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With so many restaurants to choose


from, one has to be selective and careful not to choose the touristy ones that serve Anglo-Cantonese food to cater for the local British patrons. But to be fair, in recent years the Chinese cuisine here has improved as more and more restaurants are opened. My favourite is Imperial China in Lisle Street which runs parallel to Gerrard Street. It is the only restaurant in Chinatown that has its own courtyard set away from the street. Te restaurant is accessed through a gateway and an ornamental bridge over a koi pond. Te courtyard gives way to a large open seating area inside the restaurant where the meals are served. In the summer, tables are set right


by the koi pond. It enjoys great Feng Shui with positive chi circulating freely inside the enclave and away from the vortex of energy from the heavy traffic on the street, not to mention free from the pollution of exhaust fumes of cars. Te dim sum is one of the best in Chinatown and the service is friendly and efficient. It is more upmarket than the other restaurants and the dinner menu is above par and authentic. I grade Chinese restaurants from the tea they serve and from the hot sour soup, where the hotness and sourness is tricky to master. It passes the litmus test here with more than the ubiquitous low grade jasmine tea so beloved by all Chinese restaurants. They have my favourite chrysanthemum tea, so fragrant and refreshing to wash down the scrumptious dim sum dishes. Te “char siew soh” or baked pastry


parcel stuffed with barbecue pork is heavenly, and so are the cuttlefish cakes eaten with a piquant vinegar and chilli dip. Next to be served is the dessert of mini egg tarts, the pastry case and custard filling so delicate that it melts in your mouth. Yummy yum to the highest order! I could eat a dozen of those tiny tarts but I restrain myself and must walk off this lunch binge. Strolling through Chinatown is such a buzz with so much vibrant energy. Gone are the days when Chinatown was a dingy place with second-rate restaurants dishing out mediocre food with terrible service. Today, London Chinatown is a popular tourist attraction and has been given


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a major facelift. Gerrard Street, the heart of Chinatown is pedestrianised, and all the grubby shops have been replaced with clean outlets with thought given to merchandise display. New restaurants serving great food have sprung up and services in all the outlets are noticeably more courteous and friendly. Even the notorious Wong Kei Restaurant dubbed ‘the rude food of London’, famous for its high- handed waiters, are now served by


east, west and north with Dragon motifs engraved in each of them. Te southern part of the street is occupied by a row of shops. The west gate protects it from the bustling Wardour Street, the east gate faces a big building block to combat the ‘shar chi’ or ‘poison arrow’ while the north gate faces Shaftesbury Avenue with its heavy traffic. To combat the fast and furious energy from this avenue, two stone Kirins are installed to deflect the force. On the eastern end


Feng Shui Inn, a cosy Chinese restaurant and karaoke restaurant with private function facilities.


Chinatown will not be worth its salt if a Feng Shui master had not been consulted in its make-over. It has been carefully planned to capture the essence of positive energy.


polite staff. As students in the 1970s, we used to patronise this restaurant because the food was cheap and the portions generous. It was worth the insulting and abrasive service. Another interesting change is that more and more Chinese from mainland China have set up business here. It is no longer the preserve of the Chinese from Hong Kong.


Chinatown will not be worth its


salt if a Feng Shui master had not been consulted in its make-over. It has been carefully planned to capture the essence of positive energy. It is guarded by three prominent iron gates facing


of Gerrard Street, a lovely Pavilion is erected in the square and this is where on Wesak Day, Buddha’s birthday, the religious occasion is celebrated with a venerable ceremony featuring a giant Buddha statue worshipped by hundreds of devotees. Beautiful Chinese lanterns with auspicious calligraphy are festooned above the street to usher good fortune in and to liven up the place. During Chinese New Year, Moon Cake Festival and Wesak Day, and indeed for a spot of ‘yum cha’ or dim sum lunch and dinner, London Chinatown is an enthralling place to visit.


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 | F ENGSHUIWORLD 49


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