I’ll be honest – I’m not the biggest fan of Chinese food. When my family or friends have a Chinese takeaway, I often just cook something myself, it has never impressed me. So when I was invited to try London’s Chop Chop I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to expand my horizons.
If you didn’t know where Chop Chop was, you wouldn’t suddenly stumble upon it. The restaurant is located inside the famous Hippodrome Casino, one floor below the entrance. We definitely wondered if we were in the right place, but soon found the welcoming entrance.
Although the restaurant is technically underground and therefore has no windows as such, there are window-like openings with neon lighting in the style of a koi fish. You wouldn’t know you were under the Hippodrome, and the atmosphere made it feel like a small, upscale speakeasy of sorts.
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TripAdvisor reviews for Chop Chop are glowing and full of praise, even being ranked 34th out of London’s 21,249 restaurants. One reviewer said it was the “best Chinese food I’ve had in London for a long time”. Many reviewers raved about the restaurant’s crispy duck, which was even hailed by the Financial Times as the best in the world – I knew I definitely had to try this.
We started with some cocktails – what I really appreciated is the unique spin Chop Chop put on some of my favorite classics, like a dragon fruit margarita or a poppy boba martini. I also thought all the food and drinks were reasonably priced for a central London restaurant.
When the crispy duck arrived it was shredded by one of the waiters at the table which was a really nice touch. We were a little worried about wrestling the duck ourselves, and the service was incredible.
The flavor and texture of the crispy duck was perfect, and I can definitely see why it has been voted the best in the world. If you get one thing from Chop Chop, make it this!
Other highlights of our meal included chicken fried rice, BBQ pork buns and vegetarian spring rolls. Everything we ordered was excellent, and I think anything on the menu would be a sure winner.
Overall, Chop Chop is an absolute hidden gem and one I would definitely recommend to anyone, even if you’re not the biggest fan of Chinese food. It has definitely converted me to a Chinese food lover, and I look forward to going back.
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