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What an incredible experience.
Tashi and Matthew gave my mother and I an incredible dim sum experience. This restaurant is worth every Michelin star.
One of my top 5 meals ever! I had previously been for lunch here and had at the time decided I must bring my wife for dinner to experience this incredible food. The 24 course tasting menu was absolutely mind blowing. There were many moments when eating a dish I would close my eyes and shiver with excitement at the explosion of surreal flavours my palate was experiencing. This was so much more than a meal, it was an experience, it was a journey through the provinces of China. The waiter and waitress were also instrumental in this experience due to their detailed explanation of each dish, its inspiration and ingredients and how best to eat it. I will definitely be going back again. Thank you Chef Wong
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Over the Top Excellent Foodie Experience
Simply Satisfying, Simply Delicious BUT not simple by any measure. In fact the Collections of China tasting menu with pairing is complex, creative, and a truly excellent way to sample the best of Chinese cuisine. A. Wong and his staff excel at service! I can pick a favorite course because they all were. Definitely true value for money!
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A unique experience ! Awesome lunch !
We loved our experience at A Wong restaurant . Everything from the welcome to the end was fantastic. The food was a unique experience. We took the TOUCH OF THE HEART tasting menu and we loved it.
5/5 by 👻
@HBM on 03/19/2023
My wife had mentioned this restaurant to me before and about her desire to dine there. She finally took me for lunch there last week. The only thing I knew about this place before coming was that it had two Michelin stars. Michelin stars aside though, this is a very good restaurant serving Chinese fare in an exquisite manner without diluting the flavour and authenticity. While our table was being prepared we were ushered to the basement sitting area known as the forbidden city where you can witness kitchen staff rolling out the dough for some of the dishes on the menu. We were served cocktails there while we waited; I had the Xiajiang (if I remember correctly, however I might have spelled that incorrectly), and it was pleasantly memorable. As soon as our table was ready we were taken back upstairs, assigned to our chairs and introduced to Ben who did an awesome job in recommending dishes for us and taking our orders. He was the right mix of friendly, polite and professional. His recommendations were spot on, and all the dishes we ordered were amazing. I wish I could remember the names of all the dishes we ordered, however do not worry because staff here will point you in the right direction so that you order according to your taste preference. As you might imagine it is not cheap, but just for their unique interpretation of Chinese food and the incredible flavours alone, I believe it is worth it. A+ for me.
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Unbelievable Food & Warm Service
Whenever my Devon based sister visits me in London, she wants us to go to A Wong. It never disappoints and certainly didn’t this time. From the lovely welcome, the genuine warmth, of which carried through to the service throughout the evening, to the most incredible food presented, it was another memorable evening. I’m in awe of Andrew Wong and his team. The food is inventive and so delicious. The service is professional but warm and the vibe is relaxed not “designer Mayfair”, which is welcome! Everyone on the team seemed happy, knowledgeable and proud to be part of the “A Wong restaurant family”, which is a beautiful atmosphere to dine in.
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Fantastic dim-sum and warm service
After nearly a year of trying, we finally managed to get a table for the a la carte dim sum lunch here this week. The lead-up to our reservation was a bit off-putting: several tone-deaf e-mails all emphasising their minimum per head spend (£100 for lunch at the time of writing), cancellation policy and the fact they can’t or won’t accommodate food allergies. We all understand how difficult things are for the hospitality trade right now, but their communications make them sound inflexible and inhospitable, which can’t be the effect they’re after. Fortunately, our warm welcome at the restaurant wiped the slate clean. The servers were all friendly and appropriately chatty, offering help with food and drink choices and answering any questions. We decided to take the chef up on his offer to make our selection for us, as everything on the menu looked amazing. Over the next 90 minutes we had some of the best dim sum and small plates we have ever eaten, and we eat a lot of Asian food. Each dish arrived with a quick explanation of the ingredients and flavours and suggestions, where needed, for how best to tackle the dish. Fresh ingredients, subtle flavours and unusual combinations were a delight. Each dish is small - literally one or two bites - so the menu advice to select 8-10 per person is sound. We ate well but were not stuffed at the end. Prices are unquestionably on the steep side, but the food is exquisite. This is an unusual location for a high end restaurant - a neighbourhood street in Pimlico opposite a supermarket. This is definitely not a bougie establishment and is refreshingly free of the stuck-up and formal service that often accompanies high Michelin ratings. If you want pizzazz and fawning staff, go somewhere else. We’ll be back here as soon as we can get another reservation. Strong recommend.
