than this is a safe choice.

I had heard so much about this place & the amazing views but never had the chance to experience it till I was invited to a baby’s Christening party there. True, the journey there is quite a trek as I live the other side of London… but the location is beautiful! On top of a building, practically in an isolated spot by the river, across from the city airport!
The décor is quite traditional yet modern & the staff very welcoming, friendly & helpful!
Since it was a big party we had the Chinese dining cuisine experience. And what an experience it was! Dish after dish kept coming… each one lovingly created to look good & taste even better! Infact each dish tasted better than the one before!
A special mention for the belly pork with seafood where the belly pork just melted in the mouth… never experienced that ever before! The Lobster tails succulent & crispy, the Scallops bathed in the most amazing sauce, whole Seabass cooked to perfection with spring onion & ginger… I could go on but it is best to experience the taste ones self!
I have been to many Chinese restaurants around the world, especially in the Far East but I feel this has an edge overall!
I live far away from Royal Albert, but I am prepared to make the journey again & again…& I do recommend it to any food lover!!!

There is the chinese dining cuisine experience and then there is the dim sum experience. The two are completely different and I think it should be.
Dim sum here is no nonsense, quick table service, very hot food and plates of it, very busy and can get noisy. The high number of staffs and a ticket queuing system is evidence that this is a prime spot.
Dinner time and the mood changes, you can hear the music playing in the background, food does not disappoint and again service is good and what you expect from a proper dining experience.
This restaurant has no short of customers, venue is great, there are lots of parking spaces, lots of natural light, food is great and service is quick.
Sometimes I do avoid this restaurant and the main reason is that it can get very busy, and chaotic at peak times. But I guess that is not a bad thing.

We have been here a couple of times for impromptu yum char lunch. It has always been fully packed, which is testament to how good this place is. The service is quick and impersonal, but that is kind of what you expect from a restaurant like this. It is evened out by the food which is tasty and good value.
We usually get enough food for a family of four, but to share between the both of us. They have all of the yum char favourites. Each time I have left feeling full and satisfied.
It is fairly close to the Royal Albert DLR stop. The building looks out onto the Royal Albert Dock itself. We have usually seen people rowing or going for a run below, while we have been stuffing our faces with Chinese food.

Hmm, well I have watched this restaurant open and been a patron for many years, especially during the years when we dragonboated on the river outside. On Saturdays after our dragonboating session our team would descend en masse to this place for dim sum.
Food can be hit and miss. When it first opened and we went there for dinner. There was a catepillar crawling in some leaves in our food… we had to argue with the management and they finally let us have it (this one dish) for free.
Otherwise, the food is generally of a decent standard. However, last Saturday, when I went, there was something wrong with the pork meat in the siu mai and also in another of our dumpling. The meat smelled fine but when you tried to eat it it tasted off. There was that horrible meat smell… I hope they sort it out because if this happens again next time I visit, I would be more inclined to go to Royal China in Canary Wharf or Sekai in Greenwich, or Lotus in Crossharbour.
Having read some of the reviews below, it’s not true you «have» to endure the flight of stairs. There is a lift behind the stairs (ask reception if you don’t know where it is). I also have no idea why someone would say there are no Asians there as the place is usually packed with families having dim sum at weekend (and most of the time a huge queue if you arrive a bit later than 12pm when they open).

Errr, I’m not sure that my char siu bun is supposed to be THAT red. like crazy e number red. Or in my char siu pastry.
Super e number colouring aside, YiBan is solid, the food isn’t stellar, or particularly anything to write home about, but it’s not terrible. Service is on par with most dim sum restaurants, better if you’re chinese, arseholes if you’re not. But despite all the shortcomings, bank holiday monday here was rammed with chinese and western customers alike.
It’s somewhere to take your picky/​fussy nan because you’ll hope the view of the city airport will detract from her complaining. and No, it really doesn’t. You just gotta keep getting an earful and pouring her tea, but you get to look into the distance and wish you were flying off somewhere, without someone complaining.

