Golden Day

Golden Day has really gone down hill. My last meal there had none of the flair and excitement of when it first opened, and the food came over as some sort of strange cantonese hybrid... so maybe they've toned down the Hunan flavours for the tourist market, which is a shame if so, or maybe the chef has moved on (which often happens in china town, and a restaurant can be literally great one week and rubbish the next). Service was slow and unhappy. In short, don't bother. Go to one of the growing band of other regional chinese restaurants.
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Tom
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, April 01, 2011

We visited Golden Day on Saturday afternoon, July 10th 2010.

Ive just read all 3 'professional' reviews, and have to say I strongly support Jay Rayner's comments, and they completely match our experience. The food was very tasty, not greasy or slimy, and definitely a good example of real regional Chinese cooking (my dining partner was Chinese and confirms all this for me).

The reviewer from the Independent obviously wasn't happy about some incident and has therefore biased his whole report to make it meaningless, which appears very unprofessional indeed. so IGNORE the Independent.

We had the Dry pot Chicken (you MUST order this, its so hot & tasty, and keeps bubbling away whilst you eat it), chilli beef & garlic (very tender meat, and medium spice heat), green kelp starter (don't be scared off, its delicious crunchy and spicy hot!), unusual and delicious 'grand-ma fried tofu' which is much firmer than normal tofu if you're not a fan of the usual texture. And also some ho-fun noodles which were fresh and better to soak up the delcious juices of the chicken dish.

So definitely recommend this restaurant to non-Chinese (it was almost exclusively Chinese customers when we visited), and don't worry about some of the unusual dishes. (And there are large pictures of every dish on the menu)
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JParty
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Monday, July 12, 2010

Maybe the worst restaurant I've ever been to. The service was horrible. The drinks were overpriced. The food was undercooked and not timed right (I got my meal after everything else was served). The staff was unfriendly and unhelpful. Never go.
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Anonymous
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, July 11, 2010

Don't believe the Independent review!! Does anyone read the Independent any more? And who the heck is John Walsh anyway? Because Golden Day is in fact very, very good - some of the best, authentic regional chinese food you can find in London.

Maybe, like John Walsh, I wouldn't choose orange for my front room either, but I don't think that really justifies a Brian-Sewell-crossed-with-Lawrence-Llewelyn Bowen attack of the vapours at the "ghastly", "brash" "vulgarity" of Golden Day's sheer double frontedness and chinese lanterns. And we can only guess what the Golden Egg chain was, although it must have inflicted some terrible childhood trauma on young aesthetes growing up in the 1960s.

If you want a better idea of what the food at Golden Day is like google Jay Rayner's Guardian review - and yes, the food really is as good as he says. I've been there twice in quick succession, once with my girlfriend who is actually from Hunan and can vouch for it's authenticity, and once with a friend after a few beers, and we can all vouch for its fantasticity.

Hunan cuisine is strongly flavoured, long on chilli, garlic, ginger, smoke, pickling and salt, a world away from the bland cantonese standards, and more varied and interesting than szechuan food, although sharing the same love of offal (but if you don't like sliced pigs ear just remember not to order it, rather than moaning about it). The service is charming and attentive, the food excellent, and it's good value - what more can you ask for? Oh, how about the clear bill, in english, with service shown, and a 20% discount at lunchtimes?

In case this sounds too much like an advert I'd stress that although my girlfriend is from Hunan I've got absolutely no connection with this restaurant, I just know good, honest food when I put it in my mouth, and it would be very,very unfair if anyone is put off Golden Day by the Independent review.
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Tom
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, May 02, 2010

Excellent, distinctive food, very helpful, friendly waitress who was happy to adapt some dishes for a vegetarian and help us avoid too much hot food. Bean curd and fish dishes especially good, the menu and sign outside are in wonderful Chinese English.
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Michael
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Saturday, April 24, 2010

Wonderful, authentic Hunanese food. Particularly enjoyed the cold sliced beef and the fried aubergines, both dishes having great taste and excellent knife-work. Don't come here expecting beef in black bean sauce and the usual Cantonese dishes, rather keep an open mind and you'll have a great meal.

Staff were quite friendly and helpful, making good suggestions.

Refreshing to see a place in Chinatown that's not a tourist trap!
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Dean
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 25, 2010