Taiwanese fusion in Soho
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| Crab in Chilli Egg Drop Sauce served with Fried Mantou |
I have been to Xu two times in the past back when it was first opened in 2017. Since then, many things have changed. It now has an afternoon tea menu, as well as a much reduced a la carte menu. The iconic dish, such as the Iberico pork char siu is still on the menu, but there are many unusual dishes popping up in its latest menu, things that you might not class it as authentic Chinese or Taiwanese food. Instead, it has a fusion feel about it. To celebrate Chinese New Year 2020, I got myself a table for lunch, and ordered some of the new dishes, as well as revisiting some classics.
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| Taro Pancake with Burrata & Fish Floss |
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| XO Butter Wild Red Prawn, Salted Black Bean |
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| Smoked Tea Duck with Oolong Tea Salt |
The taro pancake was unusual, almost like canapes you would get from a modern upmarket European restaurant. The pancake had a mellow taro aroma and the burrata cheese was creamy with just a small hint of fish umami note, it was a lovely surprise. The xo red prawn's failed to match my expectation. It lacked the sweetness I was expecting and the xo dressing lacked the intense savoury flavours. The classic Iberico pork was still a star. The meat was really moist, the sweet honey taste, along with the rose wine and soy sauce taste created such a wonderful glaze for the meat, I would happily eat a whole plate of that on my own.
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| XU’s Charcoal Roasted Shou Pa Chicken Ginger & Spring Onion |
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| Char Siu Iberico Pork Neck with Cucumber & Sesame |
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| Glutinous Mushroom Rice |
I found Xu's 2020 style of food is gearing more toward the fusion and experimental way, much more if I compared to my first 2 visits. Some worked, some didn't for me. Fair play for them to give it a try instead of just sticking with the more traditional stuff, but for sure, the food overall has lost a little bit of Oriental soul. The starter selection was also far too expensive as they were more of a tapas size rather than a start size. The service was decent, nothing remarkable. All in all, a decent Chinese restaurant with some interesting and creative elements, but be prepared to pay a premium cost for it.
Food 3/5
Average cost without drinks and services:
£35
30 Rupert St, London W1D 6DL
https://xulondon.com/
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