Trying out new restaurants or revisiting old favourites with friends is one of my favourite past times.

As I can’t engage in it right now, I figured I’d do the next best thing and write about my favourite Asian restaurants in London, most of which I’ve visited multiple times.

I realise this isn’t the most useful post right now but I think that some of these restaurants are still doing takeaways if you live in the area – else they’ll need your custom more than ever *hopefully* when they reopen!

We’ve got an excellent mix of Cantonese, Taiwanese, Sichuan, Japanese, Japanese-Brazilian, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Indian restaurants here so let’s get crackin’.

1. KANADA-YA

Cuisine: Ramen (Japanese)

Location: Angel, Piccadilly, Covent Garden

Favourite dishes: Tonkotsu X – pork and corn fed chicken bone broth, chashu pork belly, wood ear fungus (I always ask for extra wood ear fungus instead of the spring onion and a ramen egg because they are the best!)

Note: One of my favourite restaurants in London and the best for ramen, in my opinion. They have an unlimited supply of free spicy preserved veg on the side which is one of my favourite things to have with ramen. As far as I know, you can only book at the Angel branch so that’s the one that I always go to as I’m not about that queuing life. Also, the fact that they have branches in Japan and Hong Kong says a lot about the quality of the food.

2. LITTLE LAMB HOTPOT

Cuisine: Mongolian and Chinese

Location: Chinatown

Favourite dishes: Mussels, beef tripe and a great selection of vegetables

Note: It’s a buffet style hotpot where you can choose as much food as you can handle and 2 broths – I usually go for a plain and a numbing spice one, both of which are delicious! Great value for money and I’ve been here with friends and family quite a few times.

3. EAT TOKYO

Cuisine: Japanese

Location: Soho, Notting Hill Gate, Golders Green, Holborn, Hammersmith, Covent Garden

Favourite dishes: Salmon Teriyaki Bento, Unagi Bento, Scallop Sashimi and Spider Roll

Note: My favourite non-ramen Japanese restaurant in London. The food here is incredibly authentic, fresh and really good value for money for the quality. Easily as good as the Japanese food that I’ve had in Japan and the menus have photos of their Japanese chefs and staff too which is a lovely personal touch!

4. LAKSAMANIA

Cuisine: Malaysian

Location: Fitzrovia

Favourite dishes: I’ve pretty much tried most of the laksa here and they’re all incredible but if it’s your first time trying laksa, I’d probably start with the Singapore Curry Laksa

Note: Although it’s really close to Tottenham Court Road station, I think the fact that it’s down a road with no other shops and the restaurant itself is pretty big, we’ve always managed to grab a table without reservation and have been served quickly.

5. JOY KING LAU

Cuisine: Cantonese (Chinese)

Location: Chinatown

Favourite dishes: Siu Mai, Har Gau, Prawn Cheung Fun and curried cuttlefish

Note: I’ve been to Joy King Lau numerous time for their dim sum which is authentic and delicious but I’m not a huge fan of their dinnertime options

6. DISHOOM

Cuisine: Indian

Location: Kings Cross, Kensington, Shoreditch, Carnaby, Covent Garden

Favourite dishes: Bacon and Egg Naan Roll and the Chicken Tikka Roll

Note: While researching, I discovered that ‘Dishoom’ is the Indian word used in Bollywood films to represent the sound made when the hero’s fist hits the flesh of an opponent, just like the English word ‘Kapow!’ Dishoom offers wonderful, original and beautifully crafted Indian food that is nothing like its British Takeaway counterparts – no Kormas or Vindaloos here. I’ve only managed to visit Dishoom for breakfast and lunch (both of which have been delicious) but have yet to go for dinner as the queues are always huge and they only take bookings weeks, if not months, in advance for tables of 6 or more.

7. CAY TRE

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Location: Soho and Hoxton

Favourite dishes: Original Beef Pho and Banh Cuon (Vietnamese rolled rice crepes stuffed with ground pork or chicken, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms)

Note: My favourite Vietnamese restaurant in London. My only slight qualm is that they serve their pho with lemon instead of lime but I’ll let it go as it’s still delicious overall. They do great lunchtime deals too, even at the weekend!

8. MA LA SICHUAN

Cuisine: Sichuan (South West Chinese)

Location: Westminster

Favourite dishes: Mouth-watering Sichuan Chicken and Double Cooked Pork

Note: I’ve only been to this restaurant once but really enjoyed it, especially the Double Cooked Pork which melts in your mouth! I love Sichuan food and trying new dishes so I’ll definitely be back when I can.

9. BAO BOROUGH

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Location: Borough

Favourite dishes: The Pickles, Yu Shiang Boiled Eggs and Classic Bao

Note: They don’t take bookings and I went on a Thursday just as it was opening at 12pm and within 10 minutes, the place was almost full. The food is great quality and they serve some really unique dishes – just make sure to get there early else you’ll be queuing for a while.

10. CAFÉ TPT

Cuisine: Chinese

Location: Chinatown

Favourite dishes: Sichuan Sesame Chicken, Spicy Jelly Fish and Fried Morning Glory (my favourite veg)

Note: A mix of authentic Chinese food and your classic British Chinese takeaway dishes. It’s a small restaurant and not one where you can stay for a long catch up but excellent for a quick dinner when you’re missing proper Chinese food.

11. TEMAKINHO

Cuisine: Japanese-Brazilian

Location: Soho and Tower Bridge

Favourite dishes: Salmao Com Camarao Rolls

Note: A bit more of a treat but some of the best sushi rolls I’ve had and the décor in the restaurants are beautiful too.

12. BUN HOUSE

Cuisine: Cantonese (Chinese)

Location: Chinatown

Favourite dishes: Custard Bun

Note: I’ve actually never tried anything else here as the Custard Buns are just so good – I usually just grab one to go. However, they are so delicious that I figured they deserved their own spot on this list. Also, it’s very Instagrammable in there 😉

Hope you’ve enjoyed this list and, as always, hit me up if you have any recommendations for me and/or let me know your thoughts if you’ve been to any of these restaurants too!

And a huge thank you to my foodie pal, Tina, who introduced me to most of these restaurants ❤

xxx