Open Mon–Sat midday–11.30pm, Sun midday–3.30pm
Step off of South Kensington’s Draycott Avenue and straight into the warmer climes of China: Bo Lang’s black lattice interior immediately transports you to the Orient. The dim sum and teahouse restaurant, led by head chef Kai Wang, opened as recently as September and is both chic and traditional.
To the right as you walk in is the bar, bedecked with tall stools and low hanging lanterns, which leads into a large square space partially partitioned off by wooden trellis structures flowing out from the ceiling and walls. The lighting is dim, supplemented by candles, and the square tables are paired with stylish charcoal velvet chairs and grey leather sofas dotted with fluffy cushions, adding a contemporary edge to the décor.
My companion and I were seated in the far corner in cosy, relative seclusion. The staff was attentive and friendly and our waiter was keen to guide us in the right direction when we opted for a selection of dim sum to start. We happily acquiesced to a number of his suggestions, ultimately ordering one each of the prawn with mango roll (£6.50), har gau served with blackberry reduction (£6.00), chicken bun (£9.00) and duck spring roll in plum sauce (£7.00).
Each portion arrived beautifully presented on white crockery. The stand-out dish proved to be the prawn with mango roll, which was a combination of oily crispiness offset by a filling of juicy prawns and fresh mango. Both the chicken bun and duck spring roll continued the theme of remaining light and fresh despite being fried, but neither of us were completely endeared to the har gau – a steamed dumpling with a shrimp filling - perhaps because its jelly-like consistency jarred slightly with our other choices.
For the main course I chose roasted Bo Lang duck breast with samphire (£22.00) with a side of Singapore vermicelli with prawn and egg (£10.00), while my companion selected the glazed BBQ pork rib (£14.90) with a side of chicken noodles with cashew nuts (£9.00). One often hears the term “melt in the mouth” bandied about, but the duck was certainly worthy of the description and topped with a crispy skin. The portion of vermicelli was large enough for two, slightly too spicy for my liking, but packed full of flavour. The ribs were met with the kind of approval best signified by an empty plate.
Dessert is something I often forgo in a Chinese restaurant, but since one cannot pass over tea in a teahouse, we thought to enjoy ours with something sweet. The coconut and chocolate ice cream (£7.20) was scrumptious and my companion claimed that she would recommend the mochi selection (£7.20) – a kind of sticky rice cake filled with ice cream – to anyone visiting Bo Lang.
However, it was the tea that really stole the show. Served in intricately patterned cast iron containers, it proved an elegant and refreshing end to the substantial meal. We had pots of both peppermint tea and an Oolong type called Big Red Robe. Bo Lang actually offers an Oriental afternoon tea menu from Monday to Saturday between 3pm and 5pm and I can think of few better ways to spend an afternoon. The hours slipped away as we sipped and I could have easily stayed even longer if it were not for other plans. A warm and cultured retreat if ever there was one.
