IT was another drizzly and humdrum Mayfair day, but not when we spotted the fringed red awning and green gates. An unassuming entrance flanked by a doorman and lucky tortoise statue spouting water, stepping into Park Chinois is like entering a very sumptuous secret society. And as we were reviewing the Royal Academy Gourmet Lunch which included a ticket to the Royal Academy’s blockbuster Charles I exhibition, a very discerning secret society at that.
Welcomed by beautifully dressed hosts into an opulent booth in the Salon du Chine, we were greeted by our charming waiter Mohsen, who put us instantly at ease despite our niggling doubt that we were a tad underdressed (shirt-tails and brocade has that effect). He was extremely knowledgable on the finer points of the menu, recommending us a deliciously smokey charcoal roasted Oolong to start.
While we sipped on our tea and waited for our extravagant three course lunch, we marvelled at the clockwork nature of the service and watched the international elite tuck into their bang bang chicken. With its cushy booths and friendly staff, it feels like a very swanky version of eating comfort food on your sofa. If your front room happened to in Mayfair. And your kitchen was opened by Alan Yau.
The glamorous surrounds of Park Chinois
Our lunch was magnificent. I tucked into a starter of Chef’s Selection Dim Sum, while my accomplice tested out the vegetarian option. The dim sum were truly objet d’art, so much so I didn’t want to eat them. The dumplings were wrapped in the most delicate of pastries with seaweed ribbon. Standouts include the succulent har gow (prawn dumpling) and the vegetarian truffle dumpling – a taste bomb that stayed with us until the end of the meal. If I ever have a Proustian madeline moment, it will be with this dumpling.
The stunningly presented dim sum
The mains were just as impressive. I had the Cantonese Roast Duck à l’Orange Sauce, a beautifully tender duck with a glazed crispy coat – the tang of the orange set it off perfectly. My partner had the Hakka Paneer, Green Shishito & Red Roman Peppers, an piquant combination of sweet and sour and spicy flavours. We finished with a satisfyingly fiery Pain d’Épice & Poached Pear and a creamy mandarin sorbet. The whole dining experience was heavenly – I think I will go ahead and model my front room after Park Chinois.
While others might walk off their meal in the nearby Green Park, we decided to digest some art at the RA. Charles I turns out to have been an extremely prolific collector of Van Dyck, Titian and Mantegna. More surprisingly perhaps, his collection includes Durer and Pieter Breugel the Elder, revealing a more progressive edge to the predominant oil portraiture. Overall, it is a fascinating study of a King in two parts – the political image he sought to convey, and his private tastes in Italian and Northern Renaissance art.
by Lucy Wai
Park Chinois, 17 Berkeley St, Mayfair, London W1J 8EA
The Royal Academy Gourmet Lunch including entry to Charles I: King & Collector is priced £42
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