Ping Pong
Restaurant - Chinese in London
45 Great Marlborough Street
London
W1F 7JL
Contact Numbers
Reviews
Ping Pong Soho
Having been to a few of the Ping Pong branches I think they've done well making dim sum more available outside of Chinatown and all through the day. I haven't had a bad experience here, on the contrary, I've never had any complaints. The food is of good quality, the service efficient and the restaurants themselves always clean with stylish interior design. This is a great place to come for a quick lunch or an evening with friends. Try one of the novel 'flowering teas' or cocktails from the extensive drinks menu. Ping Pong may have received some mixed reviews but I would recommend it all the way.
A User - 09/08/2009 | report this review
High priced stodgy dim sum
I've loved dim sum for years and it's good to know that the concept is breaking into the mainstream after so long being confined to a few Chinese restaurants and is available at any time of the day, any day of the week. However, to me, this isn't dim sum. The number of dishes is very much restricted – really to a choice of two - sticky rice and steamed buns.I struggled to understand why, at a time when Londoners are becoming more health conscious by the day, this chain continues to expand. To me an enjoyable and healthy meal consists of, and I'm estimating this as no restaurant meal has ever prompted me to think about it before, around 40% green vegetables, 40% carbs and 20% vegetable protein. That would certainly represent a typical Chinese meal. To make up the 40% green vegetables I would have to order around 12 portions of Pak Choy or Choy Sum – each is served in 60mm x 50mm x 6mm portions (about 10p worth of Chinese vegetables if bought at a Chinese supermarket). At nearly £4 per serving that would make for a very expensive vegetable dish. Because the portions are miniscule, the greens were overcooked and tasteless. There wasn't a single vegetable protein dish on the menu. From what I could see, most diners seem to order a couple of portions of sticky rice and a couple of stodgy steamed dumplings, most of which had small quantities of meat or fish. I can live with a high carb diet – the previous day I'd just returned from a business trip to West Africa. Long work days confined me to a hotel where they don't really do anything non-meat/fish, so I'd lived off rice for 5 days. But in London? At 95% carbs, this just isn't my sort of meal!The service was OK; averagely efficient. I'd asked for a Southern Comfort and had been told they didn't sell it but saw it at the bar on my way out ... and there's something about restaurants that add 12.5% to your bill when the service is just about acceptable! We ate here as the Ping Pong close by - Eastcastle Street -had been told to close early (8pm) as they'd been too quiet that day. I wonder, are they regretting opening quite so many branches?I won't be going again, to this or to any other Ping Pong.
A User - 06/08/2009 | report this review
Expensive dim sum
These new dim sum restaurants are springing up all over London town. Ping Pong and,it's double act, Dimt are westernised Chinese/Asian fusion style restaurants.The quality of the Dim Sums does vary a little, and the selection tends to be very limited compared to the more traditional China town eateries. The flowering tea and the like do add to the experience, as does the locale, more so than the service which is distinctly non-Asian. Service is generally good, Wong Kie's (notoriously rude service) it is not. All in all, it has a sort of re-hashed theme and sanitised (limited selection) feel to it, which comes at a greater price than a regular meal in China town -- something I haven't had in a while. Now if only I could find a restaurant like Beijing's Da Dong in London!
A User - 12/03/2009 | report this review
Good ambience, so-so food
So it's not the most authentic chinese dim sum restaurant it's more asian fusion and caters to western tastes. The decor is always cool and the service is great. The dim sums are fairly hit and miss...a bit overpriced for what you get. The jasmin tea with the opening flowers is pretty cool. It's a classier joint that your typical chinatown dim sum restaurant.
A User - 09/09/2008 | report this review
What you expect in Ping Pong
Food tastes OK, but not fresh, food like you buy in supermarket,then put in microwave......
A User - 03/09/2008 | report this review
Perfectly good
It's not world-beating, the food isn't stellar and the prices aren't rock-bottom. But for good-enough dim sum in a central location, washed down by some rather nice cocktails, you can do a lot worse. Of the two major dim-sum chains in London I'd say Dim T just about has the edge, but I've always enjoyed my experiences in Ping Pong. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's perfect for a boozy lunch or evening with a group of mates (it's huge so you're likely to get a table, at least) and if you treat the dim sum like glorified bar snacks and don't worry too much about their providence, you can't go far wrong.
A User - 01/08/2008 | report this review
Ping Pong Dim Sum
ive never tried dim sum before but loved what i ate here , the resturaunt looked cool and quite a funky crowd
A User - 05/06/2008 | report this review
all show - no go
Great concept but the food just isn't good enough. The décor, cocktails and staff uniforms are great but if you want good dim sum try elsewhere. The food is prepared in a "centralised kitchen" (which is what I would call a factory) then delivered to the restaurants to be cooked. As a business concept this works well as it means smaller kitchens and more room for tables and paying customers, however, the food suffers. This chain was quickly established and the owner has already sold the business. I guess it's good to get people to try dim sum but there's much better to be had in London.
