Yming

Near to, but not quite in, Chinatown, this much-praised restaurant specializes in food from the northern provinces. It also claims to be the oldest Chinese restaurant in London. There's an emphasis on seafood, which has to be a good thing when it results in the kind of prawn cakes and soft-shell crab you get here. But there's nothing fishy about the most talked about menu item, the Mongolian Lamb. Service is intimate and unhurried, and the wine list is notable for a venue that specializes in food, not booze. The proprietor talks about the balance of yin and yang in a menu, and is happy to help you choose from his varied menu, or just let you have your head. TUBE: Piccadilly Circus