3. London
An iconic red London phone box cuts an isolated figure in the city’s Chinatown late at night (Photo: Gert Jan Kole via Flickr)
With street names written in both English and Chinese and the tops of telephone boxes made to resemble Asian-style mini pagodas, London’s Chinatown features a pleasingly harmonious juxtaposition of cultures. It was back in the 1950s that London’s Chinese community began to grow significantly in size, and it was following this mid-century influx that Chinatown was born, situated along Gerrard Street in the City of Westminster.
Dining is the primary leisure activity of choice here, but there’s also a wide array of herbal and medicine shops to browse too. On weekends, there’s a Chinese good market that draws large crowds, while Chinese New Year is celebrated in a big way, with giant papier-mache lions parading through the streets.
Visitors who consider themselves real connoisseurs of Chinese food should do their research before arrival. While all of the restaurants in the area offer respectable interpretations of authentic Chinese and Cantonese cuisine, some do so better than others. So if you want to find the best around, Google is your friend.
TOP TIP: Why not combine two classic Asian traditions, food and interactive singing at one of London Chinatown’s karaoke restaurants? One of the best is JinLi, which serves up top notch cuisine and a juke box to match.
MORE INFO: www.chinatown.co.uk/en
