![Zomato]( "Recensione")
London Chinatown is always a bit of a tease - it promises so much yet delivers so little. See, before coming to London all those years ago, I paid my other city crush New York a visit, and the Chinatown there feels almost like a China-city. So when I came to London and was greeted by nothing more than a China-block, you can understand I was more than a little disappointed. But even when you're there, it's all a bit of a mirage. It certainly has the look and the feel of a Chinatown with all the hustle and bustle; hell it even smells like a Chinatown; but the taste is far from what a Chinatown should be at prices which are just poor for the quantity you get. However, in amongst all the pretenders, there are a few gems which redeem the area and today, I want to write about one of them; Daiwan Bee.
Located just off the main Gerrard Street strip on Rupert Street, Daiwan Bee is technically Taiwanese but in truth, serves the chinese classics that we've all come to expect and you certainly won't come disappointed.
On this visit, and dining in a table of three, we were able to try a few items on the menu settling on the salt and pepper squid and deep fried chicken to start followed by mains of pork dumplings, Taiwanese style pork mince dry noodles and the most affordable bowl of Dan Dan mein I've seen in the UK with an authentic taste.
Starters were incredible and actually made me wish I'd just ordered another portion for mains with both fried just right with a batter which was light and crunchy. The seasoning though was the real kicker as, in addition to salt and spice, there appeared to be a hint of sugar which might seem strangely but only strangely good! Really recommend these.
But the highlight of the night though came in a bowl of Dan Dan mein. Turning to Wikipedia, Dan Dan mein is a noodle dish originating from Chinese Sichuan cuisine consisting of a spicy sauce containing preserved vegetables, mustard stems, chilli oil, Sichuan pepper, minced pork, and scallions served over noodles. Sounds straightforward enough but believe me when I say it's not that easy to find a good one and when you do, it's not cheap. Here at Daiwan Bee, that all changes because for £5, you'll leave a satisfied diner. It was a beautiful bowl of comfort which I'm now hooked on.
If you're in Chinatown and in need of a casual and quick cheap eat, look no further than Daiwan Bee. You're welcome.
Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @wetrykai and on Instagram @annixontong.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
It has been over a year since I last visited this place, and it was good to be back in this cosy little Taiwanese restaurant tucked away on the less chaotic Rupert Street. The place is quite small, and we were lucky enough to get a table on a late Thursday evening when practically everywhere else was packed with a queue outside...
We ordered a few dishes to share between the three of us. I've had my eye on that deep fried chicken, and was delighted to finally get to taste it. The salt deep fried chicken is a must-order, and the salt and pepper squid was also really tasty.
The dan dan noodles had a nice hint of spiciness to it, and the Taiwanese mince pork with dry noodles was just what I needed to satisfy my noodle cravings. The dumpling soup was okay for me.
They had run out of tapioca pearls that evening, so I had grass jelly in my tea instead.
The menu is decently priced, and the portions are just about right for me. I mean, FIVE pounds for a bowl of noodles? How could you go wrong...(bargain mmm...)
I also do love their rice dishes - simple and satisfying.
The also have an array of baked goods and bread on display at the front counter if you're looking for a little snack.
The kind of food that they serve here is good, simple comfort food - the kind of place that I would go to for a fuss-free meal. Cheap and cheerful as they say.
My Taiwanese friend and I randomly passed here while we waited for a seat next door at The Palomar: the spicy beef noodle soup and homemade sausage (made in house) both very authentic. We enjoyed it so much we ditched our plans to eat next door and kept ordering. Seats are not so comfortable but it's quick and easy and the food is worth it. A nice hidden spot. Recommend it.
Eventho the place is quite small, but the food was amazing. Will definitely be back again.
The dry noodle was so great not too heavy and not too salty, the turnip cake was crispy outside and soft inside.
To be honest, when I read all the comments, I hesitated before I went in. However, I was really surprised after I have tried by myself.
The food quality is really good, they are delicious. I love the oyster noodle with soup and the braised pork rice. HIGHLY recommend the ice black tea!!
I saw people comment about the price, tbh, yes it’s not the cheapest, but they are nearly the only Taiwanese restaurant in the centre of London, I don’t expect it will be the same price in Taiwan.
But I do agree if £5 for the ice lemon black tea, can have slightly larger amounts.
Overall, good experience, I even ordered a take away home for my dad to try!
Amazing!!!! I live in Soho and even thought there are many asian restaurants around my house this is the best one!! Their fried calamari, dry minced noodles and spicy noodle are delicious🤤
The food is so tasty and good value for money, the noodles were rich and so tasty. servers were so nice, explained the menu to us and even made sure to ask about our dietary requirements. Everyone should come here and try!
Great hearty food which hits the spot!
Ordered several dishes and each was great and seasoned perfectly. The fried pork was a little dry but everything was on point.
It's a little tight in spacing and lack of modern interior but the food makes up for it.
Cash only and the prices are slightly higher then on the menu photo on Google review.
Ordered couple noodles, rice and a snack. Brilliant food. Taste VERY traditional. Highly recommend if you want a glimpse of Taiwanese’s taste.
We stumbled upon this cosy little restaurant while trying to find a quick meal. They didn’t disappoint! The service was super quick and efficient and the food (especially the noodles) was just what I needed - hearty and satisfying. I can’t wait to return and try the dumplings 🥟
Such a gem! The bao and the salt and pepper chicken were incredible. Other dishes also looked great. Don’t undersrand why the rating is not good. They clearly know what they are doing. I definitely want to come back.
Found this place unintentionally. We were going to another restaurant but it was full, so we were strolling around trying to find a new place. It was a great discovery!
We didnt expect much, but the food was veeeeery nice. I've been to Taiwan, and the food there was a bit bland to my personal taste, but I loved the food here! It was very flavorful. The fried chicken was banging! Highly recommend 👍
The noodle dish had rich soup, and the beef was tender. The bun was great. The bubble tea was not sweet, which is nice (it's very sweet where I come from).
I was surprised to see that the rating for this restaurant is only 3-ish. The staff was nice. They were not all smiley but were polite. The downside is that the venue is quite small and they dont take card payments. But can pay in cash (pounds or euro) or bank transfer
*Edit: Forgot to mention. We paid 35 pounds for 2 people. The noodle dish we shared was big. I believe I couldnt finish one bowl by myself.
As a Chinese and a person been to Taiwan a a lot of time, I can confirm this restaurant taste like heaven.100%authentic Taiwanese food.Don’t know why the rating is so Low here but you must surely give here a try
When we arrived in this restaurant, there were very few customers so that I was sort of concerned this place wouldn’t be good. But it was just an unnecessary concern. Once we took a seat, many customers came in and eventually the place was full.
I ordered pork belly noodle which tasted amazing. I am not from Taiwan that I don’t know the authentic food honestly, but this dish was absolutely delicious. And in this cold weather, it helped my body warm up.
I’ll be definitely back here.
I had the Minced Pork and Flat Rice noodle soup (original) and the flavour was good. I wish I had gotten it spicy! The Iced lemon black tea was lovely and tart. Only issue was they didn’t have a card machine to pay.
A small Taiwanese restaurant just on the outside of London Chinese Town.
I wouldn't go for the decor, but the food is GOOD!
The service is good and the people are friendly.
A hole in the wall, mediocre service but the food is unbelievably tasty. You must try this noodle dish!
Love how authentic Taiwanese food here and staffs were really friendly as well. Will come back again!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes