Walked almost 20 minutes just to try these famous dumplings. Definitely wasn't disappointed but wasn't exactly blown away either.
Ordered the pork and prawn guo tie, chicken jiao zi, vegetable Spring rolls and hot and sour soup. The only let down was the soup, although the spring rolls weren't my favourite.
Wanted to order the ice cream dumpling but they ran out. Did get free ice cream though.
First time at chop chop last night, and what an experience! My friend had been before and had recommended the unlimited banquet....and seeing as unlimited is one of my favourite words, why would I refuse?! The banquet consists of cucumber salad, two types of dumplings, chicken wings, fried potato, marinated aubergine, Northern beef and rice. That was your first round! Each element was delicious, especially the dumplings and wings! My only criticism would be that things do get cold because there is so much in front of you. Round two was more dumplings and wings. Service was great, even when a big group came in. Looking forward to my next trip!
Ok, I'm impressed. And being Asian myself, I'm quite critical of Asian restaurants and their authenticity. Had their well-known dumplings (is the reason why I came anyway) and noodles. If you're not aware, there's an art to dumplings. It's not just the taste. It's the texture of the pastry, the thickness, etc. Same as noodles actually...there is a whole art to good homemade noodles actually. And most importantly, as my husband pointed out, the food isn't greasy at all (and if you're familiar with Chinese restaurants in the UK, you know it's hard to find a non-greasy place).
So my recommendation on dumplings? I recommend the pork and chive boiled dumplings. It's the most traditional. And do remember to eat it immediately as soon as it comes out of the kitchen, if not it can get a bit starchy when it gets cold.
I go there almost once every month for lunch - very close to office. Also they offer good price on 'business lunch menu'!Authentic Chinese feeling (authenticity confirmed by a Chinese colleague!) with bright red and yellow décor... service is good, reasonably fast and at least half of the staff are Chinese - which adds to the ambience! Staff encourages you to try chopsticks but aren't too fussy about it.Best and most popular item on their menu is beef dumplings (I go for chicken dumplings as I don't like beef but that's just me). Chinese Tsingtao beer goes well with their food. And when the menu says 'hot' (image of chilly) it is really hot even by Indian standards.And finally the best feature of this restaurant - puzzles & interesting facts about China and Chinese language on the table napkins.Good place to visit - wouldn't go their for a first date or anniversary meal but definitely for a relaxed/fun lunch outing.
Real northern chinese home cooking at its absolute best! I've visited China on several occasions and eaten in all sorts of places and the cuisine in ChopChop brought back very happy memories. Apart from the dumplings, which are truly authentic, try the aubergine, dofu, and green bean dishes!
Highly recommend the Northern style chicken, aubergine and beef & chilli dumplings. I was very impressed with the food. Fresh, light and very tasty.
Best in class. The food at Chop Chop is like nothing I have seen at Chinese restaurants before. Inventive, natural and high quality, not to mention very tasty. Five star.
Great Dumplings!. Went here as was staying at the West End Youth Hostel (not that great in case you were wondering) and had some time to kill before catching the bus to the airport.
So this place was a great find, especially for me, a lover of Dumplings. I had the set menu which was good value for money. However, for me I was tempted to order more dumplings but that is only because I can eat them until they come out of my ears.
Recommended eat!
Don't listen to negative reviews - Chop Chop is AMAZING. I can't believe the odd negativity! I have never had a bad experience and I have been going for 3 years now. The food is outstanding - mouth watering dumplings. Amazing Chicken Wings, Aubergines like none you have ever tasted or are likely to taste again (unless you go back again and again like I do). Egg Fried Rice the way it should taste - light delicious and Eggy. It's a culinary treat every time. I can't recommend it enough!
I've just enjoyed a birthday party for a table of seventeen. We went for the all in buffet option. £18 per head. The food just kept coming. It was all really tasty, fresh and washed down with many beers from a good selection. Once the banquet was finished, as promised if we were still hungry they would carry on bringing the food. They did. A very enjoyable evening. Can't really comment on the atmosphere as we were to busy having fun.
Absolutely amazing! The freshest, simplest ingredients combined to produce food of the finest quality, packed full of flavour. Service was excellent the food came out in a random order as it should and we shared each others dishes, we were never without food infront of us! The dumplings are to die for! We liked having to make your own dipping sauce as it could be made to your own tastes, and it gave us something to do while our drink were being prepared. The restaurant was very busy but we were attended to well and even had chance to chat with the staff. Truly amazing food at very resonable prices! £93 for table of 4 with wine and beer. A must for anyone who likes food and is in the area. I look forward to the new restaurant opening in April in Leith! The best Chinese restaurant not just in Scotland, but Britain!
What Else Can I say !. Simply The Best Chinese Restuarant in Edinburgh
Marvellous!! authentic!. Dined at chop chop a few nights ago, can't believe it's been open 3 yrs and this is the first time I've been. This is one of the closest dining experiences I've had to eating out in China!.. dumplings are gorgeous, lamb with cumin tasty and the aubergine & garlic side dish amazing!! great dining out experience!.. waiter couldn't have been more helpful too!!! oh and make sure you have some chinese tea!!..
The best chinese food ever. Lovely atmosphere and lovely menu
Ni hao chop chop!. Seriously best chinese food i've ever had outside of china. truth. try it.
Steve Platt. Outstanding restaurant serving authentic north Chinese food. Try the dumplings and aubergine. Small well selected wine list with absurdly low prices. Excellent, helpful service. Deservedly voted Best Chinese Restaurant in Scotland in 2008. Don't settle for the usual second-rate Cantonese rubbish! It has to be Chop Chop!
Highly recommended: Fresh, Aromatic and delicious food!. This restaurant is a real Tardis: The appearance deceivingly under-plays what lies inside!
