London
The Best Places for Asian Food in London
Best places in London for Bao buns, Nasi Gorengs, hot pots and more.
London's culinary scene is a fusion of tradition and innovation, offering endless dining options from traditional eateries to modern cooking, and a vast array of ethnic foods, including everything from casual street food to upscale restaurants. In this guide we list some of the best Asian restaurants in London, showcasing the diversity and depth of London's Asian culinary scene. From the authentic Malaysian dishes at Roti King to the innovative Japanese yakitori at Humble Chicken, and the comforting bowls at Supa Ya Ramen, none of these places will dissapoint.
To help you navigate on your Asian food tour of London, we have based all of our picks on World of Mouth experts, such as Ian Bailey, Matthew Burgess, and Tom Jenkins, who have recommended these places in the app. Dive in and discover the best of Asian food in London.
Roti King is a popular spot for authentic Malaysian and Singaporean street food. The restaurant is known for its crispy, spicy sambal chicken and fluffy, buttery roti prata served with mutton curry, with the option to add spinach in bell ham on the side. Despite its small size, the restaurant attracts a large crowd, and has an open kitchen where customers can see the chef prepare the delicious roti by hand.
Recommended by
Authentic food and flavours. Crispy and spicy sambal chicken. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. This place is super busy. Expect to queue. Sometimes waiting time can be up to an hour. Just shows how good the food is that people are willing to wait in line for it. They have an app system that tells you how long in line you wait, so you can go off and do something else and come back. I was a single diner and was lucky to wait just 10 mins. Table was in the corner but I didn't mind.Very small dining room and open kitchen where you see the chef make all the delicious roti by hand.Lots of Asian customers dining here at the time which is always a good indication that the food and flavours are authentic.I ordered the sambal chicken which was crispy, juicy & spicy. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. Then mutton curry with roti. Delicious and eating with your hands is so satisfying.
Som Saa is a Thai restaurant that offers a variety of old-style regional Thai dishes, known for their uncompromising flavours. The restaurant is led by head chef Andy Oliver, who has worked at renowned establishments such as Nahm in London and Bo.Lan in Bangkok. With a focus on seasonal British produce and quality Asian ingredients, Som Saa provides a casual and fun dining experience, with a popular tasting sharing menu and local beer options.
Recommended by
Som Saa serves super tasty old-style regional Thai foodSom Saa serves super tasty old-style regional Thai food. The food is really tasty and spicy, the service was good and the place is looking nice. Som Saa restaurant and bar uses seasonal British produce and quality Asian ingredients to create flavour-packed regional dishes from across Thailand. The restaurant is run by head chef Andy Oliver having previously worked at Nahm in London (one of the restaurants owned by famous chef David Thompson) and then at the “Bo.Lan” in Bangkok for two years.
Humble Chicken is a Soho-based restaurant offering a 6-7 course tasting menu, designed by Angelo Sato, with a focus on yakitori-style cuisine. The well-priced menu features a variety of chicken dishes, with each part of the bird utilized in creative and flavorful ways. The restaurant's setup allows guests to enjoy a kitchen-theater experience, observing the chefs' skills in action while indulging in a range of dishes, including delectable desserts.
Recommended by
The Humble Chicken has evolved into something far less humble with it’s new version 2.0Angelo Sato’s original Humble Chicken brought yakitori to Soho with a line of konro grills sat behind a counter serving up tasty sticks containing every imaginable part of our most common farmyard fowl. The crowds loved it and queuing was the norm. Now after a refocus, and a rebrand to Humble Chicken 2.0, Angelo has created a 6-7 course tasting menu bookended by a trio of snacks and sweets. No more outside tables, just 18 counter seats arranged around the small team carrying out their skills for all to see. Clever dishes involving well sourced ingredients and fun techniques make this a great experience. Well priced menu and a good drinks selection help set the tone.
