Wong Kei Restaurant

Stopped in at around 2000 hrs on a Saturday evening. There was plenty of seating, so I sat in the main dining room and ordered the beef chow fun. The version they served was a gloppy, soupy mess, with pieces of noodle and beef swimming in an unidentifable sauce. It was definitely not the sauteed rice noodles I expected. So I’d stay away — given the huge number of choices in the immediate area, you can do a whole lot better elsewhere for about the same prices.

I have a dear friend in London who recommended this place, as I walked in I thought this could be a big mistake but I took the plunge… OMG this was horrible. Not for localvores aka organic eaters… I fear I will regret this later!
My stomach went upside down with the tea, I knew I was in the wrong place for my tastes… cheap food and boy you can taste it.
I made it through the night,. This place is well worth the experience, cheap Chinese. Gotta love it. The fried chicken is so salty and pressed dry like a salt dish bomb #195 … The sweet n sour pork # 79 or 78 was boney like waitress said would be … Quite tasty but pineapple was so canned, I knew if I did not stop I would not do well later. Would not trade the memory or experience for the world, total must do at least once. Thanks Abigal…

Wong Kei is notorious amongst local Chinese for serving cheap traditional Chinese food fast with rash (i.e. rude service) in very simple (i.e. old and down-​trodden) surroundings. The colours on dishes and tea sets may be worn, I have found lipstick on a cup before, hair on the plate of food, etc.
Having grown up in London and been a frequent visitor of Chinatown I have known what to come to expect of Wong Kei, and that is not to expect much in terms of quality but you can be fed with speed and at low prices compared to all its competitors in Chinatown.
Many locals can feel at ease eating here even on their own (unless you feel embarrassed to have anyone you know spot you eating here). It is basically cheap (and not so cheerful) but it does its job and has served a useful purpose in London’s Chinatown for many decades.

Ok I can’t fault this restaurant other than their too-​hilarious-​to-​be-​mad-​at-​them shoddy service.
Luckily I was armed with the knowledge of very low expectations over the service and the expectation of being very disappointed, that I thought nothing would surprise me but boy, I so wasn’t ready for this lol!
When we first arrived I scanned the room and took in the working class Chinese man’s café tables, and thought okay… not complaining. I’m only here for the food! and then I looked over at the gaggle of staff hanging around the bar and then one stuck two fingers at me lazily (basically indicating a table for two) and I said yes and then he waved us off in the direction of the stairs. He didn’t escort us upstairs nor did he come to the front to greet us. It felt very self service, almost empowering: D
We then helped ourselves to the best table of 4 after realising there weren’t a table for 2 around but the waitress hurriedly ushered us to a ‘table for two’ which we later realised was a shared table with another two customers??? I tried to protest but in vain as the waitress was having none of it. Honestly, the whole concept of customers are always right and you must prioritise customer’s needs before anything else are completely foreign to these people.
The other two customers were as surprised as we were but later whispered that at least we all got into the exclusive dining area normally reserved for Chinese folks and as a Chinese myself, I got my non asian friend a free pass to the exclusive club which had linen covered tables with comfy enough seats compared to the greasy cheap looking mish mash of tables and chairs downstairs.
We were so fortunate that our fellow neighbours were such cool peeps and abit like the shared benches in Wagamama, we were like ‘can you pass the soya sauce please?’ etc. I mean I totally would’ve shared their food too (if they’d let me). Totally. Love the fact that Wong Kei forces us to interact with complete strangers. Such a unique perk. Also they know the issues with London’s first world problems in their lack of communication with one another and has set itself on a mission to break these barriers. ;-) So admirable!
Our neighbours even helpfully smacked down some annoying flies and wiped it off the table for us. :’) The flies acted as a bonus decoration ;-) The authenticity in this restaurant to the Far East is so in tune. You want abit of China? Go to Wong Kei!
If a food restaurant other than your typical Mcdonald’s and Burger King, offers a drive through speedy service then this is it! The whole service was comparable to a factory conveyer belt. Time is precious and every second counts despite the fact that the restaurant was half empty with ample amounts of unoccupied tables and chairs scattered across the floor. Compared to your typical Chinatown establishment, this one takes the prawn cracker! As soon as we were seated and handed our menus, a waitress hovered above waiting to take our order (like less than a minute after we sat down). When I asked her to come back in a few minutes, the look on her face was utter shock. Truly funny to see. Honestly our table was wicked. We interacted with our neighbours and made such jokes that the same waitress came back looking horrified with nose flaring, that we were enjoying ourselves lol.
Now onto the food. This is what I came for. Prices have gone up ever so slightly since well, the last recorded menu prices online) but still remain ahead of competition in terms of value, portion and quality. We had hearty meals of won ton noodle soup which was laden with won ton dumplings that when I finally demolished those meat parcels, I was actually surprised to see noodles underneath it! For a fiver, it truly was the epitome of eastern comfort food like bangers and mash is to English folks. For the side, we opted for bean curd with chilli and salt. I would totally recommend it to anyone because once you try it, you can’t stop! Might need some water at hand because they don’t use that msg sparingly!
Service is quick. You’re in and out of there like fast food. In fact so quick you needn’t worry about time. What they lack in service they more than abundantly made up for in quality and quantity of food.
Question of whether you’re genuinely welcomed sits in the balance. Service charge is optional (thank goodness!!) and the waitress counted the money at our table (quite insecurely) after hovering nearby for a while whilst we emptied coins from our purses lol! Not to forget that the tea is freeeeee!
Coming here is an experience onto itself like a ghost ride in a theme park. You love to hate it. All in all, I’d definitely be coming back here in a rush!

