Loon Tao - London, United Kingdom

31 Gerrard Street

London W1D6JJ

020-7287-2669

Last Visited: July 6, 2010

Food: 2 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars (but then again, it was standard for London)

Price: $$

Located just past the gate in London's Chinatown, we looked inside Loon Tao and hoped for the best. One of the chefs was cooking up some vegetables on the other side of the front window, and we thought we saw Asian people sitting inside (which is usually a good sign), so with hope and expectation, we walked inside.

At this point on our trip, I had eaten two weeks of American and other non-Asian cuisine, so I was hoping for some authentic Asian flavors.

The restaurant is fairly large with a second level containing seating. We were quickly ushered upstairs. The waiter was new and it showed. While the four of us were given a large round table, another table of people walked in. These non-Asians were given a basket of shrimp chips to eat as they reviewed their menu. It didn't seem like they were regulars, so I'm not sure if they just don't give this appetizer to Asian people because it's not typical of Asian dining or cuisine to start with chips.

The music, Chinese lyrics to contemporary pop and 80s music, like music by Phil Collins, played rather loudly on the sound system and seemed to be a very unusual combination. The menu contains standard westernized Chinese fare with some authentic dishes.

- Beef Chow Fun - Of the dishes we had, this was one of the better ones. Beef slices stir fried with wide rice noodles, onions, and bean sprouts. The flavor was authentic and though the portion was just okay and the temperature could have been even hotter, it was acceptable.

- Vegetables of the Day - We ordered two dishes of seasonal vegetables. The gai lan and choy sum were both good; in fact, they were the best dishes we had the whole meal, but the gai lan was far better because of its tenderness. Both were fresh and cooked in the same broth as the soup noodles.

- Won Ton Noodle Soup and Shrimp Dumpling Noodle Soup - Although these are two separate dishes, the style of cooking is the same and the only difference is between the wontons and the shrimp dumplings. While the flavor of the broth was fine and there is a decent quantity of food, the noodles were a little softer than what they should have been - not al dente enough. The wontons and the dumplings were sad. They didn't have the freshness of those found in authentic restaurants. Some seasoning had been added to the meat that overpowered the shrimp in each wonton and each dumpling so that they left a poor aftertaste. Both of these dishes would get 1 star or less from me.

While service was okay, I lowered their rating because each table didn't seem to receive the same treatment upon arrival (the whole thing with the chips). The best part of the meal may have been the large plate of sliced orange wedges that we were given with the check. Overall, I found the price to be high for what we received in terms of value and quality. If you're only going to order vegetables, it might be worth a try, but if you want a full Chinese meal, I would see what else might be available nearby. As we walked out, we realized those Asians we saw eating were actually staff members eating their dinner. Alas, so long Loon Tao and your unsual musical selection.