Min Jiang

Min Jiang
Royal Garden Hotel
2-24 Kensington High Street W8 4PT
020 7361 1988

Above: Beijing duck, Min Jiang

You can do dim sum the Chinatown way, all bustling crowds and tables teeming with dishes and gossip… or you can do it the Kensington way. At Min Jiang, lunch is a leisurely, chic affair in an opulent setting. Its trump cards include a huge wall of windows and position on the western boundary of Hyde Park. Ten floors up, it affords a daytime view that’s almost impossible to match.
We feasted our eyes on the Gherkin and the Eye before a stack of menus arrived to redirect our attention. There was hardly a wait before the chef’s specialty arrived for carving: wood-fired Beijing duck is presented in several stages. First came dark skin from the neck, served with pickled vegetables and granulated sugar (we were sceptical, then converted). Next came pancakes, neatly constructed by our server. Traditional style (with cucumber and leek) got my vote, though my friend preferred the pickled cabbage, radish and garlic house version.
And there was more of our beloved duck yet to come. We chose a selection of dim sum, including spicy minced duck in lettuce wraps – so delicious that I was quite sorry to see the last of that bird. Consolation was found in the form of stir-fried turnip cake with tongue pleasing and spicy XO sauce. Other favourites were seafood and yam croquettes. The golden threads of fried yam coating supplied satisfying crunch, while inside were piping hot samples from the sea. It’s as if Min Jiang wants to proves its suitability as palace neighbour. In any event, we were treated – and fed – like royalty. l SD