Chow’s

I first ate here when I was 7 years old. I had just returned from a trip to Hong Kong where I refused any of the local delicacies (discerningly picked by an ex-​pat friend of ours) in favour of expensive imported Heinz Beans ‘n’ Sausages. After 537 courses of top quality nosh (and perhaps the first hints of the childhood obesity epidemic), I became a convert. From that day to this, Oriental food, be it Cantonese, Szechuan or Thai, has been my food of choice. And this is the restaurant that began the love affair.
I returned this year for my birthday. 20 years after my original visit and the only thing that has changed is the décor. Now a crisp, simple dining room with hints of the Orient, the same high quality is still apparent on the menu. And now a more international flavour permeates the Cantonese cuisine. For starters I had Frog’s Legs, salted and garlicked to perfection. To prevent us from missing anything special, we opted for one of the banquets, chef’s choice. And my what a choice it was. Not quite the river of food from my Chinese New Year inception, but still the most satisfying Chinese cuisine this side of Kowloon.
No wonder people come by the carload from London to eat here.