With its bright-yellow frontage, and comfortable, but plain atmosphere, you might not be expecting much from
Chop chop... take a second look: The food here is some of the best Chinese (real Chinese not Scot-ified) available in Edinburgh.
You have a choice of many dozens of tapas size dishes, all fragrent, and aromatic with fresh spices. The maitre d' is married to the cook: She is Chinese, and they travel regularly to China to refresh the menu. The ingredients are fresh, and the dishes complex, and flavourful.
Wonderful for one, or a group of friends. It really is a treat for the taste buds, and you'll be talking about it for some time to come.
PS: The proprietor's son may, if you're lucky, entertain you with table card tricks and magic!
Since then, the Chop Chop brand has expanded operations, with a second restaurant established in Leith in 2010, and a Glasgow branch due to open later this year. We decided to go for the unlimited banquet for two, priced at £20.25 per head. The banquet is a voluminous order: prawn crackers, spicy squid with garlic, boiled pork and coriander dumplings, pan-fried prawn dumplings, cucumber salad, aubergine with garlic, crispy northern beef, seasoned chicken wings, and boiled rice. The dining room was pretty much at capacity; always a good sign given it’s a mid-month Wednesday evening. Then again, Cho
"Make sure to keep an adventurous mind when eating here" said the head waiter at Chop Chop when we sat down for dinner on a Sunday night.
Emma Elizabeth Ciarrocca
+3.5
Dumplings. Dumplings. Dumplings. Heap they do them here and they are good - either fried or boiled. Not only dumpling but sticky ribs and the crispy squid were delicious too. The all you can eat banquet is pretty good value and the sauvigion blanc is good too! Speedy service kept bringing the dishes out from the kitchen nice & hot - just how it should be :)
Fantastic place to get some amazing Chinese food and enjoy an authentic Chinese style of dining. The idea is for everyone on the table to share dishes to try everything and as soon as a dish is ready it is brought to the table rather than in a particular order or when everything is ready.
If like big menus can sometimes overwhelm you then try the set menus as it gives you the chance to try lots of things on the menu but without the stress. The banquet for two gives you a good variation as it includes: prawn crackers, crispy squid, chicken wings, crispy beef, cucumber salad, prawn dumplings, pork dumplings and rice. The prawn dumplings and crispy beef are both very tasty. I’ll definitely be back and I’m also tempted to try the one in Glasgow.
This was a sterling banquet that my partner, Sarah, really enjoyed. I was particularly impressed with the amount of flavour crammed into every plate, and at that price for an unlimited feast, great value for money.
For the full review, click the link below
Loved the dumplings here!
The chilli oil is delicious, especially mixed with a little soy sauce and fresh garlic.
I had the chicken chow mein, it had slightly too much coriander (which I never thought I'd ever say, it's my favourite).
The dumpling soup was also really delicious.
My friend ordered the spicy chips and they were really lovely!! Definitely worth a visit.
Holy moly what a spot.
Friends took us to try a banquet.
Place wasn't busy at all on a Saturday night, but you'd honestly want to keep this place a secret if you know about it.
Opted for the veggie banquet and everything (bar the rice because that's cheating) was devoured.
The green beans and fried dumpling were a standout.
The restaurant sits just off Haymarket and doesn't look at fancy as nearby spots, but the food does it justice.
Really nice food. Polite service. Really worth it if you get the endless/unlimited banquet.
Absolutely delicious food, plain decor; a little tired and although the waitresses were lovely the service was really slow especially for lunch. The unlimited lunch is a great idea, but the service is so slow, presumably because everything is cooked fresh that it was hard to take advantage of! Again though, the dumplings were amazing, the noodles were superb!
Fantastic northern Chinese food in the heart of Edinburgh. Try the various types of dumplings, pork and prawn is my favourite!!
Great lunch menu for unlimited dumplings during the week.
Place is plain and no frills but food is very flavourful and reminds me of dumpling houses in China.
Highly recommended.
Accepts card payment, have toilet facilities and licensed for alcoholic drinks.
We though the decor was on-song and the food exceptionally good value. we enjoyed the flavours of everything we had, delighted by their novelty compared with other dumplings we've eaten. we recommend the boiled dumplings we had - lamb & cumin, chicken & chilli, as well as the pork and green pepper fried dumplings. we also enjoyed the cucumber salad and deep fried chicken wings - succulent yet crispy with no trace of grease and delicate flavour of sesame seeds on the batter.
I love this place and used to come here all the time when I was studying in Edinburgh. The staff are really accomadating, friendly and attentive.
The food is always great quality. I highly recommend getting the dumpling and some sort of noodle dish.
Not sure if they still do this but the lunch deal were really good as well
Excellent Chinese food in Edinburgh! The Christmas menu is well worth the price with a variety of delicious options! The staff were very warm and welcoming and wished everyone dining a merry Christmas. The chili beef dumplings and garlic aubergine is not to be missed!
Quite good food, kinda home cooking so don't expect fancy dishes.
They have own made dumplings and noodles as well, which I quite liked. I also had some delicious chili green beans.
The service is very kind and helpful.
Nice food, particularly the dumplings and the aubergine dish but service was quite poor. Very slow service by waiting staff and seemingly no communication between them. We had the banquet which had a lot of tasty dishes but we did not receive one of everything, again I think related to poor communication between staff.
Different take on the usual Chinese restaurant as several choices come as small tapas style dishes which are great for sharing. Dumplings were very good and food in general was delicious. The restaurant doesn't look very inviting from the outside but quality of food more than makes up. Service wasn't spectacular but food was very reasonably priced. The same restaurant in Leith probably has better surroundings.
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