All reader reviews by Food Fan

Tai Ka Lok

Good prices here, and the location is good. It's supposedly a Chinatown establishment, but doesn't win brownie points for cleanliness and atmosphere - a decorator would have a field day here.

Duck - good, although lately more fatty.

Green tea - nothing to shout home about. They call it jasmine but it's not of the highest quality.

Service - unsmiling. Want to feel like a battery hen? Welcome to some of the waiters which work here.

Only cash and/or cheques. If you don't have cash, the waiter directs you to the closest cash machine.

Value for money? Two dishes (pork + cashew nut and duck + two teas + 2 bowls of rice cost us £30)

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5

The Japanese Canteen

Truly awful food, and truly expensive food to boot.

The meat looks as if it's just come out of a grinder. The rice is more often than not drenched in soy sauce - so much it drips if you lift a spoonful of it.

And the price? Nearly £7 for a 'bento box' which is basically a nonburi with a few strands of seaweed, and a miso soup. The miso soup is actually the only good thing you can get there.

At least the service is fast. Just go elsewhere - much better places in Leadenhall.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2

Royal China (Queensway)

Went to Royal China for the third time; the previous two times the food was very good, hence the repeat visit.

While the food - dim sum - was still very good, the service was absolutely awful. Bad enough to put us off from going there again. The head waitress just dumped stuff on our table, after we refused her 'advice' to order mountains more stuff. She was obviously miffed that we hadn't accepted her advice. Then when it came to the bill, we asked to have the 15% 'automatic' service charge taken off - and instead of taking it off, which by law they are required to do, the head waitress first had the gall to argue, and then stomped off, returned with a menu, slapped it down in front of us and started shouting that the restaurant had been in business 15 years and it was unheard ot for someone not to want to pay the service charge. This even after we told her that we preferred to pay tips in cash.

All in all, pleasant food but a far from pleasant experience. Money-hungry.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 6