Sorry for the long spell of silence in my postings and also the lack of comments in the blogs that I frequent. I just came back from London a few days ago and then I had to rest my eyes due to an eye infection and dryness. The last one week I was in London for a nice holiday was truly the best trip I ever had in my life, not because of London but due to experiences I had while I was there. It's my 4th time to the city and this time, it's just different.
This time around, I managed to experience a culinary journey throughout my stay and also thanks to the recommendations of friends who has been hanging around London and dining at every corner of the city. 1st post of the trip would be something I really like - ROAST DUCK.
Everyone knows the famous London Four Seasons Roast Duck at Bayswater but actually, there is a shop that sells roast duck a few shops away from it. Sources told me that the ex-chef at Four Seasons left and opened his own shop called "Gold Mine" and the secret of the delicious roast duck is its sauce and that this chef has brought his secret recipe with him to this outlet.
You can't miss the shop with its roast meats hanging at the window and this row of shophouses is just right in front of the entrance/exit of the Bayswater Tube station. Usually there's a queue at this place but because I was there on Saturday at 3pm, I don't really have to queue. It's just a 5 mins wait for them to clear the tables.
The Roast Duck is a must-order-dish. Half portion of the duck costs £10.30 and you can have an option to have it deboned (which of course I did). Service was fast and they delivered the roast duck in about 10 mins. The duck meat was so tender and full of flavour. This is not a crispy-skin-duck type but I must say that the secret lies in the sauce. The sauce was a great compliment to the roast duck with a slight hint of caramel sweetness. Love the roast duck!
We had sake to go with chinese food. How weird is that?!!
Well, it's not really my idea but I have my dining partner is really adventurous.
But in the end, I had a whole pot of chinese tea to myself.
Some of the more common dishes that I ordered was the sweet & sour pork. The pork cutlets were quite big and fried in a crispy batter and then there's the sweetness and sour flavours from the pineapples and tomatoes. My dining partner enjoyed this very much as it is his first time trying this dish. It's also my favourite dish that I would order when I'm at the "tai chow" places back in KL.
The plate of green spinach was so big that I think it can easily feed 5 people. The dishes here are meant for 4 people at least because I really have trouble finishing them even when I didn't even order any white rice!
The other dish that impresses me was the "Chow Ngau Ho" which is literally translated as Fried Flat Rice noodles with beef. The beef slices are so tender and you can really taste the "wok hei" or rather the slight burn or charcoal taste in this noodle dish. It's best when served warm because as it gets cold, it was a little oily.
This is a typical eat & go chinese restaurant in London as the spaces are tight and they don't encourage you to sit here for a few hours to sip your tea. I find it rather difficult to feel comfortable especially during winter where you have your jackets and the seats are so tight. There's no extra space for big jackets or shopping bags.
The oranges are complimentary after the meal. However I didn't enjoy them because it was too sour and I hate eating sour food especially from citrus fruits. The bill came to about £43.50 which is not cheap if you convert it to local currency but I guess the price is pretty reasonable in London. You wouldn't be able to eat half a duck at 10 bucks here!
I love the sight of this... cold cold London...
Gold Mine
102 Queensway London W2 3RR,
United Kingdom
Mon-Sun 12 noon to 11.00pm
Tube: Bayswater