They apparently do not take credit cards without an electronic chip. Most dishes do not come with rice (white rice is £3). Knew something was a bit off when the restaurant was pretty busy, but none of the patrons were Asian– aside from me. Decent meal, but flavor not memorable, as I have had better Chinese cuisine back home in Hawaii or NYC.

Yi ban is a good for both dim sum and dinner. Food is better, IMO, than the royal chinas… and better portions and price. Handy if you’re in east London but now we are in Surrey, unfortunately yet to find a decent Chinese restaurant.
Avoid nights when they have dodgy live music on. Absolutely no need and is an absolute racket.
A Chinese restaurant where you will find Chinese people eating there… Always a good sign right?

Good quality, fairly priced dim-​sum, during the day. Comparatively expensive in the evening. Friendly and fast service. Well run, and always a personal touch as staff remember you and you can see them interacting with diners. Oh, and if you’re a plane-​spotter, it’s bang opposite london city airport, so loads of planey-​type nonsense. Sunday lunch has a buzz about it, but they don’t take reservations, so don’t turn up too late or you’ll be shuffled into a quiet corner and left peering at a cloakroom ticket, waiting for a table. One thing that’s always amazed me about this place is how come so many people know about it, to say its on a remote road in the middle of nowhere. This place must have got where it is on word of mouth.

Agreeing with Miss Tyn R, this is the place we come to for Dim Sum. Best Chinese restaurant in the Newham area. Come to think of it, I think most times I’ve been were with her.
Just because I name it the best doesn’t mean it’s all too great. The food is fresher than any of the sickly take always in the area.
A major issue I found was the rip off price of drizzling some oyster sauce. When we got the bill I noticed we were charged £7 for oyster sauce. FOR OYSTER SAUCE! THE PAK CHOI WAS ONLY A MEASLY £2. Talk about extortion! I could have brought my own bottle from Loon Fung down the road. Was this some special finest oyster sauce exported from some valley in the far east? Pak Choi with Oyster Sauce in China town is cheaper than that!
Service is lack lustre, I’ve never had friendly service there (my observation from Oriental restaurants unfriendly service to people that are not the same as them). In saying that, they have all the essential Dim Sum dishes I love and how I like it; Chicken Feet, Baby Octopus & the elusive Taro Croquette.
If I want fine dining Dim Sum I’d go to Yautcha, when I’m lazy on a Sunday and want Dim Sum without the hassle of cooking it myself, I’ll go here.

Very good food, fast friendly service. Lovely view.

My friends and I love going to this place as it’s one of the best local Chinese restaurants nearby. There is enough parking on site, and for those who do not drive, it’s about a 5 minute walk from Royal Albert DLR station.
By day, they serve delicious dim sum as you would find it in China town (and the prices are not too far off either). The service is quite prompt and efficient but not very friendly, however that doesn’t bother me when I’ve got good food on my plate!
By night, the lights go down and the live music goes on! I got to enjoy the live jazzy music that played one evening whilst enjoying my meal. The atmosphere was quiet when I first arrived at about 7 pm. But by 8:00 — 8:30pm it became really busy and possibly full, so I’d advise turning up early to avoid disappointment! The menu at night is different and not what you would find in a typical Chinese restaurant, though you could probably order off the menu if you wanted your usual.

While I found the portions rather small for the price, it must be kept in mind that I am an American, gluttonous by nature and greedy by nurture. There were four of us and we all ordered something different and ate family style. The food itself was good; none of the dishes have seared their flavor into my memory. However, I do remember being extremely annoyed that the could not or would not throw some Chinese broccoli – or anything green – into the mango shrimp I wanted. I’ve got to have my veggies, you know! The view was cool, not your typical sidewalk, although I wouldn’t categorize as «nice» or «pretty». Service was good and it was a good dinner overall, just not something I’d come all the way from NW to have again.

the food was really really just OK… but the views are great… it’d be a great place for a family gatherings, kids could play around the dock while the families seating inside by the windows enjoying the view…
food is really just OK… (or maybe i am judging from the California standard?)