Emchai

Being chinese myself I find myself very particular with restaurants that I go to. Barnet is not a place I frequently go to and I found myself in Barnet to watch my boyfriend's gig. We then landed in Emchai and found the service very welcoming and above all EFFICIENT. The food is simplistic but I think food at its best is very simple.

I was amazed at the level of service provided and the value for money was excellent. I go to a place in Clapham Junction called ***** which was my favourite Southern-Eastern cuisine in all of London but it has now been replaced by Emchai!!!!!
Comment on this reader review

Christina
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, August 16, 2008

I had a lovely meal with my boyfriend last week.

The waiter was friendly- the way he did the crispy aromatic duck with a spoon and a folk was an outstanding performance. His hands were moving so fast we couldn't see his hands- no joke!

There were couple of unusual dishes on the menu, and I'm definitely coming back with more people so I can taste more dishes on the menu!

From outside, it doesn't look too appealing- may be change the decor a bit as well... but I loved everything else! Value for money is 10/10! for sure.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10
Thursday, May 22, 2008

Emchai is place we visit again and again. The starters are absolutely delicious. Especially the soft-shell crab and the butter prawns. The staff are always friendly and helpful.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 19, 2007

Emchai is the best Chinese(esque) restaurant I have been to. The food, especially the starters, is exceptional, and very different to the more typical chinese restaurants. As stated on another review, the owner, Manfru, is a very nice and attentive host, and will never forget your name. If you consider that restaurants open and close in Barnet more reguarly than most people actually have hot dinners, the fact that Emchai is still there after years of great service speaks volumes.

Most recommended dishes are the butter milk prawns, the soft shell crab and the honey roasted duck. Also the chicken fried rice is fantastic value for money and could feed a small village for a week!

Top marks all round, well done.
Comment on this reader review

Sam - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, August 13, 2007

I suggest completely ignoring the previous review. This is by far the best chinese restaurant we've been to in this area. The noodles were excellent...as were all the dishes we ordered (especially the squid!!!). We've now been there three times and are on our way back there again tonight. The service was fast and very friendly and attentive. I definately recommend this restaurant!
Comment on this reader review

Mark and Tom
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, May 29, 2007

We booked a table for 2 before going there. We reached there on time but we had to wait 20 minutes to get our table as the restaurant was full. Food came in reasonable time but it was not good at all. Noodle did not look like noodle and everything was so greasy. We decided not to go there again.
Comment on this reader review

Ben Thompson
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Saturday, March 31, 2007

I have been returning to Emchai time and again. The food is ALWAYS excellent, everything is freshly cooked (no reheated food, unlike a few other places I've been unfortunate enough to try!) and the service is good. They are very welcoming, the restaurant is modern and airy. Can't recommend it enough it's a gem!
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, March 15, 2007

Great place, the food was excellent with unusual but very nice flavours. The best chinese food in a long while and i've recommended this place to quite a few people. The place is nicely presented, the food is great and the bill was surprising cheap. I must recommend getting the set menu and they are flexible and can change dishes in the set menu to what you want. Great night out!
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Friday, February 02, 2007

I have been frequenting Emchai ever since it opened up in High Barnet. It was as much a delight to dine there then as it is now. In particular the starter that has to be consumed at least once in every sea food lovers life is the "Butter Milk Prawn" dish. An absolute dream! Especially if you like coconut fragranced dishes. I was last there on Friday 15th September for a luncheon with colleagues and the staff were friendly, efficient and we all thoroughly enjoyed our food from starters to desserts. Thanks for being there Emchai, consistently good food!
Comment on this reader review

Gaylene McGuinn - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, September 19, 2006

My wife and i have been going to Emchai for about 9 mths. After reading the reviews posted we thought we would take a look, as we live in the area. We were impressed by the food. The service is good and the food is excellent. It can get busy on weekends so book a table. One of the best Chinese/Thai restuarants in London......
Comment on this reader review

Amit
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, January 20, 2006