Paradise Soho is a Sri Lankan restaurant known for its fiery cooking with local ingredients. The menu features contemporary Sri Lankan dishes, influenced by Portuguese, Malay, South Indian, and Dutch cuisine, all based on cherished family recipes. The restaurant offers an immersive experience that transports you to the island, combining the comfort of street food with a gastronomic touch, making it a must-visit for those who appreciate true, spicy flavors.
Recommended by
Fiery cooking with local ingredients and exemplary service. The dishes, drinks and service all transport you to the island, leaving Soho behind. The highest quality, local ingredients with fiery injections of flavour really make paradise a must-visit when you’re in London!
Hakkasan Hanway Place is a Michelin-starred restaurant that provides a modern take on Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant is known for its North-Chinese-European fusion dishes and attracts a trendy crowd. With a menu that balances signature dishes and exclusive creations for each location, Hakkasan offers a unique culinary experience.
Recommended by
A path breaker in the North-Chinese-European fusion cuisine. Not gourmet but a trendy place with a very cool London crowd.
Scully St James's is a restaurant that offers a diverse cuisine reflecting the rich heritage of its chef, Ramael Scully. Born in Malaysia and raised in Sydney, Scully combines culinary traditions from his Chinese/Indian and Irish Balinese family background. Popular dishes include the Arepa with eggplant sambal and bergamot labneh, and the crispy pork belly with wild forest pepper caramel and pomelo.
Recommended by
Scully is one of our favourites in London! There aren't many restaurants that are able to offer such a diverse cuisine at such a high level. The dishes are very creative and have an influence from all over the world, which is no wonder given chef Ramael Scully's background: Born in Malaysia and brought up in Sydney, with a Mother of Chinese/Indian descent and an Irish Balinese Father.Some of our favourite dishes that night were:-Arepa, eggplant sambal and bergamot labneh.-Crispy pork belly, wild forest pepper caramel and pomelo.
Bone Daddies Victoria is a New York-style ramen bar known for its signature stock made from 20-hour simmered pork bones, sweet miso, and sesame paste. This two-floor restaurant features a central bar and open kitchen, offering a casual dining experience with a rock'n'roll soundtrack. Popular dishes include Tonkotsu, T22, Korean Wings, Pig Bone Ribs, Bao Buns, Fried Chicken and Yuzu Margaritas, all available for both dine-in and takeaway.
Recommended by
The new-wave New York-style ramen joint has now landed in Nova, Victoria. This stripped-back space pumping out ear-bending rock ’n’ roll brings the broth: its ultra-rich signature stock, made from 20-hour simmered pork bones and given extra complexity via sweet miso and sesame paste.
Mr Ji Soho is a Taiwanese restaurant located in the heart of Soho, known for its affordable cocktails and tapas-style plates filled with modern Asian cuisine. The menu is designed for sharing, providing an Izakaya-style dining experience. With dishes that are flavorful and enjoyable, it's an excellent choice for a quick stop in Soho.
Recommended by
Super cool Taiwanese small plate fun in the heart of SohoBehind a small shop front in Old Compton Street the team are serving up great value cocktails and tapas style plates of modern Asian cuisine. A menu designed for sharing has an Izakaya feel. Dishes smack of flavour and fun. A perfect Soho pit stop!
The Happy Lamb Hot Pot Restaurant specializes in Mongolian-style hot pot, originating from Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Their claim to fame is their quality meat, freshly sliced in-house, and their rich, savory broth, simmered for over 6 hours with 36 aromatic ingredients including goji berries, jujubes, ginseng, and herbs. The restaurant offers a DIY dining setup, allowing patrons to navigate their own culinary journey, with the star of the show being their intensely flavorful broth, which is so good that additional dipping sauces become unnecessary.
