Four Seasons

I have eaten in plenty of Chinese restaurants in China Town but I have yet to find one that can rival Four Season’s famous BBQ meat. The seasoning and texture of its BBQ pork and roast duck are simply outstanding as far as the London standard goes. A typical meal at Four Seasons would cost less than 20 pounds per person to make this one of the best place for comforting but quality Cantonese food in China Town.

It’s always busy at this place, always a queue waiting outside. I gave it a try eventually with a some friends. It was the first for all of us.
We didn’t have to wait for long to be seated, we went to the second floor, and which was crowded (bit noisy), there was no space between tables.
We ordered a few dishes and the soup of the day. The menu stated the soup had no MSG, but we found it quite salty (apparently no MSG but loads of salt). We had some bean curd dish in a pot which was okay, the wok fried Chinese kale with garlic was good, as well as the salt and pepper pork chop.
The service deserved a 2 star, it was between minimal and rude (typical).

One of many decent places to eat in London’s surprisingly small Chinatown. I love how ethnic Chinese businesses exude a certain frenetic efficiency while foregoing mainstream courtesies and this place does not disappoint in that regard. Claustrophobics beware: They sit you wherever there is space. On the crowded lunchtime I visited, when I walked in they hurriedly motioned for me to get in and go downstairs (who knew there was a downstairs?) where there is a small room jam packed with tables and people eating elbow to elbow. They sat me at my own small table that was between 2 others with about 3 inches of space between them so I was essentially eating a communal table with 4 other people. This is a little socially uncomfortable since you are so close to the strangers that you can’t help but make eye contact at inopportune moments. This makes for an interesting lunch because you can see what they are eating, watch them pick their teeth, listen to them burp, and wonder how in the hell you are going to safely get out of the place when you are finished without a crowbar. The food was good, not great. To be fair, they seem to be known for their hanging roasted BBQ meats but I ordered some dumplings and a bowl of braised beef noodle soup. It was tasty but I’ve had better and the portions were a little small for the prices in my opinion. But, it hit the spot, was comforting, made me feel like I was sitting right in the middle of the motherland all for £12.90 which was pricey just for the food but reasonable for the forced people-​watching entertainment factor that was included. I would probably go back to try something else off the menu but there are so many other places nearby that also deserve my future attention.

With so many aromatic crispy duck options in Chinatown it is hard to choose — but glad I settled on Four Seasons. Claiming they are «roast duck specialists» they did luckily not disappoint. Duck was not prepared at the table but was without a doubt truly delicious and reasonably priced. As you expect in Chinatown the service was not particularly welcoming and quite gruff really but all in all highly recommend.

Great fatty roasted duck! We had to squeeze at a table with 3 people and they subtly chase you away after you’re done.

We had a good meal at Four Seasons. I’d had the duck at their Bayswater location but wanted to try this one and see what the other options were like.
Crab with spring onion and ginger was good. Crab was not overcooked and came nicely pre-​cracked.
The pork belly with preserved veg was melt in your mouth tender and the sauce went well with the rice.
Scallops with cellophane noodles were ok. The scallops were not as flavoursome as they could have been.
Stir fried greens and braised tofu hit to spot
The rice had obviously been sitting around for a while and was not steaming hot and fluffy. They left the door to the restaurant open which meant the restaurant was cold and our food went cold quite quickly.
It was a good meal but nothing too special. Good value though. We all had a beer plus food and it came to £30/​pp.

Each time we come to London, we have a meal at the Four Seasons Chinese Restaurants. There are 3 restaurants, one in Bayswater, one on Waldorf St and the last at 12 Gerrard St, chinatown.
We love the Roast Duck Rice meal for £6.80. Ask the restaurant to debone the Duck and give you extra sauce. The meat is tender and tasty.
The restaurant serves other food as well, but this is our favourite dish. The other dishes we like are the stir fried prawn noodle, Kai Lan stir fried with garlic and the stir fried green pea shoots (seasonal).

Take-​away review only!
This is a review on the the roast duck!
When I past through China Town I always stop by the Four Seasons to but a whole roast deboned duck! In the window there is a sign stating it serves the best roast duck in London — this may well be true! I have yet to taste a better duck. Juicy and succulent everytime! You can buy roast duck for a lot cheaper at nearby restaurants in china town but often I find the duck too fatty or too gamey.
I never eat in at Four Seasons so I can’t comment on the rest of the menu but the duck is excellent.
A perfect night in: a whole roast duck, lots of choi of choice and a movie.
Juicy, juicy, juicy!

