Restaurants

XU, Chinatown

Polished Taiwanese from the creators of Bao

The second restaurant from the trio behind chic, minimalist Bao in Soho (which still has queues every night of the week) was always going to be an exciting affair. While other Chinatown restaurants clamour for attention with red and gold and a parade of waving Lucky Cats, Xu's inky-black façade is an exercise in understated glamour. Step through the doors and you'll feel as if you've arrived on the set of a Wong Kar-Wai film. Dark wood panelling is interspersed with silkscreen prints of misty mountains and monochrome illustrations of 1930s Taipei. Couples huddled in mint green leather booths sip tea from thimble-sized cups and nibble on delicate lotus crisps. And hidden behind velvet curtains is a sumptuous private room where you'll find groups drinking whisky and playing mahjong.

FOOD

Xu gives the Bao team a chance to expand their culinary repertoire beyond the humble Taiwanese bun. The menu is as thrilling as the cinematic interior, combining lesser-known Taiwanese dishes with imaginative reboots of Asian classics, and some of the best dumplings in London. Chicken wings arrive covered in a sweet Sanbei glaze while the beef short rib and bone marrow served with paper-thin pancakes is a delicious take on crispy duck. Ease yourself into the less familiar parts of the menu with canapé-sized starters: black cuttlefish toast dipped in whipped cod's roe and jewel-like Taro dumplings stuffed full of sweet potato and miso. When it comes to the main course, the choice is simpler: the Shou Pa Chicken, a hearty plate of shredded meat topped with crunchy skin and white pepper, is easily the best thing on the menu.

DRINK

Balance out the strong flavours with a cup of Taiwanese loose-leaf tea. The downstairs dining room has a dedicated tea bar serving refreshing cold brews, dainty pots of Assam and chilled champagne flutes of Hong Yu, a sparkling black tea. For something stronger, snag a spot on the pale-pink banquette in the bar upstairs and order the Takkiri - a smoky cocktail of Taiwanese single malt and aged Oolong.

VERDICT

London's best Asian restaurants tend to be either bare-bones and authentic or sleek and Westernised. Xu is a rare exception - a place to taste bold and unusual Taiwanese food in seriously smart surroundings.

By Radhika Seth

Address: Xu, 30 Rupert Street, Chinatown, London W1D 6DL
Telephone: +44 20 3319 8147