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Great food if you're prepared to wait an hour for it.
Really looked forward to eating here. 2 Michelin Stars! Unfortunately the service was incredibly slow and really made the experience excruciating. We waited 45 minutes for a drink and 90 minutes later had our first bite of food. When the food arrived we were sent dishes that we didn't order. Confused and starving we ate it anyway. The food however was great, but I can't see where the 2 Michelin stars came from. We've had a better experience at Ping Pong and the food was not that far off. Really disappointing when you get a bill for £577 for three people at the end. I really wished it could have been as good as I expected, but to be honest, not worth it.
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Vastly Overpriced 14 course taster menu in bland setting.
Been meaning to visit for a long time. Finally got around to booking months ahead for the £220pp (with service charge) taster menu. Firstly the locale is underwhelming. Really underwhelming. Like an average small local Chinese. Nothing grand, small. The portions on the 14 course menu are to varying degrees miniscule so you don't quite have anything to really chew on to savour any of it. As the plates for two came rolling in at £40 a chuck, several with two 1cm squared sized bits of food covered in sweet and salty sauce I really began to regret being there. Don't get me wrong, there are some interesting dishes/morsels flavours, but not anything to rave about. Vastly overpriced. At £110 (with service charge) a head I'd struggle to recommend.
The menu of a la carte dim-sums was a bit overwhelming so we left the decision making to the restaurant. We were served an amazing selection each beautifully crafted and presented and each totally different from the last. Our fussy-eater daughter (10) was recommended options that all went down very well too. This is some achievement that should not be understated! Service was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The smoked dim-sum was our favourite! Highly recommend.
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Food: unnecessarily fussy Service / ambiance: far from 2
Food: unnecessarily fussy Service / ambiance: far from 2 Michelin worthyValue: very subparI would not eat here again or recommend that anybody does for the price they charge. How this place got a Michelin star let alone two, I'll never know. The experience is just not worth the money, time, or distinction. Was it bad? Far from. It was perfectly okay. But okay is many steps from 2 Michelin stars or 225 pounds per person.Strike 1: being locked out of the restaurant on arrival. 5pm seating reservation, arrived at 4:55 and was sent out in the cold bc they weren't ready as if we were the strange ones for being basically on time. 2 other parties arrived while we waited, all equally as confused, and they let us in late. Odd to make that first impression. Any other restaurant would welcome us in to wait at the bar with a drink in hand or something.Strike 2: being sat basically outside in the makeshift enclosed terrace space. The draft every time someone opened the door. The streetside smoke that wafted in. The little lawn chairs, practically, that we sat in. Not at all the cozy and comfortable hospitality you'd expect.That's before the food actually began to arrive. I really wanted to like this food. We just ate at ATOMIX where they masterfully elevate korean cuisine and I wanted so much to see the same done for Chinese food. But it was very much showing technique for the sake of technique, fussiness for the sake of fussiness, but also ends up being a jack of all trades, master of none t type of situation. I had a mediocre lukewarm soup dumpling. A mediocre cold tiny helping of Tofu pudding, a muffled down version of Yunnan raw beef salad, hand pulled noodles that got fried (but you typically eat that for the texture, not to be just shown a video of the technique??).. Basically all things you'd get for much better at a regular restaurant that specializes in these regions,at a fraction of the price. The dining experience here and the versions of these dishes didn't elevate the original dish with technique (in fact the original dishes are simple, humble but very technique heavy), did not provide a point of view from the chef, and was not anchored by and did not portray an authentic experience from the chef. These are the reasons you eat at a 2 Michelin star restaurant for many times the price. A wong's menu did not deliver. the actual service - It was not rude, but also was a little clumsy, disingenuous, and impersonal. The backservers were actually super sweet but they were not trained for the elevated dining style. I personally don't care about service etiquette at all, but the stark contrast between the roles is kind of jarring. Probably the worst service we had in London and at the nicest restaurant we booked. I would just prefer a polished concept at least to be deserving of the price tag. This was the most disappointing meal in our 2 week trip to Europe. Sadly a wong did not properly elevate Chinese cuisine to the western stage, in my view as a Chinese-American diner.
