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A beloved Chinatown restaurant Jen Café, has closed. Something of an institution, the green café on the corner of Newport Street was famous for serving up out-of-this-world Beijing steamed buns (jiaozi). Eater reported that the site was now empty with white paper covering the windows.
First opening in 2000, the café was loved for being a place where you could watch the cooks expertly wrapping the handmade dumplings before gobbling down a plate of them. The jiaozi from Jen Café were lauded as some of the best in London by the likes of former Time Out food and drink editor Angela Hui, and ‘Vittles’ editor Jonathan Nunn.
Angela Hui told Eater she was ‘genuinely sad’ about the closure. She added: ‘I was always so mesmerised watching the aunties make fresh dumplings in the window.
‘For me, it’s nostalgia more than anything and it reminded me of old-school cha chan teng in Hong Kong. I always ordered the grilled dumplings covered in chilli oil and vinegar and a luminous bright green apple slush fruit bubble tea.’
On Twitter, fans of the café shared their surprise at its closure. Food writer and author MiMi Aye tweeted: ‘Oh nooooooooo - I had some of Jen Cafe’s iconic handmade dumplings just the other day! I don’t get into town much these days, but when I did, I always made a detour to them.’
Gianfranco Chicco added: ‘Sorry to hear that Jen's Cafe in London's Chinatown has closed. Spend dozens upon dozens of lovely times eating their jiaozi.’
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