Their take on prawn toast - a crisp round of baguette-style bread, topped with an entire sesame-covered prawn, has been known to bring grown men to tears. Familiar classics are given a contemporary flair at Yauatcha. Steamed options aside, the crispy duck roll comes bursting with succulent meat and, in a nod to the classic duck pancake, cucumber and spring onion. The plump lobster dumpling with Tobiko cavia, ginger and shallot is also a must-order. The pork and prawn shui mai are as good as any weвЂ™ve tasted in China. However, at Yauatcha, dim sum is, of course, king. Make it the chocolate pebble: a rich orb made from Alto El Sol single-estate chocolate, brownie and caramelised white chocolate. This is one of the few Chinese restaurants where itвЂ™s worth saving room for dessert. Located on the corner of Broadwick Street in Soho (although thereвЂ™s also a newer, City outpost), passers-by line up to stare through the blue glass walls at the rows of picture-perfect patisseries. Yet another standout Asian offering from Alan Yau (Hakkasan, The Duck And Rice, Wagamama and more), after opening in 2004, Yauatcha was awarded a Michelin star and has held onto it ever since.

Yauatcha, SohoДЇor truly excellent dim sum in a sleek, stylish setting, there are few places in London that match contemporary tea room Yauatcha. The mix of the mellow, soft meat with the fragrant and saline ginger and scallion sauce takes a simple Chinese dish to new heights. In fact, if anything, go big and go for a second round of the soy chicken. ThereвЂ™s enough here to share but the real fact of the matter is that you should have a plate each. The reason to come here, though, is the вЂњThree TreasuresвЂќ: a classic platter of quivering pork belly, buttery chicken and a slightly tarted-up char sui pork made with ibГ©rico ham. The small plates shine fantastically at KymвЂ™s: the green bean fritters are light and deeply savoury (the beaniest of beans) and go perfectly with the sticky residue left after youвЂ™ve motorboated a plate of the moreish pork ribs. Focusing on classic Chinese barbecue and butchery with a few of A WongвЂ™s dim sum and duck options, itвЂ™s a worthy addition to the family. At WongвЂ™s newest вЂ“ KymвЂ™s in the Bloomberg Arcade вЂ“ the plush opulence of the first is swapped for dark wood, low lighting and a cherry tree by the stairs. XiвЂ™an Biang Biang NoodlesДЄndrew Wong and his eponymous restaurant have earned their place as one of LondonвЂ™s most show-stopping Chinese restaurants. Kathleen JohnstonД© Waterloo Place, London SW1.

A treat, for sure, but one thatвЂ™s worth splashing out on for a special occasion. The space itself is as grand as you would expect: high-ceilings, detailed cornicing, majestic marble and a slick black and gold palette make this one of the most handsome dining rooms in London. ItвЂ™s best to think of Imperial Treasure as Chinese fine-dining, as opposed to a modern, music-fuelled Hakkasan type. Other highlights include the delicate dim sum (think wagyu puffs, an exceptional crispy lobster roll, salt and pepper squid) and some seriously excellent live seafood, from oysters to crab via turbot. Now, the ultra-delicious Beijing bird is served first with pancakes вЂ“ sliced, as is tradition, table-side вЂ“ and then in a choice of tasty sources ( GQ suggests the ginger and spring onion), making the price rather reasonable. Admittedly, it got off to a slightly rocky start (earlier reviewers were horrified to learn that the ВЈ100 duck only consisted of one course), but such wrongs have been duly righted. With outposts in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guangzhou, Incheon and Paris, the super-luxe, Michelin-starred Imperial Treasure already had quite the reputation before landing in St JamesвЂ™s in early 2019.