Mei Mei, Liverpool

For a dim sum lunch in Liverpool there are only really two restaurants I would consider, Mei Mei on Berry Street by the bombed out church (St Lukes for the out of towners) and Tai Pan further out from the centre on Great Howard Street.

The beauty of dim sum is that it is a sharing affair and is best enjoyed in large groups which allows for more dishes to be ordered. Portions of dumplings usually come with four pieces, although more upscale Chinese restaurants may serve in portions of three or even allow you to order each piece individually as in the case of A Wong.

Siu mai – prawn and pork dumplings

Har gau – prawn dumplings in a translucent case

Shanghai dumplings, not on the level of those I've tried at Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong but decent

Whelks in satay sauce - a childhood favourite

Churn fan – silky smooth rice rolls which come in a range of fillings, fried dough, char siu and beef are generally our picks

Fried churn fun and turnip cakes coated in XO sauce (made with dried scallops)

Blackbean and chilli steam spare ribs

Chicken feet, braised and steamed with blackbean and chilli

Bean curd wraps – filled with pork and spring onion, deep fried beancurd spring rolls and yee mein noodles with mushroom

Deep fried cuttlefish cakes and mixed roast meat ho fun

Mr Chilli, Liverpool

Mr Chilli is our go to place for a quick and easy Chinese with Sichuan  and Wuhan influence. It is situated on Seel Street and has easy parking outside. It is often said that the most authentic restaurants are always frequented by those of the ethnic origin of the cuisine, here is no different and due to the nature of the menu I guess it appeals to us Asians more than others.

A lot of dishes are chilli based as one would expect, with a variety of dishes on offer as well as a sharing hot pot where uncooked foods are ordered and cooked by the customers in the central hotpot to their liking. I have been many a time for the normal menu and the hotpot with no preference for either, it just depends on the mood I am in.

There are a variety of set menus on offer for the hotpot offering a selection of meat, seafood and veg dishes along with options for the soup base. For those who like chilli I would suggest the ‘ma laak’ or super hot chilli soup base packed full of chillis, although it would be wise to go for half and half in a split pot with a chicken or clear broth incase you underestimate the strength of the chilli. Its no fun if you become numb to taste and end up with a runny nose.

Our favourites for cooking in the hotpot include thin lamb and beef slices which cook in a matter of seconds, crab and prawns in the spicy soup base and enoki mushrooms. For a fun communal meal hotpots are hard to beat if you don’t mind getting stuck in.

Other specialities include knife cut noodles and dan dan spicy noodles which are about the best you can find in Liverpool. Bang bang chicken in chilli oil and topped with peanuts is another classic dish along Thinly sliced pork belly bacon in garlic, sesame and chilli oil.

Other more extravagant dishes include wok fired spicy crab and chilli baked seabass. Eating crab is messy but it is worth the effort, for first timers it is wise to go for the claws. To finish the simple dish of steamed and deep fried mantou buns is a throwback to a staple of ancient China.

For chilli fans it is hard to go wrong at Mr Chilli with most dishes coming in at under £10. Don’t come here for the bastardised western versions of sweet and sour or crispy duck or you will be missing the point.

A Wong, London

For innovative accessible Chinese food A Wong is in my view one of the leaders in the country. Since trying the mindblowingly good Peking duck feast last year I was intrigued with the dim sum and regular dinner menu and it was only until recently that I could return to sample both. The attractive aspect of the dim sum menu is being able to order per individual piece rather than a portion, ideal for lone diners and couples; it may mean it costs more but the quality more than makes up for it.

During a leisurely lunch we tried the following starting with Shanghai steamed dumplings with ginger infused vinegar.

Pork and prawn dumpling, pork crackling, the restaurants take on the classic siu mai.

Clear shrimp dumpling, sweet chilli sauce, citrus foam – har gau, my all time favourite dim sum.  

Quail egg croquette puff

Baked roasted pork buns with a sugared coating

Sesame buttered smoked chicken

Yunnan mushroom, pork and truffle dumpling

Crab, seafood and beancurd cannelloni, pickled cockles – packed with crab with a nice crunch the fried beancurd adding texture.

Foie gras sticky sesame dumpling

Scallop puff with XO sauce

Deep fried prawn ball with abalone and chilli vinaigrette

63 degree ‘tea egg’ with shredded filo – mopping up the oozing yolk with the shredded filo was addictive. 

Smoked duck and jellyfish and pork crackling salad

A week before my dim sum visit I returned for the dinner menu. The dishes we tried were all based on classic Chinese dishes but with Chef Andrew Wongs own twist. They had a homely flavour feel yet retained the restaurant grace in terms of presentation.

Sweet and sour rib with toasted sesame

Dry braised salt and pepper tiger prawn

Crispy duck: Mrs. Chow’s  pancakes and plum sauce

Dong Po slow braised Blythburgh pork belly

Dry fried French beans with minced pork

Scotch beef rump with salsify, preserved plum powder and oyster sauce

Chef Cheng’s prawn stuffed chicken wings with black bean sauce

Crispy chilli, caramelised beef, pickled carrots

Razor clam with braised sea cucumber, pickled cucumber, wind dried sausage

Theres something very comforting about mopping up white rice infused with the sauce from the dishes above. In short, A Wong is a must try.