Pearl Liang

Pearl Liang is well worth the short walk from Paddington station for anyone either meeting clients off the Heathrow Express or who’s simply after some above-par Chinese cooking. There’s plenty of interest on the long & varied menu, from high-street crowd pleasers to more esoteric offerings. A ‘cold-toss’ starter of chunks of jellyfish, drunken chicken, beef shin, pig’s trotter & Arctic clams yields terrific contrasts of texture, sweetness & savouriness, while steamed sea bass with preserved vegetables is handled just as skilfully, while succulent steamed lobster is fragrant with ginger & spring onions. Lunchtime dim sum, meanwhile, should be a hit with local workers, both for the quality of the likes of expertly steamed & perfectly fresh prawn dumplings & prices of under £2.50 a plate. Walls decorated with trees bursting into blossom & dusky pink seating create a smart setting that the helpful staff live up to.