Low price casual eatery with plates £5−8 and complimentary tea with equally cheap casual deco and free sullen service. Crispy fried noodles disappointing, soggy non-​crispy noodles, weak gravy, fish balls flat compressed bland. Dry beef hor fun much better, tasty and fragrant though greasy. This dish just saved from otherwise lower rating.

If you want fast, good quality, delicious Chinese food, Wong Kei’s is the place in China Town for you!
Stick to something simple and it’s delicious — I can highly recommend the half/​quarter crispy aromatic duck with pancakes (delicious!), the salt and pepper (chilli) deep fried squid is delicious.
The noodle soup with beef brisket or pork is also really yummy, full of flavour and meat.
The portion sizes here are great and you certainly won’t leave hungry.
You should definitely try and sit on the ground floor as it’s more open and airy than the upstairs floors. I love it in here, and even though the staff aren’t overly friendly, if you’re polite and thankful to them, they are actually very friendly back!
Definitely check out Wong Kei’s, especially because of the delicious food and GREAT PRICES!!! Enjoy!!!

This is my go-​to Chinese in West London. Service is great (if you like the soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld). Try the Beef Brisket noodle soup. Chinese like I’ve never had before.

A true classic. Busy busy, authentic cooking. Great ambience, very much at the heart of a Chinatown experience. Have been here since 1987 at regular intervals.

My god. I’ve never had such terrible beef hor fun in my life. The noodles were tasteless and greasy, just a huge disappointment.
The sauce for the mapo tofu was starchy and boring, basically just seasoned with a load of salt or soy sauce.
The roast duck rice was average as well. The meat wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great.
And to be honest, it isn’t that cheap as well. Oh well. Come here if you wish, though I really don’t recommend it.

Looking for a rough and ready Chinese served at lightning speed at rock bottom prices? Hit up Wong Kei.
Having gained a (somewhat deserved) reputation for its scornful staff slamming down your dishes, disappointingly, it wasn’t the case this time. They were fine — not friendly exactly but civil.
Although, we were smelling distance from the toilets. Oh, and one of our tea cups had a faint lipstick stain smeared on it.
But, hang on a sec because there’re some good points too. The food is tasty. And it’s dead cheap. Like £5.50 for a huge plate of heartwarming crispy noodles, tender beef and crunchy pak choi.
For that price, I’d almost expect a bit of old lippy on the crockery.
Give it a go, if you dare — an essential London experience.

Quite simply the best value for money Chinese in London’s Chinatown. Superb quality. Sorry Shell Crab starter is truly brilliant.

