Mama Li brings traditional Cantonese roast meats and Hong Kong café flavours to Canary Wharf

Mama Li is opening its third London location at Wood Wharf in Canary Wharf at the end of January. The new restaurant, situated at 3 Rivington Walk, will introduce Hong Kong-style Siu Mei – traditional Cantonese roasted meats – to the area. The expansion reflects the brand’s aim to offer a more comprehensive dine-in experience alongside its existing grab-and-go service, catering to both quick lunches and more leisurely meals.

Mama Li was founded by Catherine Hua and her mother, who began the venture in response to a lack of authentic Cantonese roast meats in London. Their objective was to recreate the flavours of their childhood using family recipes. Since its inception, Mama Li has grown into a small restaurant group, with the Canary Wharf site marking its latest development.

The central focus of the menu remains Siu Mei, which includes four signature roasts: Crispy Pork, BBQ Pork, Soy Chicken, and Roast Duck. These are prepared using traditional Cantonese methods, including a charcoal-fired roast duck oven. Customers can select one, two, or three meats, served with rice and seasonal vegetables, and have the option to personalise their meals with additions such as fried egg or house chilli.

The Canary Wharf branch will also introduce new menu items not previously offered at Mama Li’s other locations. These include a variety of soup noodle dishes, such as Roast Duck Lai Fun and Wonton Noodle Soup. A selection of dishes inspired by Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng cafés will also be available, including Bolo Bao with butter, Golden Scrambled Egg with char siu and rice, and salt and chilli pork chop with rice.

The restaurant’s layout has been developed in collaboration with interior architects Macaulay Sinclair, aiming to create an environment influenced by the informal atmosphere of Hong Kong cafés. Over half of the space is dedicated to seating, encouraging customers to dine in, while maintaining efficiency for those seeking a quick meal.

In addition to food, Mama Li Canary Wharf will debut a range of tea-based cocktails, featuring ingredients such as jasmine and lychee, intended to complement the Cantonese roast meats and reference the tea culture of the region.

Catherine Hua, the founder, commented: “With this opening, it was important to us that we stayed true to the food our customers already love, while giving ourselves room to show more of how Cantonese food is really eaten. The new dishes, and the space itself, reflect the everyday meals I grew up with – comforting, familiar and designed to be shared with loved ones around the table, but just as comforting when enjoyed on your own.”

Food Desk

For further information, visit Mama Li’s website here.