Usually when I eat Chinese food in London, it’s dim sum, which means it’s rare that I go out for “regular” Chinese food. So it was a nice change when our friends decided we should meet them at Gold Mine this past Saturday.
The TimeOut review of Gold Mine claimed that the restaurant serves “Queensway’s finest cantonese roast duck”, and while I haven’t eaten at many places on Queensway, the duck was pretty delicious and lived up to the hype — moist and gamey with a crispy skin and bits of luscious duck fat to soak up all the dripping-enhanced sugar-and-soy sauce. Well worth the £9 .50 for a half-duck portion.
After that, the food ranged from “good but nothing special” to “holy cow, this is what gives Chinese food a bad name.”
In the first category were dishes like sauteed morning glory, which was tasty only after we added a liberal amount of salt. The steamed sea bass was well-executed with a firm, fresh fish, but in a restaurant where most main courses cost £10, paying £23 for the fish hardly seemed to be good value.
I was pretty excited to see fried tofu stuffed with minced prawns on the menu, but Gold Mine’s version was a bit flavorless despite the heavy brown sauce. It needed a lot more of the minced prawn to impart flavor to the tofu.
Char kway teow had gotten a mention in several reviews I’d read about Gold Mine, but really, I should’ve known better than to order a Malaysian classic at a Cantonese resto. The version we had was – as seemed to be a recurring theme – flavorless. Just a mass of greasy, soy-sauced noodles. No spice. Unbelievably, it wasn’t the worst dish we had, which honor went to a dish described as fried chicken with chilis, which turned out to be chunks chicken breast doused in more generic brown sauce.
Service was harried but attentive; the decor is utilitarian. I’d definitely go back for the roast duck, and maybe I’d try the roast (char siu) pork, too. In the end, the roast duck was the only thing that saved Gold Mine from being just another cheap, undifferentiated Chinese takeaway joint.
With a crappy-tasting bottle of white wine for £14.50, our total (including service charge) for five main courses and four portions of white rice was £90 (i.e., about £23 a person).
Gold Mine, 102 Queensway, W2 3RR; 0207 792 8331; closest tube station: Bayswater
I’ve only ever had Cantonese BBQ here and I do remember the roast duck, cha siu and siu yuk being very good. Shame about the rest of your meal (especially the chicken) but it can be Russian Roulette when eating Chinese food in London. At least we know what to avoid here !
Meh to Gold Mine. I went there a couple of times when it first opened. They only accepted cash at the time and service was even worse than what I would normally expect out of a Chinese restaurant. Apparently it opened when one of the chefs moved from Four Seasons to it. That probably explains why the duck is the only good thing on the menu.
I’d always go Four Seasons over the Gold Mine. From the sounds of your review, I haven’t missed that much.
Oh how disappointing! There’s always a fear of the gloopy sauces. I recently had beancurd stuffed with minced prawn at Hung’s on Wardour Street, which is a regular of mine. It was very tasty. I haven’t yet visited any of the places in Bayswater, I’ll make a note not to try this one!
Oh no! Better take it off my list then. I read somewhere that it was pretty good, but I can’t waste my travel money on a meal that’s just so-so (not even that!)
Mr Noodles – good to hear the roast meats are worth a re-visit to Gold Mine, and it does frustrate me that ordering in many London Chinese restaurants is, as you say, like playing roulette. It’d be great to find a central London Chinese restaurant that served fewer dishes but all very well. Instead, I have a patchwork list of places I go for different things. Annoying.
Patrick – I’ll have to try the Four Seasons (though you do wonder how they get away with that name).
Lizzie – thanks for the tip on Hung’s. I really do love prawn-stuffed tofu.
WFG – The duck is pretty tasty at Gold Mine, so if that’s the one thing you’re craving, it wouldn’t be a waste of your money (travel or otherwise).
You did it so we don’t have to!
Another interesting review. As I’ve always secretly thought, many of those Queensway restaurants don’t live up to the hype. It’s a bit like people who swear by Brick Lane as being the centre of all things “curry”. Maybe. Once. A long time ago…
Sounds like the duck was the only worthwile part – but the duck does look good
Hi there,
I’m a friend of Jane’s and she directed me to your blog (which is excellent, by the way!). As a London born Chinese girl I’d recommend either Fortune Cookie or Magic Wok on Queensway as the restaurants where my family always eats. For Malaysian/Singaporean food, Singapore Garden in Swiss Cottage is worth a try. Can provide full menu suggestions/dishes to avoid for all these places if you like!