I have been coming here for 17 years! Sat ‘upstairs downstairs’ met some great strangers sitting in the same table with them. Most of the time we talk about how fantastic the food is here everytime! Highly recommend this place not for their unique service but for their excellent food!

Lo mejor que es barato y no hay sorpresas en la cuenta. La comida está buena, pero nada especial. Y el servicio mejorable, las mesas son grandes y has de compartir mesa con desconocidos, sólo aceptan efectivo, y no son demasiado simpáticos. Eso sí, té gratis durante la comida.

Like the other reviews have said, the workers are not exactly the most welcoming or helpful and at times rude. As a first-​timer at Wong Kei who was a little overwhelmed at the many choices, a waiter came over after 2 minutes of seating us told us to stop wasting her time when we couldn’t tell her what we wanted to order, even though the restaurant wasn’t packed. But regardless, we were starving, and the food came quickly, was cheap but a good value for the huge portions, and tasted decent enough for poor college students in London.
Restaurant is cash only!

When you wind your way up the stairs of Wong Kei, you’ll realise that this sprawling plaza of a place is truly labyrinthian and equally the stuff of food based nightmares.
The food as you may know, is not really Wong Kei’s selling point, as much as it is a masochistic tourist attraction; the town’s hottest perturbing immersive theatrical experience you’ll ever go to or like surprise speed dating for sadists.
Normally when entering a restaurant, a server will acknowledge your party and seat all three or two or four of you at an accommodating table. Here you’ll be shoved into any seat anywhere, separated from your group like Nemo from his family and left to flounder and eat awkwardly in front of strangers, four flights away, up into an adjoining space in what seems like breaking into or being smuggled into an open-​plan office block/​come restaurant floor next door to sit with said random people, whilst you’re left to recount your steps and your experiences thus far.
On being escorted away from my dining companions, I’d have lost my mates if I hadn’t grabbed a discarded prawn cracker at a nearby table and left a Hansel and Gretel-​like trail back to them.
So, I ended up joining an adjoining end of table, table. On my own, within waving distance of one of my friends, but I had to muscle in on another couple who had been lucky enough to sit together.
It took sometime to get a waiter’s attention, but it didn’t take long to realise that the couple I’d been proffered to give my services to as a third wheel and Capering Gooseberry, had not just been stuck for conversation, but were simply too frightened to ask for; water, a napkin or anything else you’d usually expect at a restaurant.
Finally a waiter, dashed to my attention.
«Drink?»
Just as I flicked my eyes down to the menu to enquire, he was off. Fed up by my too long split second hesitation.
The food came quickly, in fact when it did arrive it almost hit the linen before the plates did.
«Noodles», my waiter announced. *Slam* «Chilli Beef» *Slam*. Down went the bowls, whilst before they hit the table, the broth defied gravity remaining in mid-​air and began cooling from the gust of wind created from the clipped turn of my waiter’s back again.
He’d gone! Thank Christ, but I’d still not ordered my drink. I saw a couple of my friends separated over on two other tables making perplexed gestures to me in nervous fits of laughter. I thought they were having a good time, but I was to discover their waitress did not linger, who’s laconic tone implied she too could give even less of a rat’s rear about my or their whining on about being thirsty. In the end she abandoned herself from their table for mine, offered me a drinks menu and rolled her eyes so hard I thought it’d affect the gravitational pull of the moon. So I did the darnedest of things and ordered what was to be a flat sodding cola.
Well, if you must hanker for Anglicised greasy run of the mill Chinese food, go here, go simply for the terrifying experience and GO ON, GET OMLETTE AND CHIPS I DARE YOU!

