The state of Chinatown’s restaurants is a divisive topic. Bores moaning about “inauthentic” Anglo-Chinese pandering are wrong: within an acre space it’s now possible to feast on noodles from Wuhan and Henan, dumplings from Shanghai and Beijing, skewers from Sichuan and Xi’an, and fried chicken from Taiwan. At the same time, there has been a fall from grace for Chinatown’s grander Cantonese restaurants and dim sum parlours, precipitated by shifts in demographics and by rises in rent. Still, the heart of Chinatown remains in those Hong Kong caffs serving cheap dai pai dong style food, and yes, in the Anglo-Chinese shibboleths of crispy aromatic duck and sweet and sour pork which there still is and will always be room for.Lommodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis que penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes lorem, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla onsequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo fringilla vel aliquet nec vulputate eget. Lorem ispum dolore siamet ipsum dolor.

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Cafe TPT

A standout among all the Hong Kong-inspired cafes that line the west side of Wardour St, Cafe TPT is a template for how all Chinese restaurants of this type in London can and should be — competent at almost everything and exceptional at a select few standouts. Fatty brisket curry on rice and Singapore noodles, elastic and smoky from the wok, are great options, but it’s the pork chop Macau-style with onions, cheesy bechamel and spoonfuls of chilli oil that is unmissable — a chaise longue of a comfort dish that is best eaten in the early hours of the morning to soak up a Soho night. Open with outdoor seating.

Food House

One of the few restaurants which has benefited from the recent Chinatown development, moving from Charing Cross Road to Gerrard Street’s main drag has propelled Food House into cult status among young Chinese students who take respite from Dover Street Market in red oil noodles. The menu is shared between Sichuan — dry hotpots and whole fish cooked in chilli oil — and heartier central Chinese fare of belt noodles, rou jia mo flatbreads with meat, and skewers. Make sure to bring people: this is one of the few places where dumplings can be ordered by the 30.

Old Town 97

Chinatown used to be a village of nighthawks, but now only a smattering of Cantonese cafes still cater towards the late-night revellers and the post-shift chefs. Old Town ‘97 is one of them, still open until 4 a.m., where the food is a compilation of the best midnight snacks. Ho fun in slippery egg sauce, charred and gloopy, sweet salted egg yolk chicken wings, better than average roast meats, and of course LSE rice. This og London off-menu option is eggs, cubed: pork belly in honey and pepper egg sauce, egg fried rice and a fried egg on top.