Time Out, Eating and Dining Guide 2004 (Star Awarded)

"An enticing menu, unfailingly helpful staff and a serene atmosphere make Yming a welcome refuge from the hurly-burly of nearby Chinatown. Owner Christine Yau, one of the leading lights in London's Chinese Community, offers delicious regional dishes you're unlikely to find elsewhere in London, but in a European-style restaurant ambience. On our last visit, we enjoyed the scrumptious "Village duck', a Hakka concoction of duck, lily flowers and shiitake mushrooms in a sauce luxuriant with fermented beancurd, and a fine spicy-sour stir-fry of Chinese cabbage. The fish in Chinese rice wine sauce with wood ear fungus was superbly seasoned (thought the fish itself would have been better cooked slippy soft rather than dry and fragrant). Deep-fried starters are usually well done; try for example the yummy 'aubergine delight' topped with a smidgen of black bean sauce. Dine in the peaceful upstairs dining room, or throw a private dinner party in the he dramatic purple chamber downstairs."

Harden's London Restaurants 2004

Extracts:-
"With it's "carefully crafted" Chinese dishes, "uncharacteristically helpful" service and a setting that's "remarkably serene, fo Soho", Christine Yau's low key fixture is a West End destination of rare appeal."

**Food - Exceptional

Yming review and rating:-
"If you're looking for a really good-quality Chinese meal within our budget, avoid the tourist traps of Chinatown and skip over Shaftesbury Avenue to seek out this still under-appreciated Soho fixture. You'd need quite a lot of self-control to stay within our price limit a la carte, but it's certainly possible if you visit from noon-6pm when you can have three courses - perhaps prawn toast, a meat dish, and lychees, plus coffee or tea - for only GBP10 (the same price as a bottle of house wine)."

Food - Exceptional
Good atmosphere

Australian Regional Paper Review by Robbie Robinson, travel journalist, Australia.

The Chinese restaurant owned by Christine Yau is a breath of fresh air to eating Chinese. There is a strong reference in the cuisine from Northern provinces of China. The food is fresh with sensitive use of condiments and spice, allowing the flavours of the produce to be under the spotlight. The asparagus with fresh scallops worked brilliantly through simplicity of flavours and texture. The spices pepper duck cooked with house spices was pink and tender with star anise leading the spices. Chicken with coriander and lemon zest was succulent and flavoursome. The service at Yming is friendly and professional in everyway. The wine list has been thoughtfully put together to complement the menu with wines from both the new and old world. The surroundings are elegant and refined, suiting the menu and service offered at the restaurant. A "must eat at" venue for those who appreciate thoughtful, innovative Chinese cooking.

Empress Beef
Taken from "Soho Cooking", Alistair Little

The Chinese restaurant, Yming, in Greek Street has consistently served some of the best and most interesting Chinese food in London for years. The owner Christine Yau, is very committed to serving a huge variety of dishes with clear authentic flavours and not a lot of concessions to the worst aspects of Londoner's taste in Chinese food. What accomodation she does make are in the areas of decor, service, hygiene and willingness to please, thus easily outshining most of Chinatown. Empress Beef is one of the specialities at Yming, and is a cleaned up version of Yau Nam, Cantonese stewed brisket of beef. I say 'cleaned-up', in that a great deal of gristle and fat has been removed in her version from the sometimes over-anatomical original. The dish has been pared down to its basics, preserving all the enticing flavours.

Ingredients
- 1.5 kg of fresh as opposed it salted brisket of beef, in one peice.
- 1 recipe of Soy master stock
- Fresh coriander leaves
- Serves 6 or more as part of a Chinese meal

Method
Make the stock and, and when it is ready, place the brisket in it. Bring to a simmer, skim and continue to cook for 2 1/2 hours. The brisket must be very tender. You can checkthis by inserting a carving fork in to the meat and attempting to pull it out again: if the beef clings to the tines, it needs more cooking.

Serving
Allow the meat to cool completely in its stock. Remove from the pot and cut into 2 cm slices, trimming any gristle and most of the fat as you go. Sieve the stock and put 300ml to boil and reduce by half, skimming off any grease that rises during this process. Reheat the beef peices in the unreduced stock, drain them and arrange on a serving platter, then moisten it with a little of the reduced stock. Scatter with a few coriander leaves if you wish.

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