Ping Pong has launched its festive menu with a twist for those looking for something a bit different to roast turkey with all the trimmings – although there is a turkey and cider dumpling on there too.
The tofu and truffle spring rolls have the potential to be great. I’m not a huge fan of tofu but this had a silky-smooth texture that was quite appealing. The pastry was light, thin and wonderfully crisp.
The only downside was you didn’t get that strong, earthy flavour associated with truffles. If you really tried you could just about taste it, but really it might as well have not been there.
The beef wellington puff was very, well, puffy. The pastry on the outside again was very crisp and the flavours were nice especially when dipped in Ping Pong’s fiery chilli sauce, but I feel like it slightly lacked the essence of a beef wellington.
Beef and kimchi gyoza were crisp and golden. The dipping sauce that it came with it was good but nothing compares to the wu xiang sauce that comes as part of the extra dipping sauces.
I’m not 100% sure what is in it, but I can guarantee that it is better than regular soy dipping sauce – sweet but salty and slightly tangy. It certainly brings the beef and kimchi gyoza to life.
The golden dumplings from the vegetarian Christmas menu were absolutely stunning and vibrant in colour and certainly eye catching. Inside, it contained little cubes of golden stir fried vegetables which were crunchy – a nice contrast to the soft, steamed casing.
The star dish of the night, believe it or not, was the long stem broccoli from the regular dim sum menu. The broccoli still has some bite to it but the sesame dip they serve it with stole the show. It is creamy and nutty and smooth and oh-so-addictive.
The soft shell crab bao was also a tasty treat. The soft shell crab has a light batter that is wonderfully crisp and ever-so-slightly see through so you can still see the crab underneath. The bao buns are soft and fluffy. The chilli sauce complements the sweetness of the crab meat and offers a little bit of warming spice. And the slaw has just enough tang to cut through all the other flavours. I would go back to Ping Pong just for the soft shell crab bao. The only confusing thing was there were two crabs and three buns.
Finally, the smoked chilli chicken wings have a nice little kick to them. Don’t expect massive chicken wings that have become so popular of late, these are petite but full of flavour thanks to the Cherrywood smoke and cherry tomato sauce. Oh, and they are very sticky so make sure to have plenty of napkins to hand.
I enjoy Ping Pong. It offers decent dim sum with fun, interesting and unique flavours that you might not find elsewhere. The cocktails on offer – including a festive whiskey sour – are fun and often go down well, and the choice of teas available is truly fantastic.
I especially love the over the top decadence of the ceremony of teas. I’m sure the festive menu will be a welcome relief in the wake of all the upcoming Christmas dinners.
Various locations across London including Westfield Shepherds Bush, Wembley, St Christopher‘s Place, Soho, Covent Garden, Bow Bells House, Southbank and St Katherine’s Dock