Let me tell you a little about the best brunch I’ve had so far in 2018…
I’m sure you’ve heard of Bun House. It’s the cute Chinese place in Soho, serving delicious bao buns. If you haven’t seen the Custard ones plastered on my Instagram, then chances are you’ve spotted them on someone else’s.
Tea Room is the subterranean spot below the popular Bun House. I had been meaning to venture downstairs for ages so when they launched a new brunch menu I couldn’t resist.
Lit by the glare of green Cantonese lettering, Tea Room is modelled as an old school Hong Kong style speakeasy. Waitresses are dressed in traditional cheongsam and wicker chairs give a laid back vibe.
First things first: drinks. I went for Plum Wine & Pomelo Bubbly, while he went for Shaoxing Wine & Ginger Bubbly (each £8.80). Both were weirdly delicious. These have to be some of the most flavourful and unique cocktails I’ve tried – flavour that packs a punch is definitely something that runs through every item on the menu down at Tea Room.
Having no idea what anything on the menu would be like, we asked the waitress for a recommendation. Her favourite dish is Pumpkin Congee with Cured Yolk & Mince (£10.80) – so we went for this. Since we’d never tried Congee, it was completely unexpected. Think; a thick soup with “mystery” ingredients running through. Each mouthful was a new texture and taste – might not sound appealing, but it really was!
We also went for Sa Yong (£3): a fried egg puff with a creamy filling. Another unexpected little treat.
Our highlight has got to be the Sesame Hoi Sin Pig Cheung Fan with Egg (£9.80). Rice noodles layered into rolls and cut so that each piece is dense and chewy. The textures and flavours were on point here. Tangy, sweet, spicy; a mix of veg, thick noodles and pork. 👌🏽
Finally (and miraculously) we had room for dessert. I heard the Classic Hong Kong French Toast (£9.80) was filled with peanut butter AND cheese so we couldn’t give this a miss. Sweet French toast contrasted with savoury stringy Cheese, Peanut Butter and Char Sui Bacon. Decadent, fried and drizzled in syrup – how could you go wrong?
Tea Room is completely different to Bun House above. Don’t expect the usual bao buns. Go for for the unique flavours and tastes. I haven’t been to Hong Kong but I can assume this isn’t “traditional” – not that it’s a bad thing. This has been my favourite brunch so far this year – even with no Eggs Benedict or Mimosas in sight.
Find Tea Room at 23 Greek St, London W1D 4DZ. (🚆 Leicester Square)
London Girl ✖️
London Girl Munches 