Along Edgware Road lies a rather impressive Asian food hall that’s full to the brim with food stalls, restaurants, bars, shops, and a community space: Bang Bang Oriental.
Now, this is not your bog-standard food court here, people. What was once the old Oriental City site has turned into London’s largest Asian food hall, packing 32,000 square feet of culinary adventure.
We’re talking nearly 30 outlets of delicious food from China, Korea, Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. It’s one of the widest ranges of specialist Asian restaurants in the whole of the UK. And we even managed to get over to Bang Bang Oritental ourselves to see what the fuss was about…
…Safe to say it didn’t disappoint.
The food
Go with an empty belly and fill up on super spicy Sichuan cuisine from Uncle Chilli, melt-in-your-mouth roast duck from Four Seasons, or fresh sashimi from Oishi Tasty Sushi. You can make room for it all, trust us.
For dessert, sip on some Taiwanese-style brown sugar fresh milk tea from Tiger Hill, and treat yourself to a range of traditional Chinese and Japanese desserts from Wonderful Patisseries. Make sure you don’t miss out on the egg custard tarts, the Japanese cheese cake, or the pandan rolls!
There are far too many outlets to name here, but think dim sum, teas, roasted meats, rice and noodle dishes, and enough sushi to shake your chopsticks at. They even have some vegan options in store, with Veggie Wok serving a pure vegetarian fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine.
For a more formal dining experience, there’s also the stylish Golden Dragon restaurant, which offers a classic Chinese menu.
Beyond the food at Bang Bang Oriental
Bang Bang Oriental seats up to 450 guests, but this destination isn’t just for foodies! Guests can go to The Mezzanine and enjoy traditional Chinese massages, peruse herbal medicines or be treated to a nail or beauty treatment. They also do events throughout the year, including a pretty spectacular Chinese New Year celebration!
But to cap it all off, their Oriental Chinese Community Centre provides incredible support to a local community. Through this service they provide companionship, space for celebrations and events, and assistance for the elderly members of the community. They help them integrate through organising English classes, medical requirements support, information services, and more. It’s all really rather sweet and heartwarming.
So, what are you waiting for? Head on down to Bang Bang Oriental, and try something familiar, or something new! You’re sure to find your next obsession – and it’s well worth venturing out the central zones of London for.