Four Seasons definitely the place for duck (either Queensway or Gerrard St). Never had anything other than BBQ there though (and don’t think i would.)
Helen – you mean, I ordered lots of bad dishes so you don’t have to? That’s true. : )
Greasy Spoon – I learned quickly that Brick Lane was not for me when I encountered all those hen and stag parties wandering the street looking for a cheap curry. That said, some of the best Indian in London is just off Brick Lane (Tayyabs and Lahore Kebab House, most notably), so maybe if I searched *around* Queensway, I’d do better?
GC – yes, that’s exactly it.
Vern – I clearly should have checked with you before venturing to Gold Mine. I’ve been pretty happy with the limited Straits menu at Sedap (which is near where I live), but I’ve yet to find a good all-around Chinese place. I must admit that Fortune Cookie and Magic Wok are not very confidence-inspiring names (lol), but I’ve heard Jane’s meals with you are always outstanding, so I will give them both a try. Thanks so much for sharing your recs.
Aaron – Between your and Vern’s recommendations, I will end up having to do a Queensway post. Or maybe a Cantonese duck face-off post. Yum.
not that it needs to be said, but I’m happy to join you in “researching” for your Queensway post!
Hi, I came across your blog while trying to check out if Goldmine serves tim sum. You have a great blog and I certainly appreciate the restaurant reviews!
I ate at Gold Mine for the 1st time in April when I was last in London and we have enjoyed our dinner, ordered one of their tofu dishes twice, I remembered. Anyway, I do not recall if they serve tim sum (and if it’s good) and am trying to find that out. Do they?
Otherwise, have you tried the tim sum at Royal China (the Bayswater restaurant)? Since I have only one morning for tim sum when I next visit London, I hope to go for a good one.
Thanks.
Beau Lotus – I don’t know if Gold Mine serves dim sum, but Royal China isn’t bad. I much prefer the dim sum at either Pearl Liang (near Paddington) or Leong’s Legends (in Chinatown). The xiao long bao at both places is a treat, as are all the classics (har gau, cheung fun, shu mai, lo boh gao). Have a great time in London!
You’re probably sick to death of all the opining about Chinese food in London… couldn’t resist adding my two fen. Royal China — there are several branches and the quality varies considerably. I am partial to the Docklands for dim sum, never been let down, and it’s a treat when they have their diuyim (salt&pepper) baby squid on as a special. There’s a floating restaurant in docklands by Crossharbour DLR that I want to check out – quite curious about their dimsum as its always packed on weekends with Chinese.
As for Tayyabs, I am afraid it’s stricken off my list these days. I simply can’t stand the wait and being crammed into uber-tight seating. Lunch isn’t crowded and quality is excellent but who wants a huge curry binge at 1pm? I, ermm, take some credit for both discovering and ruining the place as I’ve been going there for many years (it used to be a cafe down the street) — told my partner Steve about it, he put it into Lonely Planet London… and the rest is history. I now frequent Murgh Masala on Commercial Road. I don’t think Lahore’s food is freshly prepared. For high quality Indian, I love Cafe Spice Nameste, which makes the world’s best chutneys.
I second Vern’s view on Magic Wok, I’ve eaten there lots of times and the food is decent, well priced and the portions are quite large. I recommend the lamb hot pot with fermented tofu and the aubergine and minced pork hot pot.
But if you want roast meats, definitely go to Gold Mine next door.
Mike – I’ve never been to Royal China at Canary Wharf, despite having worked out there until very recently. I have, however, been to that Floating Lotus restaurant you’re describing (it’s part of the Harbour Exchange complex where the old Coliseum used to stand). I don’t remember the dim sum being anything special, but if you order carefully there (i.e., avoid all those lame set menus), the food can be quite good. I especially liked their sauteed snow pea leaves (dou miao).
Having revisited Lahore Kebab House recently (bc Tayyabs was closed during Ramadan), I agree the food there is incredibly buttery/oily. I haven’t heard of Murgh Masala, but I have visited Mirch Masala a few times when the queue at Tayyabs was too long.
Janes – I will surely go to Magic Wok soon and report back. Thanks for the affirmation of Vern’s rec. : )