Without doubt one of the best meals that we have ever had. Good to see the main man, Andrew Wong, was working in the kitchen.
I feel a bit bad writing this review because we had wonderful service at this restaurant by really lovely staff (although we were seated 25 minutes late). However, I am truly baffled and trying to figure out how this place was awarded two stars. The restaurant is not on a very nice street and certainly does not look like much from the outside. It gets worse in the inside. I'm sorry to say that the decor in my local pub is more considered. Especially stunned by the outer seating as it looks like a shack. I'm all for a relaxed atmosphere but this was just dated and done in bad taste. Strangely, their Nude wine glasses and tableware looked great so we were struggling to understand the contradictions in the decoration. When we saw the place, we said "ok, the food must be great!" and it was. Everything we tasted was superbly flavoursome and delicious. We were very satisfied with our food and left the place quite happy, although massively underwhelmed with the general atmosphere. The bill was also quite reasonable compared to other two starred restaurants I have been to. But things took a turn for the worse when we got home. I was there with my mother and both of us suffered terribly from indigestion all night, we had to take medication. Overall, I tried making a booking at this place for over a year. Unfortunately, it ended in disappointment.
This was a treat for our 20th wedding anniversary and wow, what a treat it was! We have eaten in Michelin starred restaurants before, but this was another level. The food in the 'Five Movements' menu was sublime and worth every penny. The staff were friendly, attentive and explained every dish in detail. The ambience was extremely relaxed, unlike other starred restaurants we've been to before. The wine pairing was delicious! We even got to chat with the man himself, which was a lovely touch and we were able to learn a little more about the history of the place. I simply cannot fault it. The best food and foodie experience we have ever had and despite us living in the North West, we are already making plans to go back in April for our son's 18th!
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Annoying, overrated and disappointing
We had the Evening Taste of China menu with the regular wine pairing. Reservation was made via the website, which states that "we are unfortunately not able to cater for any dietary requirements, dislikes or allergies and substitutions are not available for dinner." After the reservation, we got a confirmation email saying that " we are able to cater for intolerances but not for allergies". Contradictory information regarding intolerances. Some weeks later a second email came, titled "reservation and dietary reminder". It said that if there were any "undisclosed" allergies to "call them immediately" so they could "process the cancellation or prepare a vegetarian menu for your table”. Notice how a vegetarian alternative is introduced. In the same email the cancellation policy states "Please note cancellations must be made via email at cancellations@awong.co.uk. Cancellations made over the phone will not be accepted." So which is it for cancellations, email or phone? Later the same day we get yet another email, stating that "Please note that we are unable to cater for any allergies, preferences or intolerances, therefore please also confirm that there are no dietary requirements." This email also prompted us to confirm the reservation itself. We bring this up because the experience starts with the first contact and reservation, and this was not a good one. Fast forward to the actual day. We arrive, are greeted, and led down to the basement bar, to order drinks. We were not told where we were being led (we thought it was to have or coats taken) or asked whether we wanted drinks before the meal. We would have preferred to skip them and get started with the "experience" right away, especially as the set menu was advertised as having a 3.5 h seating time. Still, we obliged and ordered drinks. Shortly after getting the drinks a waiter arrived and asks if we had any allergies. The next question was if we wanted the wine pairing. We asked about alternatives, to which the waiter