If you've already seen TimeOut's glowing review of this new Soho eatery, then Ba Shan needs no introduction. If you haven't, all you really need to know is that this place is AWESOME. It's a smart addition to Romilly Street, opposite one of the team's other restaurants, Bar Shu (currently closed for a refurb). If you've eaten there before, or at sister venue Baozi Inn, then the North Eastern Chinese and Sichuan inspired menu at Ba Shan will come as no surprise. We visited early evening and took a few snaps for your benefit. Enjoy!
Inside, the ground floor is a cosy minimalist space with sleek dark wood tables and simple table settings. It's intimate but not cramped - perfect for a post-work dinner date or a pre-theatre supper. We ditched the wine list in favour of these more exotic creations recommended by our waitress - a lemon ice tea and something wonderful made with fresh mango, plenty of crushed ice and a subtle floral twist.
You might end up fighting over these plump, sweet prawns with their rich spicy dipping sauce. They were so good we had to order more. The secret to the crisp, non-greasy coating is tiny cubes of white bread added to the batter mix before deep frying in viciously hot oil.
An unusual Xi'an dish of potato slivers, blanched and then mixed with Szechuan peppercorns, dried chillies, white vinegar, and finely sliced fresh red chillies. This struck a balance between refreshing and fiery, with that addictive tongue-tingling heat that keeps you going back for more.
On the left, crisp vegetable guotie - shallow-fried like Japanese gyoza, also known as 'potstickers'. Inside, the vegetables were fresh and packed full of flavour, a world away from the tasteless mush you find in straight-from-the-freezer spring rolls.
The little green beauties (coloured with spinach juice) are soft and springy and full of tender stewed pork. They can also be filled with cumin-scented beef or pressed beancurd if you prefer.
Finally, some chicken and shitake mushroom dumplings with a soft and slippery skin, smooth tasty filling and a spicy garlic sauce. Again, these are coloured with vegetable juice - all natural - and like everything else on the menu, all handmade by what must be an impeccably trained team of chefs.
With no room left for one of their noodle dishes or a bowl of the intriguingly named 'strange flavour peanuts', we admitted defeat and vowed to come back to try out the rest of the menu. We can't comment on the authenticity of the dishes (having never been to China) but we can guarantee that Ba Shan's food is unlike anything you will have tasted before in London. The staff seem to beam with pride each time they deliver a dish - a sure sign that they have faith in the kitchen, and you should too. In a few weeks time, you're going to really struggle to get a table here. Go. Go now!
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