Located in the heart of London’s China Town with an imposing exterior and an expansive inside decorated with water features, Er Mei is a Szechuan restaurant that gives its customers a real taste of the Orient. Known for its use of spices, Sichuan cuisine is flavour-packed, with lots of pepper, chilli, garlic and ginger.
The menu here is extensive and not just for beginners. Specialising in food from the region, most items have more than a touch of spice. Try hot and sour soup to start followed by kong pao king prawn with dry red chilli and cashew nuts. There’s also more adventurous dishes on the menu such as pigs’ kidney with black fungus and pickled chilli. You can also opt for a Sichuan hot pot full of soup that you can add your own array of ingredients to and watch it bubble away (for a minim of two people).