The Orient was formerly known as Jade Garden, a Chinatown institution that had been operating on Wardour Street for many decades, with locals saying it was there for over 50 years, suggesting it first opened back in the 1960s, before it got a facelift, some licks of paint, and new investors during the teens of our millennium. In June 2015, Patrick Cheung, the restaurateur behind London’s Mizu noodle bars and Ipswich’s Aqua Eight, took over the four-storey site, giving it a full makeover while respecting its roots. As a youngster, I often came here with my folks in the early afternoon, sometimes downstairs, sometimes upstairs via a set of spiral wooden stairs that was very much a feature as well as a perch to peek across the main restaurant. That was the 90’s. Other Chinese restaurants are available in this square mile, but Jade Garden always stood out for its dim sum. It had existed for so very long and fed so many that it felt less like a restaurant and more like a piece of the capital’s folklore. Orient now offers more than 400 menu items, from Cantonese to Szechuan and northern Chinese dishes, balancing tradition with ambition. Yet, despite all the changes, the spirit of Jade Garden remains alive, making it a place not just to be fed but to experience a living piece of London’s Chinatown history.
As you may have noticed from my other posts, I love my greens, and when it comes to dim sum, albeit not traditional – I always order the morning glory. This tangle of umami-loaded, crunchy greens is wok-singed Malay-style with slinky pieces of ginger, fiery red chillis, and the funk of shrimp paste and dried shrimps. It’s a lot of action for £9.90.
Black bean chicken claws, £3.40 – here’s a legit version of a classic. You’re rewarded with plenty of rich umami flavor if you’re willing to navigate your tongue around the soft folds of melting chicken skin and bone. Don’t worry, I won’t be grossed out when you spit the bones out – in fact, you’ll be hailed as a dim sum maestro if you do it right.
Prawn and chive dumplings, £3.40, come with a translucent wrapper that reveals the pink of the prawns inside, along with faint flecks of grassy green Chinese chives.
Crystal prawn dumplings, or har gow, are a mandatory order when it comes to dim sum – a quintessential item. The version here, priced at £4.60, comes with black truffle, though you’d need a search party to find it. Luckily, the XO floss on top brings a welcome hit of pleasing umami.
Yam croquettes, £3.50, another staple item, come with the trademark crisp, lacy exterior and a contrasting soft interior filled with minced pork and shiitake.
First of the cheung fung action was the tepid beef version £4.20, although edible they missed the ripping hot freshness that makes them special.
Prawn cheung fun, £4.70, shines with its lively prawns that snap and crunch in every bite. It’s dressed with just the right amount of glossy, sweet-savory soy that reminds you you’re in a proper dim sum house.
The undeniable star of the meal was the beancurd cheung fun, £4.70, but it was so much more than that. It’s similar to the prawn cheung fun, but what makes it extra indulgent is the crisp layer of beancurd skin that wraps around the prawns. Bite through the soft wrapper, and you’re met with something crunchy and unexpectedly thrilling.
Pan fried vegetable and pork buns £3.70 look like dumplings themselves with their toasted sides, the base crusted with sesame seeds that give it a point of difference from the rest of it. The lacking filling was a bit of a bum note though.
Now we can’t have dim sum without siu mai can we? This version £3.50 didn’t have me going back for more as I’ve had better elsewhere.
verdict
When did I go? May 2019
The damage: Expect to pay £25/30 per head with tea
The good: There are some real highlights in the meal; the morning glory, chicken claws, and beancurd cheung fun stand out. I wish I could hit the pause button on those moments, especially the beancurd cheung fun – they really got my engine revving.
The bad: But where there are highlights, the meal also stumbles. Some of the dumplings felt one-dimensional and lacked freshness. The chive dumplings, for example, needed more chives. The others seemed like they were missing something – seasoning left in the locker, perhaps. That said, The Orient is a worthy nod to the past and definitely worth checking out.
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I go again?
Address: 15 Wardour St, West End, London W1D 6PH
Web: https://www.orientlondon.com
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