Apparently it’s been a long time since the good old days of waiters telling you to piss off because there’s a queue outside and being amusingly rude. Anyway, they’re still reasonably priced (cash only, folks) and the food remains good. I wouldn’t say it’s a life changing culinary experience, but it usually delivers and I never had to send anything back. The trick is to order food from the back of the menu; basically lots of options of meat with rice or noodles. It’s even cheaper and the portions are huge; you won’t miss out for not ordering the «posher» sounding dishes on the first few pages.
I can’t stand green/​jasmine tea, but if that’s your thing you’ll get it for free to your heart’s content. There are some communal round tables where you sit in close proximity with strangers; if that’s not your thing keep in mind it’s always a risk. :)
If you want a chatty and smiley staff this is not the place to go (as it happens with most chinese places where staff is usually tired and overworked anyway), but if you like quick and good chinese food in central London, do try. I love sitting there during off peak hours with my tablet and munch on rice and meat while I people watch. There are always some amusing customers around, and sometimes the interaction between them and the staff isn’t so smooth. Ah, the good old Wong Kei will always be the good old Wong Kei. ;)

I came here during a weeknight for a quick bite with a friend. It was completely packed by 8pm so we randomly sat with a bunch of people (typical in this place).
I’m Cantonese myself so maybe I have high standards, but I was shocked to find out that they don’t offer the classic ginger scallion oil sauce with their white chicken. So instead I ordered soy sauce chicken over rice, which was really good but not enough meat to go with the rice.

Ah the legendary Wong Kei!
This place has been a firm favourite for myself and my friends for the past 6 years (possibly more!). The free green tea, people-​watching opportunities and rock-​bottom meal prices have incentivised us to return year after year, despite the occasional cheeky comment and disturbing rumours of the chiefs doing a circle spit into the dishes of punters they dislike (seriously wish I’d never been told that story!).
When times are good I order the Chicken with Cashew Nuts and a side of Egg-​Fried Rice. When times are not so good I order the 3 Cold Barbecue Meats on Hot Rice. I have never not cleaned my plate. Myself and my best friend usually, in addition, order the Mixed Hors d’oeuvres. And proceed to argue over who gets that last succulent teaspoon of seaweed when the rest of the savoury treats are devoured. And we do this every. Goddamn. Time
The restaurant staff have certainly gotten a lot politer since 2014’s change in management. Which many punters are sad about, given that Wong Kei’s former reputation as a ‘legendary’ rude restaurant. Not me, however. The times I’ve been back since I’ve enjoyed more than ever. Customer service goes a long way with me.
My only big gripe with Wong Kei (and this is sadly perennial) is that I always seem to suffer from an upset stomach the rest of the night and the next day…

Cash only.
Cheap Chinese food. They almost pride themselves about being rude. Waiter looks at me and says, «dap toi, share table!»
I was lucky enough to sit next to someone who’s mentally unstable… fun…entertaining. He was talking to himself the whole time!
I don’t care. Craving cheap Chinese food… And yes, I’m sick of fine dining.
Had duck over rice. Blah. 3 stars only because I didn’t get sick. £5.50 which is cheap, considering I’ve been having £40 meals all week.

Wong Kei used to be infamous for cheap, filling Chinese food and rude waiters who would scold you and it was all part of the fun. I used to go as a student a long time ago and so it’s officially a London eating ‘institution’ in my book. For me, the brusqueness of the staff translates to efficiency which I would take any day over ineptitude and slowness which drives me mad.
It was the first time I’ve been back since the re-​opening or new management or whatever happened. On this occasion I was dining solo (always a good spot for solo dining) and was immediately directed to one of the solo dining tables right in the entrance area. The waiter came straight over and asked me what I wanted. I kind of like that, taking me for a regular because if I did know, I would just say right away. I asked for a menu instead since it had been a while…
I ordered a wonton soup and singapore noodles. Pretty straightforward.
My order came quickly and I was surprised to see that the wonton soup was a large bowlful with plenty of wontons which were really good. Prawn and pork, freshly made with big chunks of prawn with a good ginger note. It made me think how good this was especially for the price around £3.50 vs the £11 bowls of ramen noodles that have sprung up everywhere (was never comfortable with paying £11 for a bowl of soup noodles).
Singapore noodles also didn’t scrimp on the meat and shrimp and a good sized portion. A bit overly salty not helped by the salty soup but overall solid.
Complimentary tea.
So. If in the mood for a quick spot of Chinese in the centre of town and want to get served quickly with no hype and no queues then come here.
Great value and good food. Still love Wong Kei and the quality seemed better than before.

