The say good things comes in small packages, and that’s certainly the case with Royal China in Fulham.
It may be the smallest of the five authentic Chinese restaurants owned by the Royal China Group in London, but when I went there with my friend recently we were treated to good food, good atmosphere and great service that it left me wanting more.
The luxurious and critically-acclaimed Royal China Club in Baker Street is probably the most well-known restaurant in the group, which is renowned for its Dim Sum, including steamed seafood dumplings and pan-fried fillet of duck breast rolls, but this 55-seater in Fulham Road packs its own punches.
We were immediately greeted upon arrival with a friendly welcome by two waitresses who showed us to our seats.
Manager Queenie Law soon joined us and she explained the restaurant almost always had a family in it that gave it the calm family-friendly atmosphere they wanted.
Sure enough the only other table occupied when we arrived was filled with a family of four.
The calm, relaxing atmosphere was backed up by soft music playing in the background and an elegant decor with striking red and black features with rich golden hues.
Miss Law gave me her recommendations, which included a few chef’s specials and some from the main menu such as stir-fried king prawns in chilli garlic and beef brisket hot pot.
When I told them about my peanut allergy, they were very accommodating and made me aware of what meals I could and couldn’t have.
For starters, we shared crispy vegetable spring rolls which were amazing and served within 10 minutes of ordering.
That was followed by our main courses of soft mixed vegetable noodles and chicken curry with sauce.
Our dessert wasn’t on the menu but the fried banana with toffee was the perfect way to end the meal, if a little sweet.
Royal China, which has an outdoor patio, may be the smallest in the group but it is also the only one that offers a home delivery service.
As we were leaving at around 8:30pm, more people were arriving, and the restaurant began to get full, which is impressive for a Monday night and suggests this is a popular and relaxed place to eat.
The restaurant was reasonably priced for food, and drinks were slightly more expensive, but the staff were attentive and pleasant, which is the kind of service you would expect from a prestigious Chinese restaurant and this definitely won’t be my last trip.
