As a proud Clapham resident, I’ve watched with delight as, over the last year and a half, a whole host of great new restaurants and bars have sprung up. Gentrification may be a bitch for house prices (£600k for an average two bed!!!), but it sure does breed decent eateries….
The latest of these is Fu Manchu, a dim sum restaurant and bar that’s recently opened in the railway arches behind Clapham North Tube station. The venue itself is very cool – the domed, bare brick ceiling of the arches is lit up with coloured lights, lending it a funky vibe. It apparently comes to life even more at night, when the place transformed into more of a bar vibe, with DJs and a 3am license on Saturdays. On Thursday's they're doing a live music night called 'Fu'Damental' with new artists (Delilah played the launch!) too. Pretty hip. I didn’t try it out in the wee hours, though I will- no, I was there for the dim sum.
They have a massive dim sum menu which you order from in traditional style – ticking off the dishes you fancy. I had no idea what to order and so I let the waitress pick. I often prefer doing that – after all, no one knows the menu better and it sure brings a sense of adventure to a dinner.
They have a massive dim sum menu which you order from in traditional style – ticking off the dishes you fancy. I had no idea what to order and so I let the waitress pick. I often prefer doing that – after all, no one knows the menu better and it sure brings a sense of adventure to a dinner.
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Their steamed dim sum were great. I loved the Monkfish Fung Yan Gow with lime, topped with caviar. This was meaty and full flavoured, with a pleasing zing from the citrus. Also very good were their prawn Har Gau- they make them bigger than I’ve seen before and it certainly made for a yummy mouthful. The only comment I’d make on their steamed ones were their Char Sui Bao steamed buns filled with slow cooked pork meat, which were not as generously packed or full flavoured as I like.
I also adored their Yung Rou Su, sweet, glazed pastries filled with mutton – these were my highlight of the entire meal and I ordered a second plate of them. You don’t see mutton enough on a menu and these were simply delicious; meaty, moreish and savoury.
One slight blip regarding these and the pork ones we ordered came in that they arrived a little on the cold side. They’d obviously been heated up (fine – you’re not going to make pastries a la minute) but not quite enough. It didn’t diminish my experience much but it was a little odd.
Another highlight came in the form of the Lor Pak Gou, a turnip cake with vibrant sausage and punchy dried shrimp, which I was impressed to see on the menu in the first place. I loved this soft and tasty plate more than a little bit.
It’s all priced relatively decently and (prepare to be THRILLED) on Sunday's they run an all you can eat dim sum deal for £19.50! Get it through their facebook. You'll find me there every week at this rate.
Another highlight came in the form of the Lor Pak Gou, a turnip cake with vibrant sausage and punchy dried shrimp, which I was impressed to see on the menu in the first place. I loved this soft and tasty plate more than a little bit.
It’s all priced relatively decently and (prepare to be THRILLED) on Sunday's they run an all you can eat dim sum deal for £19.50! Get it through their facebook. You'll find me there every week at this rate.
On the cocktails front; the list is broad and reads inventively. It had been a long day so I tried their signature sip; a devastatingly strong brew of Manchu's Mind Control (secret 'grog', mango and guava), served in an awkward pottery head of Fu! This was quite delicious. Less successful for me was their Chai Tea Mai Tai which, sadly, I absolutely hated to the extent that I actually left it – quite out of character for me, my mother’s daughter when it comes to glugging. I actually felt bad about this – the manager told us it was his personal invention. Sorry. 
I liked Fu Manchu a lot. It’s the first dim sum place that I’m aware of to spring up in the area and it’s going to do really well, especially with deals like unlimited dim sum on the table. I’m intrigued too to see it at night when the music goes up and the dance floor comes out. But mostly I’m intrigued to come back and devour more dim sum.
8/10
15-16 Lendal Terrace, London SW4 7UX
020 3397 8844
8/10
15-16 Lendal Terrace, London SW4 7UX
020 3397 8844
