Ping Pong

I’ve loved Chinese food ever since my dad took me to Chinatown as a child. Thirty years later, the choice of establishments offering oriental-style cuisine has increased dramatically. So it was with interest that I arrived at the Hampstead branch of Ping Pong — a stylish, modern take on ancient Chinese tea houses where fellow travellers would sit and share dim sum and drink tea.

An innovative way of ordering means that you tick what you want from a checklist, the idea being to share a range of small plates — a sort of oriental tapas. Although the majority of the menu is made up of different types of dim sum, you can also order rice dishes plus a variety of spring rolls, soups and clay pots of steaming vegetables or meat stews.

As dishes are served as and when they’re ready, we had an almost constant stream of plates delivered freshly prepared and steaming hot. The quality and flavours of the dishes were fantastic — the dim sum delicate and melting in the mouth and the spring rolls crisp and filled with delicious combinations of flavours.