This is your typical Chinatown restaurant, and if you’re looking for that sort of vibe, this is perfect for you and your friends! I was asked to meet a few friends here from Hong Kong for dinner before we went to the theatre. They heard it was famous for their bad reputation so they wanted to try it. I personally do not understand why they came all the way from Hong Kong to the UK to have Chinese food, but there is neither here or there.
Food: If there’s food in front of me, I’ll eat it! I completely forgot what we ordered, but my friend pouted and said they all looked the same: stir-​fried bbq pork, stir-​fried vegetables, stir-​fried a whole bunch of stuff and deep-​fried tofu with chillies. Whatever we ordered, it came quickly and that was a good thing for us because we were in a hurry.
Atmosphere: It has a typical Chinese café-​style atmosphere: busy, tacky oriental art, and a slight layer of grease on the wall that comes with a dive like so. Where the chairs are from an 80’s diner and the plastic cutlery and crockery has been used so much, their logo is wearing off. If you’re looking for 5 star dinning, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you’re looking for fast, cheap eats, look no further than this lovely dive full of oriental tourists getting upset that it’s not up to par with their home cooking or Chinese students that miss home and did not want to have instant noodles tonight.
Service: The service wasn’t that bad. I do want to say, it was surprisingly good based on their bad reputation. We walked in, told them how many people and were seated accordingly. In typical Chinese fashion, sometimes you may need to wave them down to get some service, but I feel that is the norm for busy restaurants.

Das Essen war wirklich sehr gut, das Service jedoch völlig überfordert!!!

A voir !!
Il est difficile de manger bien pour pas cher à Londres… ici ce n’est pas le cas ! C’est la cantine des asiatiques de Londres et c’est bon signe… Certes, l’accueil est spartiate, pas de bonjour, juste une question: combien vous êtes? (How many ?) suivant le nombre vous serez dirigés dans une salle (upstairs or downstairs… lol). Ici, pas de tableau avec de l’eau qui coule, pas de musique d’ambiance, mais d’immenses tables où vous serez assis avec d’autres personnes que vous né connaissez pas, dans beaucoup de bruit… mais ça fait partie du «charme» de l’endroit. La carte est immense et vous pourrez manger à partir de 3 livres une énorme assiette (servie dans de la vaisselle en plastique !!), le thé est offert avec le plat et quand vous aurez fini, on vous présente l’addition immédiatement ! Ca né traîné pas… J’en garde un excellent souvenir, c’était très bon et copieux. Certains trouveront que l’endroit fera trop cantine, mais moi c’est une adresse que je garde sans hésiter pour mon prochain séjour. A voir pour le délire !!!

A éviter
Le décor est nul, le service j’en parle pas, la cuisine est médiocre que ce soit les plats ou les desserts. Seul point positif on y mange rapidement… Ah j’oubliais les prix qui né sont pas cher mais bon à éviter quand même.

Le Poulet de Wong
Apparemment, le nom de ce resto est le «poulet» (ou la volaille) de mr wong. Accueil Service = 1 (il n’est d’ailleurs pas inhabituel de se faire engueuler par les serveurs, antipathiques au possible, ça en devient drôle), Décor = 1 (en particulier le sous-​sol, grotesque avec sa fontaine, le 1er étage est un peu mieux, le rez-​de-​chaussée est réservé aux personnes seules !), Rapport qualité/​prix = 4 (c’est bon, c’est pas cher, il y a un sacré débit donc les plats sont vraiment frais — bon canard, singapore fried noodles, etc.). Bref, pour manger bien, vite et pas cher au centre de Londres — si vous pouvez supporter l’accueil !

Resto pas cher mais nourriture moyenne
Ce restaurant situé dans le quartier chinois de Londres a des prix très abordables comme la plupart des restaurant chinois mais par contre la nourriture est de mauvaise qualité (assez grasse) et les desserts né sont pas excellents, l’accueil inexistant et le décor loin de nous faire ressentir le fait qu’on est dans un restaurant chinois.

Le meilleur chinois du monde entier
Après lecture de la carte, ce resto m’a paru l’un des plus abordable du quartier. On est très mal reçu, très mal servi, dans un décor très simple, mais c’est l’endroit où j’ai mangé le meilleur canard de ma vie entière: allez-​y !