J’étais allée plusieurs fois au Four Seasons, mais le jour de l’an chinois a été un carnage! Une vraie déception. Je n’y remettrai plus les pieds.
Notre table était littéralement collée au mur, et à 50 centimètres des clients voisins. Il y avait une grande poubelle sans couvercle à 2 mètres de nous et la fenêtre était ouverte malgré la météo (froid/​pluie/​vent).
Tous les plats sont arrivés froids et pas en même temps. Après notre remarque, le serveur a posé son doigt sur la viande pour vérifier! La serveuse a fait la même chose avec les galettes!
Ils ont réchauffé le canard au micro-​ondes!!!
En nous l’amenant, le serveur nous dit que, puisqu’on avait voulu que notre plat soit réchauffé, la peau du canard n’était plus croustillante. WTF???
Aucun plat n’a été terminé. Les ²⁄₃ du canard étaient immangeables (morceaux noirs sans chair). Le plat était d’ailleurs à nouveau froid 2 minutes après avoir été réchauffé.
La note est arrivée avec 10.5% de charge de service. Nous avons refusé de payer cette charge et on a essayé de nous faire croire que ce n’était pas optionnel! Quand nous avons insisté, nous nous sommes faits à moitié insulter en chinois.
Plus jamais!

I came to Chinatown expecting a cheap Chinese dinner, we ordered a duck, rice, and half a chicken with two hot and sour soups. The total came out to be… $ 60USD. I mean don’t get me wrong, this place was decent, but I don’t know if it’s worth $ 60.
If you REALLY want to get your Chinese craving out of the way, I would recommend this place. Otherwise, stick to typical london/​british food.

Great Chinese duck, both Pechinese style as starter (cold, to be eaten with pancakes) and fantastic in Cantonese style (fat and juicy). If you want Chinese duck at very good value, this is your place. Service is a bit rough, though. I really recommend, I came back here many times, never disappointed. Wine list has also some very cheap option, for London.

We read that this had the best roast duck in town and saw that there were people (including many Chinese people) waiting to eat there so thought it must be good, authentic Chinese food.
I have to say the char sui pork is the best I have ever had. And this is why it gets 4 stars.
The duck however was just not impressive. The skin was really chewy and not crispy. The meat was nice but because the skin was bad it kinda ruined «the best roast duck in town» for us.
We also had a side of noodles and beansprouts which were damn tasty.
Less than average service. 12.5% discretionary service charge included on bill.

If I’m honest, I think the one on Gerrard Street is better, although that’s not to say this isn’t a very good Chinese restaurant. This is just off of the main strip of Chinatown, at one end towards the W hotel.
The meats are what I go here for, the crispy belly pork, barbecued Char Siu and juicy Roast Duck. The Four Seasons group has a reputation for their staple meats and it is deserved.
I go to this branch for takeout as it’s closer to work (albeit not by much) and it is generally less busy than the Gerrard Street branch. You’re getting the same meats and rice and in that respect it makes no difference. Some dishes I think are better in the other branch when eating in though.
In the evening, this branch is a little quieter than the Gerrard Street branch and won’t have the staff hassling you to return the table for the next group of people. As much as I compare it to the other branch, it’s not different enough to warrant the queues of people waiting for a table at the other location. I would suggest that instead of waiting 40 mins plus, head here instead.

There’s a newspaper article emblazoned on the door claiming «best roast duck in the world»; bold but it is certainly the best I’ve had in London.
Come here regularly for the roast duck and crispy pork belly — both are excellent and compensate for the fact it’s very busy and queues are common.
The setting is fairly small so don’t expect privacy.
Waiting staff are attentive and friendly, although keen to keep the restaurant turning over so don’t expect to linger over a coffee and some romantic chat.

This was Sunday night and had to wait at least 10 – 15 mins before we got seated.
I’ve been recommended this business chain by several people to try their duck and boy was I not disappointed (which probably bumped it up to 4 stars).
For the price and quality it was great.
Would come back for sure.

First of all the workers here are unbelievably rude. I politely ask for a table for 3 and they say «okay you all go outside» in a rude voice while shoving his finger at my face to go outside. Fine we waited outside. 10 minutes later 3 groups came into the restaurant and they automatically got seats (I’m sure they didn’t have reservations). I ask the guy about our table. His reply was «(unintelligible voice) wait».
The food tastes okay compared to the other restaurants in chinatown. They serve very sloppily. Barbecued mixed meat is drowned with sauce.
I recommend you try elsewhere in chinatown.

I’d like to rate Four Seasons somewhere between a 3 and 4. I went to their Gerrard Street branch for the first time at a friend’s suggestion that they had the best roast duck in Chinatown after my mother insisted I bring a whole duck home for dinner (Chinese parents are weird.) It’s fairly clear that Four Seasons know their duck. It wasn’t covered it in an entire bag of five spice and they seemed to understood the importance of choosing a duck that isn’t covered in half an inch of fat. The accompanying sauce was a delicate balance of sweet and savoury.
It was based on this first takeaway experience that I returned a short time later to their Wardour Street branch for a dinner with my mum. The plan had been to order one dish of 3 meats (pork belly, duck and chicken) and supplement it with a stir fried green vegetable but in the end we ordered the meats with a tofu dish instead. The meats were delicious and I was glad to see that they were laid on top of a bed of Chinese leaf so there’s no need to feel guilty if you don’t order veggies. :P the pork belly was crunchy, duck was excellent and the chicken came with an accompaniment of ginger and coriander dipping sauce, Hainan style. All of it tasted great. Even the rice was fragrant and of a higher standard to what I’ve become used to in Chinatown.
The tofu dish wasn’t as pleasant as the rest of our meal.
I can’t recall the name of it but it was a deep fried tofu with a seafood meatball filling, stirfried in a sauce with a few pak choi. It wasn’t awful but the sauce was heavy on MSG and cornflour which gave it a gooey texture and unpleasant aftertaste. Not bad but not the best thing to have when the other half of our meal consisted entirely of meat. It was a hot day so something lighter would have been a better idea. Our choice of dish isn’t the restaurant’s fault of course but I still wouldn’t order it again.
Altogether for 2 people (rice, tea, a meat dish and a vegetable dish) the meal came to £29 including service charge. Of course we got a duck to go after we were done because apparently that’s what Chinese mothers need to do. (So weird…) Not bad for the area but for a real bargain order rice & meat individual meal, which comes to about £18 for two + drinks.