referred to the sommelier who would be around "later". Mid-way through our drinks the same waiter comes back and says it is time to go upstairs. We pointed to our unfinished drinks and asked for more time, but it was suggested we bring the glasses upstairs. First coerce guests into drinks they don't want and then not let them finish. Not nice. After being seated, another waiter arrives and the first question we are asked is...yes, you guessed it, do you have any allergies? The sommelier was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly the food starts arriving. We politely ask if the sommelier forgot to come, as we haven't decided on what we will drink. "Oh, the wine pairing doesn't start until the dim sum, which is a few courses into the experience" we are told. We hadn't chosen the wine pairing yet and felt we should have agreed on what to drink before the food started coming in. A convenient time to discuss this could have been over the drinks. Now the dim sum arrives. No sommelier. Nothing to drink except water. We ask again and are told he will be there soon. Eventually he arrives as we are finishing the dim sum. We ask about the wines, which it turns out are either French or from "different districts" depending on wine pairing chosen (there is a regular and a "prestige"). We asked again about alternatives to the wine pairing, as this evening we would prefer Chinese beverages to go with the Chinese food. Prior to our question we had seen that the drink menu includes beer, sake and rice wine. The sommelier, his thick French accent making it very hard to understand him, looked perplexed and murmured "well, you can have tea". We first thought he was joking. We then asked specifically if they could put together an alternative drink pairing, but we didn't even get an answer, just a puzzled look before he left. We then say him attending to other guests. We realized where this was going; the restuarant clearly wants to sell wine. We told the next waiter we are having the wine pairing. We got the first glass of wine just before the next dish. More food arrives and it turns out it's the same wine, a dry and not very exciting Riesling, for the first four or five dishes. The next wine also accompanies several dishes, and so it continues. There was nothing wrong with the wines per se. They were ordinary, but the wine pairing overall was not successful. There was not a single combination of wine and food that left us impressed. The red wine was a particularly poor choice. Wine from grapes and asian food can certainly be combined on "Michelin level", Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen is a great examples, but in this case the restaurant should have stuck to more typical Chinese beverages. The food then. Unfortunately this was the greatest disappointment. The main problem was that most dishes tasted bland. Not bland as in unseasoned. Many restaurants at this level can bring out the natural taste of the ingredients without heavy seasoning or condiments. And good Chinese food doesn't need much. Yet there was something amiss here. It's hard to pinpoint, but at no point during the meal was there a wow factor, that taste explosion in your mouth where you look each other and are almost moved to tears because it tastes sensational. This is what Michelin level cooking is about to us. The presentation was somewhat sloppy also, and, again, left us unimpressed. There was a lot of waiting time between each dish. A lot. This was a theme during the entire meal, where heated plates were placed on the table, and then left sitting there until they were cold and we started wondering if they had forgotten about us. The 3,5 h seating time could have been significantly reduced without taking anything away from the experience; on the contrary, it would have been improved by cutting an hour from it. The service, with some exceptions mentioned, was good overall. With 200 £ per set menu and 100 £ for the simple wine pairing, this does not represent good value, despite there being lots of dishes.
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Very dismissive staff, for a hungry solo traveler who still
Very dismissive staff, for a hungry solo traveler who still had an hour before their closing time.. appears they had 2 available tables and a decongested bar area.
