Sunday, 23 September 2012

Peony Club - Chinese


Snapshot

Cuisine:
Chinese (dim sum available for lunch)
Price:
Average spend £12 (Based on just dim sum dishes and a drink). Average spend £20 (Based on dim sum dishes, main dishes from menu and a drink.
Set lunches start at £18.50 per person
Healthy:
Health and diet conscious: Opt for steamed dishes and stir fry vegetables.
Chinese food can be oily but Peony stir-fries and even duck dishes were not too greasy.
Tasty:
·         3.5/5 – Food
·         3.5/5 – Service
·         4/5 – Comfort of dining in
·         4/5 – Overall rating
Occasion:
·         Friday lunch time treat.
·         Dinner - clients/colleagues and friends catch up.
·         Private dining and lounge
Address:       
46 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7AY
Opening times
Monday to Friday –11am-3pm & 6pm-11pm.
Saturday and Sunday – Closed.
Tel: +44 (0) 020 7726 0308

Eat in/Takeaway:
Eat-in and take-aways
Recommended dishes & drinks
Dim sum:
·         Steamed prawn dumplings (Very large and generous prawn meat inside the dumpling).
·         Steamed prawn and scallop dumplings
·         Singapore fried vermicelli.


Vegetarian dishes
Yes
Loyalty card
Membership available for an annual fee.
Website

Notes
A posher Chinese restaurant but without the pretentious atmosphere. Great Cantonese dishes that is rare to be found in the Square mile.


City Pig’s analysis

Peony is the newly refurbished Chinese restaurant on Gresham Street which was formerly known as Goldfish.
I had been to Goldfish and was not impressed by the Chinese food served there. I decided to give Peony a chance, as clearly it has undergone a vast image change.
It’s striking black and pink logo and dark interiors as you walk in breathes an air of elegance that never existed in Goldfish. I noticed there were books on the shelves which seemed odd but added to the stylish designs.
All staff was friendly enough to greet us and bring us to our tables. It felt luxurious but not in a pretentious manner and I can see this being a place to bring your clients or perhaps a nice treat with your colleagues.
The dim sum menu might seem limited to those who are regular dim sum eaters but the staple dim sum e.g. “Prawn dumplings” are there. Indeed, the prawn dumplings were superior as the name describes. They were by far the most generous with the prawn meat and it was encased with a thin see through rice flour shell. It was perfect.
Most of the steamed dumplings were very good. I was a little disappointed there wasn’t more choice on the dim sum. However, the Singapore noodles were cooked very well – not too spicy and a hint of curry powder mixed in. Some Chinese restaurants tend to cook very oily and greasy dishes but I was pleased peony did not follow.
The portion sizes could be bigger, to reflect the prices but this is where up-market Chinese restaurants seem to all have smaller portions.

It is not an everyday lunch option but a Friday lunch time treat or a place to meet friends or colleagues for dinner in the Square mile. I will have to try the dinner menu next time and see how this compares.
I have always wanted there to be more good Chinese food in the City of London and I can count Peony as being one of them.









Square Meal

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