Yauatcha, located in the heart of Soho is known as a contemporary dim sum teahouse. Yauatcha opened in 2004 and received a Michelin star within the first year of it’s opening.
The restaurant itself is an impressive space. Located in the basement of the building, the restaurant boasts a fish tank spanning the entire length of the bar. The interior has beendesigned by Christian Liaigre, who has created an exceptional open plan layout where the visible kitchen plays center stage and engages customers and staff alike.
The lighting in the restaurant is dark and atmospheric, with spotlights lighting up the place settings. The ambiance in Yauatcha is fantastic, with atmospheric music playing throughout.
“The food at Yauatcha is seriously something special.”
When we arrived we were greeted by friendly staff and shown to our table. Once seated, we studied the menu and made our choices. To start, we opted for some steamed dim sum – the prawn shui mai with chicken and the king crab dumpling. We could see straight away why this restaurant comes in such high regard. The presentation was beautiful and the flavours were simply beautiful, with the dim sum steamed to perfection. We were excited for our main courses!
Following our starters, we opted for the classic sweet and sour pork with egg white fried rice, and the crispy aromatic duck served with pancakes and chopped cucumber and spring onions with an exquisite plum sauce.
The food at Yauatcha is seriously something special. We were very impressed and equally disappointed that we were unable to fit in dessert.
Not only is the food excellent at Yauatcha, but also the wine list boasts some seriously good wines. With our meal, we chose the 2011 English ‘Perrin’s Block’ Pinot Noir that was simply beautiful. We’re very impressed with the recent increase in English wines being featured in restaurants – it always scored brownie points with us.
We would thoroughly recommend Yauatcha to anyone who appreciates fine Chinese cuisine. We also recommend that you try their selection of teas, as we hear they are something to write home about. It’s also worth knowing that Yauatcha also offer their own homemade chocolates and macaroons.
We were very impressed by our visit to Yauatcha and had an exceptional experience that we are keen to repeat. I can assure you that you will not be disappointed if you find yourself there, so make sure it’s on your list of restaurants to visit whilst in London.
