Last Updated on October 16, 2024
Well-priced weekday bento lunch in Central London.
Finding a low-cost lunch deal with table service in London is much harder than it was pre-pandemic. Ping Pong’s friendly interior offers an alternative to canteen-style venues with chiller cabinets or hot food orders tapped on screens. The food was served swiftly, tasted good and we think we’ll want to bounce back.
Ping Pong’s keenly priced £11.95 bento lunch box deal offers a quick dining option in a traditional restaurant setting with table service. A few steps away from Selfridges at Ping Pong’s St Christopher’s Place branch, we took a break from the crowds to sample this dim-sum deal. The setting feels casual and unrushed even though the food arrives quickly enough to get back to the office or not eat into your shopping time. The decor is smart but relaxed with cushions and throws. You might equally visit with a friend or group of work colleagues. It feels far less of a conveyor belt than larger oriental chains and this particular branch, in a fairly small unit, with further seating in the basement, had charm that glassy modern restaurant units can lack.
The bento lunch set menu features four items. Each diner gets a bowl of edamame beans and a pair of vegetable spring rolls with dipping sauce; in addition, diners have three options of steamed dumplings and three options of main courses with jasmine rice.
Each table receives a printed slip with pencils to mark orders for their group. This seems sensible and efficient as many little items for up to six people in a group could get confusing. Although somewhat “old school” these days we found this system more practical than ordering on an app.
Although described as a bento “box”, dishes are served in plates and bowls. Attractive presentation starts even before the food arrives with tables laid with paper napkins and chopsticks in place settings rather than dispensers. Different colours and shapes of crockery bring visual interest. The tableware and accessories have a homely feel.
The edamame is much as that served elsewhere. Our pairs of mini spring rolls were crispy golden and had a light sweet chilli dipping sauce.
The dumplings were served in a bamboo basket with a pleasing mist of steam upon opening. The prawn ones were a good size and juicy, while the chicken dumplings had a yellow-tinted wrapper sealing in an umami flavour. Both styles had a generous amount of filling and came with dipping bowls of both sweet chilli sauce and a saltier version containing shrimp paste.
Each main dish included a dome of jasmine rice and a small jug of sauce. The three soy-marinated chicken skewers (shown in the first picture) were succulent, threaded with plenty of meat and came with light chilli sauce. The chicken katsu was golden and crispy with a jug of thick katsu curry sauce.
Everything together looked ceremonious on the table – a plentiful selection without being too much. Two vegetarian dishes available within the deal are mushroom and spinach gyoza and crispy tofu (also with jasmine rice).
Depending on what you order, your drinks may cost more than the food. Ping Pong boasts a wider range of drinks than most other restaurant chains and these range in price from around £4 for teas to over £12 for cocktails.
I opted for a mocktail called Everleaf oriental lychee spritz (£11.95), Everleaf being a brand of non-alcoholic aperitifs. This comprised Everleaf “Mountain” aperitif (cherry blossom, strawberry, rosehip), lychee and lemon juice topped up with soda and garnished with edible flowers. This drink was deliciously refreshing and one I’d enthusiastically choose again. Although I was mildly disappointed it didn’t arrive with edible flowers as shown on the picture menu.
At £11.95 per person, Ping Pong’s bento lunch deal represents incredibly good value considering the amount of food served. The meal presentation and atmosphere are less sterile than in some large Asian chains. We admired the dragon artwork in the restaurant window, the yellow cushions inside and the red chairs with tasselled yellow throws outside. Rather than a quick bite at a sushi chain, Ping Pong is somewhere you can be served quickly during a lunch break but might equally choose to linger longer and socialise. We liked being seated at individual tables instead of the long benches and were glad of proper seating instead of uncomfortable bar stools. Although a chain, Ping Pong only has branches in London and with that in mind, the price point for this set menu is even more remarkable. It’s been a while since dining out seemed such good value so after reacquainting ourselves with Ping Pong we may well be bouncing back again to one of their tables.
Ping Pong’s bento lunch box menu is available on weekday lunchtimes between 12-4 pm. There are four branches in central London serving this offer; St Christopher’s Place, Soho, Southbank and St Katharine Docks (although not Bow Bells House in the City). The offer is available for up to 6 people per table but not for pre-orders or takeaway.
Ping Pong (St Christopher’s Place)
29A James St
London W1U 1DZ
