Dim Sum is one of my favourite things to eat. Made for sharing, dim sum consists of dumplings, buns and baos alongside other small plates, and makes for a fun meal. On a day trip to London back in December we visited Ping Pong in Soho for dinner, a Chinese restaurant specialising in authentic, handmade dumplings, buns, baos and so much more.
The Soho branch of Ping Pong is situated close to the popular Carnaby Street, centrally located and the perfect spot for a post-shopping meal. With a deceptive amount of seating downstairs, Ping Pong is ideal for large groups with large circular tables and plenty of space – make sure you arrive hungry!
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We took a seat at one of the circular tables and prepared ourselves for a dim sum feast. The menu was extensive, with a huge variety of dim sum, rice dishes and other delicious things on offer.
The ordering style at Ping Pong is unlike any I’ve experienced before – a single ordering sheet is presented to the table for you to select what you’d like and scribble down the quantities.
Ping Pong have plenty of vegan & gluten free options on their menu, making it a great spot for anyone – and they’re happy to point out specific dishes that would be suitable.
After much debate, we decided to order a range of dumplings to share alongside a main dish each. A lot of food – and it was all incredible.
First up were the king prawn dumplings, filled with a very generous amount of prawns, melted garlic butter and bursting with flavour. They were incredible, and I loved the squid ink dumpling wrappers.
Shanghai chilli wontons with chicken – something I’d never tried before, and they were spicy! Delicious parcels with a kick that I’d order again, but they’re not for those who don’t enjoy spice.
Prawn & chive dumplings, a classic flavour that we always like to order. These were very tasty and beautifully cooked – filled with succulent prawns.
Sesame cauliflower as a side, stir fried and mixed with sesame & hoi sin sauces. I love cauliflower, especially when it’s crispy and fried like this – it was delicious.
One of the specials at the time was the lobster & garlic butter dumplings – doesn’t that sound incredible? Of course we had to try them.
Juicy lobster, a hit of glorious garlic butter and topped with edamame – these were beautiful and my favourite dumplings from our meal.
We couldn’t resist ordering the classic char siu buns, which we’d never tried before but heard so much about. These fluffy buns were stuffed with honey barbecued pork and they were sweet, salty and tasty. I’m hoping to recreate these at home!
Our last dumplings were the traditional shanghai xiaolongbao – otherwise known as shanghai soup dumplings. Filled with pork & spring onion, these juicy dumplings were delicious, and it’s obvious why they’re such a popular traditional dumpling.
As if all of that food wasn’t enough, we ordered a large plate each as well! Tom opted for the chicken katsu curry rice bowl, one of his favourite dishes and always a winner. Served with edamame beans, a soft boiled egg, broccoli and katsu sauce, this was a nice version of a classic katsu curry.
I chose the crispy prawn rice bowl – I can never resist a prawn! This was delicious, and a feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds. Served with all the trimmings, this was a delicious bowl and the crispy prawns were perfectly cooked. I wasn’t too keen on the soft boiled egg as an accompaniment – but that comes down to personal preference.
We had a lovely dinner at Ping Pong Soho, and it’s up there with some of the best dim sum I’ve ever had. The dumplings were all delicious, the buns were perfectly fluffy and our rice bowls were the finishing touches on an Asian feast.
If you find yourself in London, I’d recommend visiting one of the Ping Pong restaurants if you can. Their food was excellent, service was prompt and the Soho branch is ideally located.
Visit their website here to browse the menu and book a table.
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