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Typically, I wouldn't write about a restaurant that I
Typically, I wouldn't write about a restaurant that I didn't like, but A. Wong--the Chinese restaurant outside of China with the most Michelin stars--was that much of a crushing disappointment. With waiting lists until November, my mom and I literally ran across London when we got a call that they could squeeze us in.Alas, the food just wasn't that good. For every dish, we could think of a significantly cheaper restaurant in China that could do better. We could make better-tasting food. With every dish served, we grew more anxious for the meal to be over.A. Wong's issue is not 'inauthenticity,' which may be a concern for some diners. We have loved Chinese fusions and creative dim sum before. But unique is not always preferable, as evidenced by their xiao long bao soup that simply tasted off. Attempts to be innovative fell flat with overly salty or sour aftertastes, and gimmicks like a crunch on top of the xiu mai, or painting our peking duck wraps with a paintbrush, added little to the actual flavor, leaving us very much unmoved. Even dishes where flavors were ok, like the DIY lamb buns, could not possibly justify their price (for 肉夹馍, Murger Han is an option that provides far better value).While some dishes were 'too' creative, others were the definition of mediocrity. The tofu starter or the beef rice bowl main were laughably pretentious -- a spot-the-difference game between generic Chinese food and supposed fine dining. The pickled vegetables atop the tofu could have been store-bought 涪陵榨菜; the so-called spicy wagyu beef mixture under the corn starter was suspiciously reminiscent of 老干妈. A restaurant whose flavors are either unpleasant or unexceptional is hardly deserving of the praise that A. Wong has garnered.The best restaurants are good because their food is truly original and memorable, not just aesthetically interesting. A. Wong offers nothing special in flavor, service, or environment, yet is exorbitantly priced. Our repeated lamentation of the night was: what were you thinking, Michelin?Dined: September 6, 2021
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Taste of China menu - Spectacular on every level!
Spectacular really on every level! We had the Taste of China menu and every course was more inventive, fresh and fabulous than the last! We sat at the chef’s counter and was able to interact with the chef and the servers throughout the entire meal. Each course was explained and we were able to ask questions and learn. Each sauce and preparation was just spectacular. So much flavor but never overdone - just the right amount on every dish. This was truly the best meal of our lives and an amazing way to celebrate our anniversary. Please be aware that they cannot cater to changes to this particular menu.
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Perfect fine dining restaurant for some mouth-watering
Perfect fine dining restaurant for some mouth-watering dishes. Must try dim-sum on your visit to Hongkong at Wong.
We went for dinner and had the Menu of Five Movements which was delightful. The venue is a bit odd, being located on a rather downmarket street and in a small unit on the ground floor of an unattractive office building. Seating is either in a covered area outside (effectively on the pavement) or in the small inside area where the open kitchen is located. Our table was booked for 1830 and the restaurant was already quite full when we arrived but we could not understand why we were initially shown to a small table at the back next to the toilets when other tables were available. We requested to move and were shown to a much better table near the front (the same table near the toilets was rejected by at least two other couples after we arrived and eventually remained empty so probably one the restaurant should reconsider using at all). There are also some seats at the kitchen counter. Service was excellent but although it is a tasting menu which changes regularly and each dish is well explained we found the lack of a written list of the dishes rather frustrating. Also, there really was not enough room on the table at times for all the plates ! So a few ups and downs but overall the food really is outstanding. Especially the dim sum and an interesting dish of crab claw and vermicelli.
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Sublime - simply amazing
We loved our visit yesterday - so many top end restaurants are stuffy and impersonal. A Wong is the opposite, the servers and even Andrew’s wife were amazing - they made me and more importantly my partner feel so welcome, like old friends. And the food - off the scale, my fav was the Turbot - I’d say there was probably too much food for the two of us. It’s a slightly odd setting for a two star, but when you realise why the location is so important to Andrew Wong you realise why (ask the servers) All in all a perfect night and well deserved the accolades it gets.
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Solo...But finally ticked off list
So...I have been waiting to dine here for what seems like forever. So on the jubilee weekend they had a cancellation so I decided to go on my own. The restaurant itself isn't in the greatest of neighbourhoods and my table was at 17:30 arrive on time as there is nowhere to relax so you are essentially lingering on the streets. Anyway once you are in the welcome and staff are absolutely amazing they really look after you. I was so apprehensive dining alone but then all that went after a cocktail and the friendly staff. I opted for the taste of China menu I wasn't offerer the wine pairing so had to ask as I heard it was worth it! And it definitely was! One of the best wine pairings I've ever had. The food itself was absolutely stunning...each course has a story and the staff really take their time explaining the journey of the dish. This really opened my taste buds to Chinese foods that I've never tried and it was lovely having this kind of quality. Yes it is expensive both worth ever morsel. Reason for the 4 star rating is that the desserts weren't impressive at all. In fact they were like palate cleansers. Luckily the dessert wines were sublime!