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With more than 20 individual kiosks offering an eclectic mix of East Asian cuisine all under one roof, Bang Bang Oriental is London’s biggest Asian food hall – and it’s just opened its doors in Colindale. Sure, it’s a little far out, but it’s totally worth the trip. With so much choice on offer, we’ve whittled it down to the five best dishes.
Roast duck noodle soup at Four Seasons, £7.90
A layer of that famed crispy Cantonese-style roast duck on a bed of soupy egg noodles is a no brainer. Tip: ask for more of that sweet, salty sauce and pour it all over.
Dolsot bibimbap at Janchi Korean Kitchen, £8.50
Coming in hot and heavy (seriously, those bowls are weighty) is this classic Korean stone-bowl bibimbap. Not only is the multi-coloured spectrum of vegetables sitting on top of fluffy rice pretty look at, but it’s also fun to mix and cook everything up before you dig in. With a choice of either veggie, beef, chicken or pork and topped with a runny egg, you certainly won’t get any mixed feelings about this one.
Happy dim sum platter at Royal China One 68 Dim Sum, £7.80
With two kinds of dumplings – plump, crystal skin prawn har gau and juicy pork and shrimp shumai – and fluffy steamed cake on the side, this dim sum platter is the answer to your indecisiveness. Be sure to get some extra-silky prawn cheung fun rolls while you’re at it, too.
Congee with fried intestine at Sukaria, £8.80
There’s nothing quite like a giant bowl of comforting congee (rice porridge) that’s bigger than your head. But wait, fried intestine? Now, before you write this dish off and run a mile, the fried bits add a crunchy, salty dimension that harmonises with the rest of the dish. Trust us on this one – it’s offally good.
Matcha latte bubble tea and egg waffles at Chatime, £3.70 and £3.50
Slowly tearing every bubble off and popping those fluffy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside Hong Kong egg waffles one by one into your gob is so satisfying. Once you pop, you just can’t stop. Wash everything down with a creamy, bright-green matcha latte bubble tea.
Photos: Jamie Lau
Bang Bang Oriental is at 399 Edgware Rd, NW9 0FH. Tube: Colindale. Open Mon-Thu 11.30am-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm. Free entry.
Hungry for more? Check out London’s best Chinese restaurants.