I was unsure what to expect from the Chinese food here in London, but I must say I was pleased with my lunch at Four Seasons in Chinatown. First off, this area of London is much nicer and maintained than most Chinatowns I have been to in the US, which is several. It does not however ruin any of the traditional market-​type feel I personally look for in a great Chinatown experience.
Now to the restaurant, there is something comforting about fresh roasted duck and pig hanging in the front window. The entry way is a bit crammed, which I can see being a bit troublesome at busier times. We went here on a Sunday afternoon around 12:30 hoping for dim sum, but it turned out it was not being served. Not sure if this is normal or not, but it was definitely disappointing.
Seating-​wise it was slightly confined, so be prepared to sit directly next to people you don’t know (basically at the same table). Aside from the close quarters the restaurant did not seem overly crowded.
For starters I ordered a bowl of Fish Maw soup, which is my absolute favourite. The flavor was great, no complaints whatsoever, but in my opinion it could have either been a bit thicker or had more meat. I was a bit surprised when they only brought out an individual bowl as the menu listed it at £6, and I assumed that would be for the group. I guess that is just London for you though…
We also ordered ½ a crispy duck for the three of us to share, which could have been more food for the price. It was served shredded with a stack of warm rice wraps and fresh veggies. In all honesty I thought this tasted excellent and the delivery was great. I liked how they gave us the bones too in case we wanted to shred a bit more off (which we did). The sauce was a bit sweet for my taste, but I tend to prefer more salty/​savory sauces with meat.
All in all, I will definitely be coming back here to explore more of their menu. I will just have to do more research on when dim sum is served/​not served next time before coming.

Four Seasons is probably my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Just a warning: the décor is nonexistent and the service isn’t perfect. (What do you expect from an authentic Cantonese restaurant?)
But I don’t come here for the décor and service… As long as they keep serving their roast duck, I’m happy!
Along with the duck, I would recommend the salt and pepper prawns. They’re battered, deep fried, and heavily seasoned… Yum.

I went to this place after siting a fellow Food Spotter’s picture on FoodSpotting. Then I cross checked with Unilocal,and it was almost 5 stars so I decided to put it on one of to go list when in London.
OH BOY am I glad I did go to this place! This little hole-​in-​the-​wall is known for their roast duck and it is totally worth your trip!
We ordred Roast Duck, Lobster (in spicy and sweet sauce) which’s not on the menu, but you ask to be cooked this way they’ll do it, Salt & Pepper short ribs, Salty fish & chicken fried rice, and Fried oyster. Every single dish was absolutely fantastic! I’m from San Francisco, and if you’ve heard of R&G Lounge in SF, you know how good they are. This place is just as good as R&G and even better at some level!
1. Roast Duck: They are famous for this and they sure do it well! Crispy skin with tender juicy meat and absolutely perfect seasoning! YUM!
2. Sweet & Spicy Lobster: OMG! This lobster is OUT of THIS World delicious!!! When asked if the lobster was fresh, the chap taking our order very confidently said yes! So we asked to make it with some kind of spicy sauce (not on the menu) and they whipped up this lobster. It may not look pretty to you, but it’s all pretty when you put it in your mouth! Flavor explosion! BAM! So good and the succulent lobster meat was just so sweet!
3. Salt & Pepper short ribs: Jiao Yen Pai Ku: Perfectly fried! Tender meat! Enuf said!
4. Salty fish & Chicken fried rice: So yummy with lots of salty fish in it, not like some places where they skimp on it.
5. Fried oyster: They really know how to fry stuff here and this dish was so good!
Place is small, but there are downstairs seatings as well. People are friendly and if you speak Mandarin or Cantonese it’s a plus cuz they’ll take care of you really well.

Peking duck here is very good. Easily fed 6 people as a starter and the other dishes were not bad. Spicy here means SPICY.
The atmosphere and décor are actually quite poor, and there was a draft from a window that couldn’t be closed on the second floor. But if your interest is the food, then you’ll not be disappointed.
The crispy roast squid and Shredded chicken fried noodles are extremely morish!