Recommended by
Oh, Happy Lamb. There isn't really much else to say, other than - I have the hots for you.Specialising in Mongolian-style hot pot, Happy Lamb sprung up in Baotou and has since established itself as a chain with a presence in the UK, China, Taiwan, the US, Japan, Australia and Canada. They pride themselves in their quality meat, which is freshly sliced in house; as well as their rich and savoury broth, which is crafted from carefully selected hen and beef bones that are simmered over the course of 6 hours. The end result is a concentrated milky-white soup base that is enlivened with 36 aromatics, including goji berries, jujubes, ginseng and herbs.DIY dining setups such as hot pot are one of the few things I prefer to do in a group setting, as it enables you to do far more damage to the menu. Alas, it was just the two of us on this occasion. Nevertheless, the combination platters helped us along and offered a convenient short-cut in terms of menu navigation. As for the broth, we went for the nourishing chicken, which is the house special and rightly so. I also liked the sound of the spicy sour pickled cabbage so we opted in for that too.Anyway, long story short(ened), it was absolutely delicious and barely a word was said until each and every plate was relieved of its ingredients. The intensely flavourful broth was easily the star of the show, deeming the additional dipping sauces all but unnecessary. A final few slurps of noodles ensured none of it went to waste.Oh, Happy Lamb. There isn't really much else to say, other than - I have the hots for you.
BAO Soho is a Taiwanese restaurant renowned for its soft bao buns, stuffed with a variety of delicious fillings like pork, daikon, and fried chicken. Originally a small street food stall, BAO Soho has grown to six locations, each with slightly different menus. Besides the signature bao, the restaurant also offers a Xiao Chi menu, featuring small plates such as blood cake with cured egg yolk and Guinea fowl rice.
Recommended by
The first - and still the best - Taiwanese bao outpost of its kind in London. Having originally started as a street food stall in a small East London market, Bao now has six outposts (slightly differing in menu and offering) across London. The OG Soho restaurant still commands a queue on most days at both lunch and dinner times. Go for the pillowy soft bao buns stuffed with an array of unctuous fillings (pork, daikon and fried chicken to name a few) and stay for the delectable Xiao Chi menu of punchy, finger lickin good small plates. Firm favourites include the blood cake and cured egg yolk, Guinea fowl rice and the fried chicken.
BAO Borough is a casual Taiwanese street food restaurant known for its affordable and flavorful dishes. The restaurant's star dish is the 40-day aged beef on buttered rice, which offers intense flavors and is a customer favorite. With a varying menu offering bite-sized dishes, BAO Borough presents an excellent lunch option.
Recommended by
The best Bao restaurant in LondonBao is a casual Taiwanese streetfood restaurant, widely popular and rightly so. One of the best cheap eats in London, Bao certainly ticks all the right boxes. This Bao specifically is the best (in my humble opinion) as it has their star dish- the 40 day aged beef on buttered rice (under 10£) This was hands down the best dish I had in London on this trip. Such intense flavours & the buttery rice really complimented the beef. Bao menu varies all over London; original concept & bite size dishes - a great lunch option
Mambow is a cozy spot nestled near the Bussey Building/Copeland Park, offering a unique experience of Malaysian-inspired cuisine. The restaurant keeps a short menu of 5 or 6 plates, ensuring consistent quality in their perfectly spiced dishes. With well-priced natural wines and availability for both reservations and walk-ins, Mambow is a noteworthy addition to the food scene.
Recommended by
Neighbourhood food with a punchTucked away at the back of a ground floor unit adjoing Peckham’s arty Bussey Building/Copeland Park sits Mambow, a food truck type offering that has come in from the cold. A short menu of 5 or 6 plates allows the small team to deliver consistent and lip smacking plates of perfectly spiced Malaysian inspired cuisine to an adoring crowd. Reservations can snag a seat at the counter but walk-ups can always wait for a table. Well priced and sourced natural wines make this a great addition to the SE London food scene.
BaoziInn - London Bridge is a restaurant specializing in Northern Chinese street food with a focus on handmade dumplings and bao buns. Known for their prawn and chive dumplings and pork bao buns, they offer an authentic taste of traditional Chinese cuisine. The restaurant also features a wide array of dishes, including dim sum, skewers, roast meat, noodles, and rice, making it a go-to spot for those craving diverse and flavorful Chinese food.
