Baozilnn Soho: Divine dim sum pre-theatre in London

An assortment of dim sum dumplings. Photo: Courtesy of BaoziInn.

BaoziInn
24 Romilly Street
London, United Kingdom
W1D 5AH
02017 287 3266
www.baoziinn.com

By Scott Harrah

LONDON—It had been four years since we last ate at London’s dim sum staple BaoziInn and we decided to revisit the place once again because we enjoyed it so much on a previous visit. We’re happy to report Baozilnn is still outstanding.

The restaurant is cozy and small, with Georgian sash windows, Asian lanterns and decorative shutters. BaoziInn, which means “people’s canteen” in Chinese, is brought to diners by Wei Shao, who made a name on the London restaurant scene with Barshu, a popular Szechuan hotspot (which we also tried and a review will be published soon). BaoziInn is famous for “Northern Chinese street food” and the first in London to offer “Cantonese Dim Sum with Szechuan and Hunan influences.”

We were here for a quick dinner before catching a West End show and wanted something light. Two wonderful women and a gentleman served us and we asked them all for suggestions. We started with the Chengdu Jiaozi, delightful crescent-shaped prawn dumplings with water chestnuts, garlic and chili oil.

Next, we tried the chicken skewer in caramelized sauce, which is simply grilled chicken with spices on skewers, sort of Chinese-style kebabs. The sauce complimented the chicken brilliantly. This was followed by the Siu Mai platter, a delicious assortment of steamed Chinese dumplings filled with spicy prawns and chicken.

The main event was the BaoziInn Dim Sum Platter featuring prawn dumplings, prawns with chives and chiu chow (another spicy chili oil) with prawns.

Finally, we had the “paper wrap” prawns with cheese. These are pastry-style prawn-filled dumplings topped with sesame seeds and served with an amazing dip. They were tasty and filling, especially with the dip.

The dim sum is reasonably priced, but there is a minimum charge of £15.00 per head, VAT included. In addition to dim sum, BaoziInn serves a wide variety of noodles, tofu and vegetarian dishes. The bar also has a nice selection of world wines and handpicked beers.

The food is all so light and made without the MSG so common in American versions of Chinese food. The food is fresh and made without artificial food coloring and less sugar, and does not have the “heavy” consistency of Chinese food in America. If you plan to visit London soon—either before or after the theatre or just for a great lunch or night out— Baozilnn is a must for anyone who loves dim sum.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 17, 2022
Reviewed on June 14, 2022 in London