NOW

Sounds like a great concept and the shop is fitted out beautifully and looks very cool from the outside with the bamboo steamers on show.

However the food was terrible. Tried a pork congee that tasted horrible and I couldn't eat more than the first couple spoonfuls. The dim sum is gummy and has no flavour and quite expensive for what you get. The pork bun was the only thing I liked but it was quite small for the price.

Service excellent, staff are really lovely and friendly with genuine smiles and fast service. Shame the food is a let down, has the opportunity to be much better.
Comment on this reader review

MartinaL - View all reviews by this user
5 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Monday, April 18, 2011

Looks great from the outside - the busy piles of steaming pots in the window. Had a chicken won ton noodle soup. Alarm bells started when a pre-poured soup was pulled from an oven.

Soup contained a selection of mixed veg (cabbage, edamame, mushroom, peppers) with 6 fair-sized but nondescriptly meaty and quite gummy wontons that probably got their texture from sitting around in said oven for while. Would it hurt just to add them at the last minute?

The soup itself was pretty grim - a thin, flavourless thing that didn't really inspire and completely lacked any good savoury edge (I suspect came straight from a packet) and I ended up chucking away some of it.

But maybe I'm expecting too much for £4.25. Service very friendly - shame the food didn't match up.
Comment on this reader review

Richard - View all reviews by this user
6 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Yes this atypical of pit stop food and whilst it was sufficient for my needs, the food quality is far inferior to the standards served of Chinese Restaurant. I ordered the steamed set. The texture of the dumplings was gooey and doughy, therefore over steamed. The fillings had no flavour at all. The chilli sauce is full of msg and was acidic for which I was charged a measily 10p. I would not recommend this place at all. The ping pong chain has a poor reputation for it's food and this visit just confirms it.
Comment on this reader review

SMLC
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Fantastic!! Great food - dim sum at the speed of Pret but super fresh and delicious!! Loved it! Thank goodness something wonderful and hot instead of the usual sanwiches. Mind you i tried their chinese burger and i can't wait for monday to buy it again! Yummy!!

Oh one feels terribly sorry for the guy with the soya sauce in his Yves Saint Laurent trousers! For crying out loud, get a napkin and chill, this is street food not nouvelle cuisine!
Comment on this reader review

Sarah
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sorry, but this place sucks. In concept the idea of takeaway dim sum appealed to me. I love dim sum, but it's biggest detraction is how long it can take. This place solves that issue. Now there are two Ping Pong restaurants in the area that also sell dim sum, but a) Ping Pong is generally overpriced, b) takes too long and c) Ping Pong is for amateurs who think they know good dim sum i.e., the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Unfortunately, the quality of the dim sum here is sub par. Let's see, you pay 4 pounds for 6 pieces in the "classic" selection (whatever the hell "classic" means, classically awful?). The dim sum does not taste particularly fresh. I don't care if it IS actually made on site, this garbage tastes like it came out of the microwave. Whoever designed the box deserves the epic fail award. Don't think about putting soy sauce on the dim sum because the box has holes on the bottom that you may not notice at first blush. I stained my Yves Saint Laurent pants because the dope who designed this box didn't have the foresight to think that people might without thinking, put soy sauce on the dim sum in the very box in came in!

I also ordered two pork buns for 99p each. Now these puppies were not fresh. The dough was cool to the touch. At best it was lukewarm. Not to mention, the pork bun was about a third smaller than a pork bun that you get in a real dim sum place (as you do in China Town).

Also ordered a Won Ton soup. Now I was impressed by the size of the soup. Unfortunately, the taste did not correspond with the size. It was very watery. Now before some genius says "It's soup, it's supposed to be watery", hear me out. The won ton soup was almost completely lacking in flavour, worst won ton soup I've ever had.

Frankly, the dim sum that Tesco sells under it's Tesco's Finest label is better. For real dim sum, go to China Town. If you want a satisfying lunch go elsewhere.
Comment on this reader review

AntonioGarcia
2 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, August 02, 2010

I'm a big fan of Ping Pong for cheap and cheerful dim sum so this new place near my office is going to become a regular lunch choice. I tried it in opening week and everything was fresh and tasted good and they do bubble tea! Ok, it's not the best or most authentic dim sum you'll ever eat but it's a damn sight better than Pret/Eat etc. Go, get steamed buns, enjoy.
Comment on this reader review

Tom
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Friday, July 23, 2010