Recommended by
Steamer baskets of joy! Nestled away just past the bustling Borough Market are London’s best dumplings. With classic flavours of prawn and chive and delicious pork bao buns, this place is well versed in the language of dumpling. Every dumpling is handmade in the window, you can taste the quality.
Roti King is a popular spot for authentic Malaysian and Singaporean street food. The restaurant is known for its crispy, spicy sambal chicken and fluffy, buttery roti prata served with mutton curry, with the option to add spinach in bell ham on the side. Despite its small size, the restaurant attracts a large crowd, and has an open kitchen where customers can see the chef prepare the delicious roti by hand.
Recommended by
Authentic food and flavours. Crispy and spicy sambal chicken. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. This place is super busy. Expect to queue. Sometimes waiting time can be up to an hour. Just shows how good the food is that people are willing to wait in line for it. They have an app system that tells you how long in line you wait, so you can go off and do something else and come back. I was a single diner and was lucky to wait just 10 mins. Table was in the corner but I didn't mind.Very small dining room and open kitchen where you see the chef make all the delicious roti by hand.Lots of Asian customers dining here at the time which is always a good indication that the food and flavours are authentic.I ordered the sambal chicken which was crispy, juicy & spicy. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. Then mutton curry with roti. Delicious and eating with your hands is so satisfying.
Som Saa is a Thai restaurant that offers a variety of old-style regional Thai dishes, known for their uncompromising flavours. The restaurant is led by head chef Andy Oliver, who has worked at renowned establishments such as Nahm in London and Bo.Lan in Bangkok. With a focus on seasonal British produce and quality Asian ingredients, Som Saa provides a casual and fun dining experience, with a popular tasting sharing menu and local beer options.
Recommended by
Som Saa serves super tasty old-style regional Thai foodSom Saa serves super tasty old-style regional Thai food. The food is really tasty and spicy, the service was good and the place is looking nice. Som Saa restaurant and bar uses seasonal British produce and quality Asian ingredients to create flavour-packed regional dishes from across Thailand. The restaurant is run by head chef Andy Oliver having previously worked at Nahm in London (one of the restaurants owned by famous chef David Thompson) and then at the “Bo.Lan” in Bangkok for two years.
Humble Chicken is a Soho-based restaurant offering a 6-7 course tasting menu, designed by Angelo Sato, with a focus on yakitori-style cuisine. The well-priced menu features a variety of chicken dishes, with each part of the bird utilized in creative and flavorful ways. The restaurant's setup allows guests to enjoy a kitchen-theater experience, observing the chefs' skills in action while indulging in a range of dishes, including delectable desserts.
Recommended by
The Humble Chicken has evolved into something far less humble with it’s new version 2.0Angelo Sato’s original Humble Chicken brought yakitori to Soho with a line of konro grills sat behind a counter serving up tasty sticks containing every imaginable part of our most common farmyard fowl. The crowds loved it and queuing was the norm. Now after a refocus, and a rebrand to Humble Chicken 2.0, Angelo has created a 6-7 course tasting menu bookended by a trio of snacks and sweets. No more outside tables, just 18 counter seats arranged around the small team carrying out their skills for all to see. Clever dishes involving well sourced ingredients and fun techniques make this a great experience. Well priced menu and a good drinks selection help set the tone.
Paradise Soho is a Sri Lankan restaurant known for its fiery cooking with local ingredients. The menu features contemporary Sri Lankan dishes, influenced by Portuguese, Malay, South Indian, and Dutch cuisine, all based on cherished family recipes. The restaurant offers an immersive experience that transports you to the island, combining the comfort of street food with a gastronomic touch, making it a must-visit for those who appreciate true, spicy flavors.
Recommended by
Fiery cooking with local ingredients and exemplary service. The dishes, drinks and service all transport you to the island, leaving Soho behind. The highest quality, local ingredients with fiery injections of flavour really make paradise a must-visit when you’re in London!
