Why Leytonstone's tiny dim sum joint is still packing them in
Plus: Tilbury Road's new cocktail shop, thoughts on Leytonstone's latest pizzeria - and the East London indie cinema looking to open in E11
One of Leytonstone’s most underrated, unadorned — and simply darn fine — dining rooms is currently closed for its annual summer break.
Although it doesn’t reopen until early September, what better time to take stock of this budget East London institution? Especially as I enjoyed a particularly impressive meal there the evening before they shut their doors.
Clued-up food-loving types will know that Panda Dim Sum Cafe, run by Fue Zhang and her family for the last twelve years, is one of the area’s top wallet-friendly secrets. Located on the central stretch of Leytonstone High Road, and boasting many dishes hovering under a tenner, an added bonus is no corkage on BYOB (as long as you spend £15 a head): little wonder it’s packed out most evenings.
It’s also the restaurant I’ve frequented more than any other since moving to the neighbourhood in the teens, a backdrop to impromptu boozy Friday nights with mates, Hinge dates at the turn of the decade (damn that bright lighting!) and, in recent years, casual dinners with my partner. Yep, thankfully he’s partial to dumplings, too.
And I’m not alone: a quick scan at social media reveals a torrent of love, with some declaring it “the best restaurant in East London,” others the “best dim sum you’ll find,” while last year’s Readers’ Poll on this Substack placed it at #2 in the Top 5 BYOB (find out who was #1 here). Even Time Out got in on the act earlier this summer, featuring it as one of the capital’s Top 10 Dim Sum joints (at #8). So, in fact, maybe it’s not so underrated, after all.
Another factor behind its success? That distinctive service: efficient and swift, despite the room being invariably full at peak times — when a string of hopefuls is often turned away — the staff nonetheless are always helpful, and operate calmly with a smile (a cliché, but an important consideration nonetheless).
An example of their approachability (and accountability) was in 2023, when Fue took to Facebook to apologise to “two lovely ladies as I noticed I made a mistake and overcharged them with the wrong bill. Hopefully they see this message and I can refund you” (sic). The subsequent outpouring of love was heartwarming: “This is why I love this restaurant,” read one comment. “It’s not just great food.”
Step inside the basic interior and you’re met with a space that’s functional and purposefully no-frills: magnolia walls, a handful of decorative panels depicting birds and trees, a maneki-neko (lucky cat) on the counter. A nod to its name is, of course, the giant cuddly toy dangling in the window, alongside houseplants and hanging paper lanterns.
With hardwearing wooden tables and well-worn, loosely-covered chairs dotted about, the prime spot is overlooking the chefs in the busy rear open kitchen. And on a weekend night the buzz is palpable as customers stream in, bottles clinking in bags.
If it’s your first time, it has to be all about the dim sum (priced from £4.50-6.50). Begin with siu mai, their juicy porky filling visible, or simply the steamed prawn dumplings — melt-in-the-mouth jewels so light you could easily inhale a second portion. A signature is the silken prawn and chive, pictured above, the herb adding a dominant note. As for the roast duck? Tender and yet intense.
The fried dim sum hits the spot, too. Crisp and golden, and mostly triangular in shape, try succulent lamb and carrots, simple vegetable or — another must — egg, prawn, pork and chives (called the Special Dumpling, a highlight). And I always pair them with piping hot salted soybeans, or piled-high al dente broccoli with oyster sauce.
In this week’s issue, however, I focus on three other dishes. All mains, they include the restaurant’s most expensive item, priced at £18.80, which I only tried for the first time on my last visit. And in the meantime, Panda will be packing them in again from September 2nd. @pandadimsumcafe
This Weekend’s Top 3
DRINK: Two months in, Leytonstone High Road’s under-the-arches taproom Calamity Tank is finding its feet, with an ever more eye-catching interior, live music stage installed, and streetfood trucks parked up on the terrace at weekends (when we swung by last Saturday, the Gochu Gang’s Korean Fried Chicken pop-up was in full flow). This weekend, the bar hosts what it’s calling the Degeneration Game (Saturday August 16th, 7pm), a satirical take on old-school Saturday Night TV, with teams battling their way through “nonsensical rounds” with the chance to win “spectacular” prizes. Brucie Bonuses at the ready.
CULTURE: This week I was lucky enough to catch the Gorillaz exhibition, House Of Kong, which marks 25 years of the seminal cartoon band fronted by Leytonstone superstar Damon Albarn (spot the blue plaque on Fillebrook Road). It runs in the Olympic Park, next to Hackney Bridge, until 3rd September, but is almost sold out alas (tickets here.) There’s a strict no-photography and no-spoilers warning so I can’t say much, but if you’re a fan, it’s a memorably immersive experience. @houseofkong
POP-UP: I’ve enjoyed Ling Lings’ food several times over the years, and for the next two weekends (August 15th/16th, 22nd/23rd) chef Jenny Phung returns to take over Tilbury Road wine bar Swirl. Expect poached king prawns with Thai basil wontons, beef tartare with gochugaru crisps and hoisin octopus. And it’s also the last weekend of sister bar Arch Deli up in Leytonstone.
For many more tips, one-offs, pop-ups and general foodie gossip like this, head to the news section for paid subscribers.
Welcome to issue #45. This week it’s a day early as I’m en route to a festival. But once again, thanks to everyone who continues to keep my 100% reader-funded newsletter in Substack’s Top 100 Food & Drink leaderboard — it’s currently at #89 globally.
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Behind this week’s paywall:
The news this week that cult Prince Charles cinema is coming to Stratford is super exciting — but which East London indie cinema is hoping to open in E11?
The ongoing rise of Leyton Midland: Tilbury Road’s latest cocktail shop
Is Panda’s most expensive dish worth a go? Plus two more mains to order
A first visit to Leytonstone’s ‘Proper’ new pizzeria
Weekend inspo: the value set menu at Blankita, South Tottenham
This week’s pop-ups, one-offs, foodie deals and offers
A Tale Of Two Cinemas?
This week, Leicester Square’s cult Prince Charles Cinema confirmed it’s opening in Stratford. But did you know an East London indie picturehouse is “very much looking at Leytonstone”?