Chop Chop - An Authentic Chinese Restaurant in Edinburgh

 

I don't eat Chinese food very often unless I make it myself.  I don't like dishes swimming in sauce. Don't get me wrong I do occasionally give in to a takeaway of Sweet and Sour Tofu with Vegetables, but only about twice a year.

I know that food isn't like this in China, I know the food there is really fresh and exciting and I know that generally the restaurants here cater for the British market. I really wish they wouldn't!. That may have been a good introduction to the fearful British palate 50 years ago, but really it's time to move on. Our palates have.

Me and Stuart (Cakeyboi). Photo: Blethering Boys

I was delighted to be invited along to Chop Chop in Edinburgh's Haymarket along with my good friends Genna from Blethering Boys and Stuart aka Cakeyboi. It's an authentic Chinese restaurant and quite an experience if you haven't been to one before.

Once we eventually found some parking, we ventured inside a yellow shop front into a very unassuming dining hall. We were instantly greeted warmly and made to feel super welcome by the manager Yin Wang who settled us at a table, got us drinks and told us a bit about the restaurant.

The restaurant is authentic to the style found in Changchun in Northern Eastern China where the head chef and owner Jian Wang comes from.  We were told new customers are encouraged to order the buffet so they can try different dishes.

In the traditional style the dishes are brought out as they are ready one by one and the diners share the dishes. It's a communal dining experience.

Boy were we impressed! The dishes didn't look overly exciting until you tasted them. We spent the whole meal moaning and groaning in pleasure. Each new dish was so fresh and popping with flavour.

I particularly liked the crispy shredded potato, the cucumber salad, which was shredded cucumber and Chinese leaves with glass noodles in a tangy dressing, the green beans in a chilli and garlic sauce and the dumplings. The dumplings were amazing. Actually they've won awards for them.

Yin Wang taught us how to make our own dipping sauce for the dumplings at the table, then the trick was just to master the chopsticks.

For dessert we tried a bit of everything. Lush creamy ice creams and sorbets that tasted fresh and homemade, mixed fruit dumplings that were like hot little apple pies, sugar string apples in caramel, which we dipped in iced water to crisp up and my favourite, the peanut butter dumplings, oh my!

Those peanut butter dumplings were amazing. The peanut butter was hot, oozy and slightly salty and they were topped with icing sugar for a sweet finish. I shall remember those for a long time.

It was a great evening and a memorable meal. We all plan to go back again and introduce all our family to this hidden little gem. 

If you visit Edinburgh, get off the train at Haymarket, turn right and at the corner look up to the right, see that little yellow restaurant? Yes, that's the one. Now don't be shy, go on, go in and sit down. You won't regret it.

Now why not have a read of Genna and Stuart's reviews:

• Chop-Chop, Haymarket, Edinburgh - Dumplings to Die For! 

• Chop Chop, Haymarket, Edinburgh {REVIEW}

   

   I'll leave you with a wee Chop Chop selfie and say Zàijiàn!

  

   

   

  Disclosure: We did not pay for our meal at Chop Chop, but we were not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed were our own.