Cha chaan teng london

The same location has already seen off a branch of pizza restaurant Rocket and a Japanese called Wabi. I like a good trashfest as much as any other Instagram addict, but this cha? Open all week, Marina O'Loughlin on restaurants Restaurants. Marina O'Loughlin. And what a mighty fine brew they managed to concoct! The Soulshakers team brings together the very best from the drinks and bar industry.

Book online View on map. The Food Our food is a playful asian fusion of east and west right in the heart of Holborn. The Drink Like everything we do, our drinks menu is truly east meets west - with tea, cocktails and so much more all in the heart of London. Jeremy Pang. Henrietta Lovell. The crispy kale and marbled beetroot tea egg, with a generous sprinkling of roasted coconut, is an absolute must; a take on crispy seaweed, once you start eating it it really is hard to stop.

The lobster prawn toast with sesame and wasabi mayo another fine starter, which comes plentiful, indulgent and beautifully presented. Bao burgers are also on offer, and come as a hybrid of sliders and bao buns — filled with an array of inventive fillings.

Our salt and pepper squid bao was particularly punchy, with a good hit of wasabi and a soft sweetness of beetroot.

Cha Chaan Teng has several signature dishes, the macaroni soups are one; and there are four generous bowls to choose from. We tried the unusual yet fiery homemade kimchi soup with banana flower and courgette fritters, their own take on the popular ramen bowls with macaroni replacing the noodles. The mains are hearty sharing plates. The whole crispy sea bream with sha cha sauce was presented banquet style, on its side as if still swimming, head and tail still in tow, with lashings of the sweet garlicky sauce.

A large helping of hoisin Coca-Cola ribs and a little bit of magic, if Cha Chaan Teng is anything to go by. Even walking in is fairly mind-bending. The strangest thing of all is that it actually works. And as with the decor, to eat here you have to be ready for anything. First up — a spam roll. Another highlight was a properly luxurious lobster prawn toast that came flecked with black sesame seeds and drizzled with wasabi mayo. And those hoisin Coca-Cola ribs — sweet, sticky and braised in ginger and dark soy, this dish is basically Cha Chaan Teng on a plate: bucketloads of American indulgence balanced with clean, zingy Asian flavours.

Sometimes, though, they take it all too far.