Min Jiang at the Royal Garden Hotel

Min Jiang at the Royal Garden Hotel

2 - 24 Kensington High Street
London

W8 4PT

T. 020 7361 1988

This week we were very kindly invited to Min Jiang at the Royal Garden Hotel in the beautiful area of Kensington and from the moment we walked in the whole experience felt special. The first thing that strikes you as you walk into the restaurant is the incredible view over Hyde Park and the London skyline. The decor is modern and the atmosphere sophisticated and relaxed. Min Jiang is highly versatile in the sense that it would a wonderful choice for a romantic evening with a loved one but would work equally well for a business lunch.

After we were seated at a beautiful table overlooking the park, the Restaurant Manager came over to greet us and gave us her personal recommendations of the restaurant's most famous drinks and dishes. We chose two of the signature cocktails, I had the Rasberita which was made with fresh raspberries and was delicious. Katrina enjoyed the Oriental Mojito, which is one of Min Jiang's most famous cocktails, consisting of lime, watermelon, sugar, mint muddled together with Havana Club .

The menu is extensive as there is a huge selection of dim sum and main dishes to choose from, but the staff were incredibly attentive and on hand to answer any questions. We started with prawn won ton soup which was the best I have ever tried, followed by a selection of siew mai dumplings, char siew buns and spring rolls which were delicious. Unlike in the majority of other Chinese restaurants in the UK, Min Jiang steams all of their dumplings fresh rather than re-heating them and you can really tell.


I knew that I wanted to try the wood fired duck as it is Min Jiang's most famous dish. Based on an ancient recipe, the whole experience felt very authentic. The dish is presented in two servings; the chef slices the duck skin in front of you which is served first with pancakes. I had previously only eaten duck pancakes served with plum sauce, cucumbers and spring onion. This was an option but we were also presented with sugar which is traditionally served with the crispy skin as well as apples which made a pleasant alternative. For the second serving of duck (the meat) there are four options, minced duck with Lettuce wrap, salted vegetable soup with duck and tofu, fried rice with diced duck or fried noodles with sliced duck. We asked for the fourth option which was a great choice.

At this stage we probably should have stopped as we were very full but we carried on and enjoyed diced rib eye of beef with black pepper sauce, vegetable egg fried rice and stir fried pak choi. The portions are generous at Min Jiang, so expect to walk away well fed.


In conclusion, Katrina and I had an amazing experience at Min Jiang. The staff could not have been more friendly or helpful, the views were stunning and the food was the best Chinese that I have eaten in a long time. Although undeniably expensive, I feel that if you ordered wisely you could enjoy an excellent meal at a decent price. I will without doubt be returning to Min Jiang soon and I highly recommend you try this wonderful restaurant when you're next in town.

Food: 4.5/5

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5