Hakkasan Hanway Place is a Michelin-starred restaurant that provides a modern take on Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant is known for its North-Chinese-European fusion dishes and attracts a trendy crowd. With a menu that balances signature dishes and exclusive creations for each location, Hakkasan offers a unique culinary experience.
Recommended by
A path breaker in the North-Chinese-European fusion cuisine. Not gourmet but a trendy place with a very cool London crowd.
Scully St James's is a restaurant that offers a diverse cuisine reflecting the rich heritage of its chef, Ramael Scully. Born in Malaysia and raised in Sydney, Scully combines culinary traditions from his Chinese/Indian and Irish Balinese family background. Popular dishes include the Arepa with eggplant sambal and bergamot labneh, and the crispy pork belly with wild forest pepper caramel and pomelo.
Recommended by
Scully is one of our favourites in London! There aren't many restaurants that are able to offer such a diverse cuisine at such a high level. The dishes are very creative and have an influence from all over the world, which is no wonder given chef Ramael Scully's background: Born in Malaysia and brought up in Sydney, with a Mother of Chinese/Indian descent and an Irish Balinese Father.Some of our favourite dishes that night were:-Arepa, eggplant sambal and bergamot labneh.-Crispy pork belly, wild forest pepper caramel and pomelo.
Bone Daddies Victoria is a New York-style ramen bar known for its signature stock made from 20-hour simmered pork bones, sweet miso, and sesame paste. This two-floor restaurant features a central bar and open kitchen, offering a casual dining experience with a rock'n'roll soundtrack. Popular dishes include Tonkotsu, T22, Korean Wings, Pig Bone Ribs, Bao Buns, Fried Chicken and Yuzu Margaritas, all available for both dine-in and takeaway.
Recommended by
The new-wave New York-style ramen joint has now landed in Nova, Victoria. This stripped-back space pumping out ear-bending rock ’n’ roll brings the broth: its ultra-rich signature stock, made from 20-hour simmered pork bones and given extra complexity via sweet miso and sesame paste.
Mr Ji Soho is a Taiwanese restaurant located in the heart of Soho, known for its affordable cocktails and tapas-style plates filled with modern Asian cuisine. The menu is designed for sharing, providing an Izakaya-style dining experience. With dishes that are flavorful and enjoyable, it's an excellent choice for a quick stop in Soho.
Recommended by
Super cool Taiwanese small plate fun in the heart of SohoBehind a small shop front in Old Compton Street the team are serving up great value cocktails and tapas style plates of modern Asian cuisine. A menu designed for sharing has an Izakaya feel. Dishes smack of flavour and fun. A perfect Soho pit stop!
The Happy Lamb Hot Pot Restaurant specializes in Mongolian-style hot pot, originating from Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Their claim to fame is their quality meat, freshly sliced in-house, and their rich, savory broth, simmered for over 6 hours with 36 aromatic ingredients including goji berries, jujubes, ginseng, and herbs. The restaurant offers a DIY dining setup, allowing patrons to navigate their own culinary journey, with the star of the show being their intensely flavorful broth, which is so good that additional dipping sauces become unnecessary.
Recommended by
Oh, Happy Lamb. There isn't really much else to say, other than - I have the hots for you.Specialising in Mongolian-style hot pot, Happy Lamb sprung up in Baotou and has since established itself as a chain with a presence in the UK, China, Taiwan, the US, Japan, Australia and Canada. They pride themselves in their quality meat, which is freshly sliced in house; as well as their rich and savoury broth, which is crafted from carefully selected hen and beef bones that are simmered over the course of 6 hours. The end result is a concentrated milky-white soup base that is enlivened with 36 aromatics, including goji berries, jujubes, ginseng and herbs.DIY dining setups such as hot pot are one of the few things I prefer to do in a group setting, as it enables you to do far more damage to the menu. Alas, it was just the two of us on this occasion. Nevertheless, the combination platters helped us along and offered a convenient short-cut in terms of menu navigation. As for the broth, we went for the nourishing chicken, which is the house special and rightly so. I also liked the sound of the spicy sour pickled cabbage so we opted in for that too.Anyway, long story short(ened), it was absolutely delicious and barely a word was said until each and every plate was relieved of its ingredients. The intensely flavourful broth was easily the star of the show, deeming the additional dipping sauces all but unnecessary. A final few slurps of noodles ensured none of it went to waste.Oh, Happy Lamb. There isn't really much else to say, other than - I have the hots for you.
