Chinese Food Festival 2018: Authentic regional delicacies served up in the heart of London

Imagine being able to sample Chinese street food province by province – and all within a day. Well, you’re in luck because this summer Londoners will get the opportunity to get a real taste of China as the Chinese Food Festival returns to the capital.

Taking place on Friday 31^st to August to Sunday 2^nd September in Potters Fields Park, the festival is themed around the famous night markets of China known as yè shì. However, lucky attendees will get to enjoy the full experience with all-day opening hours and the choice of over 100 dishes provided by around 20 different vendors.

The plates hail from seven different provinces and promise to offer an authentic and regional experience, allowing diners to try some hidden gems that you won’t find on your typical restaurant menu. Some of these offerings include Xiaomian noodles with spicy chilli oil from Chongqing, chilli oil-braised crayfish from Wuhan, traditional Cantonese char sui from Hong Kong, hand-pulled noodles from Xi’an, “Wheelcakes” from Taiwan – the list goes on and on.

In terms of alcoholic beverages, there will be a Cobra and Snow beer bar and the JiangXiaoBai Baiju bar which will be serving a variety of drinks all day.

Here’s what to look out for at the festival:

Jiaba

All the way from Taiwan – a country favoured by foodies – Jiaba serves a variety of dishes such as delicious braised pork rice and Yansuji (Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken). These mouth-watering meals will definitely have you going back for more.

You can also find Jiaba in Old Spitalfields Market from Monday to Friday (11:30am – 7.30pm), Saturdays (11.30am – 6pm) and Sundays (11.30am – 5pm). For further information visit their website here.

Pleasant Lady

Here you’ll find the delicious jianbing, a delicacy that originated in Shandong and is often described as one of China’s most popular street breakfasts. It consists of a crêpe packed full of pork, chicken or lamb, served with pickles and sauce. This is one you won’t want to miss.

You can also find Pleasant Lady in Old Spitalfields Market from Monday to Friday (11.00am – 8.00pm), Saturdays (11am – 6pm) and Sundays 11am – 5pm). For further information visit their website here.

Yi Fang

You can stay hydrated with these juicy Taiwanese teas which are all natural and made with various types of tea, fresh slices of fruit and natural sugars.

You can also find Yi Fang at Old Spitalfields Market from Monday to Saturday (11am – 6pm) and Sundays (11am – 5pm). For further information visit their website here.

Free masterclasses

There will also be free masterclasses throughout the festival led by Lee Kum Chinese Kitchen who will be teaching spectators how to make dishes such as BBQ chicken bao with pickled vegetables. 

To try some of these delicacies plus a whole lot more, head on down to the Chinese Food Festival next weekend (Friday to Saturday 12pm – 10pm and Sunday 12pm – 7pm) at Potters Fields Park.

Alex Woods

The Chinese Food Festival 2018 is at Potters Fields Park Tower Bridge Road London SE1 2AA from 31^st August until 2^nd September 2018. For further information or to book visit their website here.