BAO Soho is a Taiwanese restaurant renowned for its soft bao buns, stuffed with a variety of delicious fillings like pork, daikon, and fried chicken. Originally a small street food stall, BAO Soho has grown to six locations, each with slightly different menus. Besides the signature bao, the restaurant also offers a Xiao Chi menu, featuring small plates such as blood cake with cured egg yolk and Guinea fowl rice.
Recommended by
The first - and still the best - Taiwanese bao outpost of its kind in London. Having originally started as a street food stall in a small East London market, Bao now has six outposts (slightly differing in menu and offering) across London. The OG Soho restaurant still commands a queue on most days at both lunch and dinner times. Go for the pillowy soft bao buns stuffed with an array of unctuous fillings (pork, daikon and fried chicken to name a few) and stay for the delectable Xiao Chi menu of punchy, finger lickin good small plates. Firm favourites include the blood cake and cured egg yolk, Guinea fowl rice and the fried chicken.
BAO Borough is a casual Taiwanese street food restaurant known for its affordable and flavorful dishes. The restaurant's star dish is the 40-day aged beef on buttered rice, which offers intense flavors and is a customer favorite. With a varying menu offering bite-sized dishes, BAO Borough presents an excellent lunch option.
Recommended by
The best Bao restaurant in LondonBao is a casual Taiwanese streetfood restaurant, widely popular and rightly so. One of the best cheap eats in London, Bao certainly ticks all the right boxes. This Bao specifically is the best (in my humble opinion) as it has their star dish- the 40 day aged beef on buttered rice (under 10£) This was hands down the best dish I had in London on this trip. Such intense flavours & the buttery rice really complimented the beef. Bao menu varies all over London; original concept & bite size dishes - a great lunch option
Mambow is a cozy spot nestled near the Bussey Building/Copeland Park, offering a unique experience of Malaysian-inspired cuisine. The restaurant keeps a short menu of 5 or 6 plates, ensuring consistent quality in their perfectly spiced dishes. With well-priced natural wines and availability for both reservations and walk-ins, Mambow is a noteworthy addition to the food scene.
Recommended by
Neighbourhood food with a punchTucked away at the back of a ground floor unit adjoing Peckham’s arty Bussey Building/Copeland Park sits Mambow, a food truck type offering that has come in from the cold. A short menu of 5 or 6 plates allows the small team to deliver consistent and lip smacking plates of perfectly spiced Malaysian inspired cuisine to an adoring crowd. Reservations can snag a seat at the counter but walk-ups can always wait for a table. Well priced and sourced natural wines make this a great addition to the SE London food scene.
BaoziInn - London Bridge is a restaurant specializing in Northern Chinese street food with a focus on handmade dumplings and bao buns. Known for their prawn and chive dumplings and pork bao buns, they offer an authentic taste of traditional Chinese cuisine. The restaurant also features a wide array of dishes, including dim sum, skewers, roast meat, noodles, and rice, making it a go-to spot for those craving diverse and flavorful Chinese food.
Recommended by
Steamer baskets of joy! Nestled away just past the bustling Borough Market are London’s best dumplings. With classic flavours of prawn and chive and delicious pork bao buns, this place is well versed in the language of dumpling. Every dumpling is handmade in the window, you can taste the quality.
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Parker Milner
Parker Milner is a Food Writer based in Charleston, South Carolina. He’s the Food Editor of The Post and Courier, South Carolina’s oldest daily newspaper and has also contributed to publications like Eater and Charleston Magazine.
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