A User - 06/03/2008 | report this review
nice lunchtime canteen
A bit like Chris I don't thing foodies would be overly impressed by the cuisine at Ping Pong.I guess with such a name noone can take them seriously for a start!!It's just a nice canteen for Liberty's shoppers and staff from local media companies.It is great fun as a group, but ask to be sat downstairs on one of the round tables. It's also perfect for a light girly lunch, you'll each leave around £10 lighter having had a good gossip and a giggle!
A User - 06/03/2008 | report this review
Gimmicks galore
Having heard my friends rave about Ping Pong and declaring it to be the best, I thought I should better give it a go. Arrived hungry at noon with cousin Jacky at the Great Marlborough branch last Sunday. We decided to go for the Lazy Sunday deal where you can eat as much as you like off the menu - excluding the specials and signature dishes for £16.50. Excitedly we started ordering off the menu - ticking off about 12 dishes on the dim sum sheet they give you. Soon enough they arrived - we asked them to come in two batches so as to clutter our small table. Good points - Ingredients, in particular the seafood and meat were very fresh. The dumplings are handmade unlike some Chinese restaurants.- Service was good and friendly - although they first of all charged us the full price which we had to rectify- Innovative dumplings - great choice of fillings- Unlike a lot of chinese restaurants, they have lots of choice of vegetariansBad points- Smaller portions and more expensive. Sticky rice came in 3 small wraps - and hardly any meat or prawns were in it- Vietnamese spring rolls - tiny and burnt in some places- Steamed tofu and wasabi - tasted really odd- Choi sum came in a tiny little dish- Tables were so close to each other - and people were seated right next to us even though the place was empty- Pastry for the dumplings had a thicker texture and therefore stuck to the baskets- Not sure about the glass for the tea - was too hot to hold itAll in all it was good to try Ping Pong, I think if you had never eaten dim sum in a traditional restaurant before you would think it was great. The place does look modern and sophisticated, the waiters in their uniforms blend in beautifully and little touches such as the golden teapot and the flower tea made the whole experince very pleasant -not what you'd expect from somewhere in Chinatown. I do give the Ping Pong team credit as they have pulled off a great marketing feat in promoting a cuisine that has been in the background for some time. Even the chinese restaurants have profited from the burst in the cuisine's popularity and started to serve dim sum later and later and places such as New World - have encouraged Westerners by hiring English speaking staff. Hopefully it will give novice dim sum lovers the courage to try the more traditional restaurants such as the Royal China chain, Imperial China and Phoenix Palace. Bad points-
A User - 01/03/2008 | report this review
Okay
Maybe I'm difficult to please, but I wasn't blown away by Ping Pong. Important things first: the cocktails were delicious, packed with fresh fruit juices and herbs, authentic but in my opinion too ice-y and lacking punch (perhaps I'm too much of a seasoned drinker).The venue looks fantastic - all high ceilings and dark wood.. although the rather cramped seating arrangements, so common in these places, mean that eating here is very much a shared experience (in my case, it meant sharing a table with a rather amorous couple).To me, there is something clinical about ordering food by just tagging meals off a list.. but it arrived quickly and tasted fresh. Dishes are between £2 and £5.. for three dimsum parcels, or a small bowl of noodles/soup. I'm not sure I'd consider this great value, it was enjoyable and fresh, but just not fantastic.. I was expecting amazing things and left slightly hungry and slightly disappointed.
A User - 12/02/2008 | report this review
Fun, best in a group, decent value
The dimsum might be westernised, but it's still tasty, plentiful and solid value. Despite having a cocktail and a few beers around the table, the bill was surprisingly reasonable. We went in a large group and it was definitely the best way to experience it, go nuts ordering a load of dishes and everyone can pile in. I'd second others' suggestion of not ordering everything at once - stagger it, not least because it is all more filling than you think. The food is mostly freshly cooked, the steamed dishes all seemed especially fresh. It won't blow your socks off or convert the unconverted, but if you like this kind of stylish Eastern eating you'll feel right at home.
A User - 10/02/2008 | report this review
Good food, shit service!
The dim sum is very westernized and inauthentic, but I think that they're just serving to their clientel. The place is clean and the food was very tasty for what it was. But it has to be some of the worst service I've ever experience in my entire life. I've been a couple of times ( I don't know why I keep going back ). Once, I asked for a fork 3 times and never got one. Another time, when I beckoned a waiter back to my table after he removed a dish I wasn't finished with and then he continued to be very rude, I refused to pay the discretionary service charge. He then threatened to do something to my food if I ever returned. I haven't.
A User - 09/12/2007 | report this review
Good Dimsum
It's quite Pricey and poor selection. The food however is very tasty and freshly made. Highly recommend their pork puff and sticky rice!
A User - 04/11/2007 | report this review
Yummy Crispy Prawn Balls!
There's not much left to add, really. Just that their service was as good as Paddington Street's. Oh, and that I can never get enough of their crispy prawn balls. Yummmy!
A User - 06/09/2007 | report this review
Great for a works 'do'...don't forget the Jasmine tea
One of our partners had a christmas event here last year, personally I can take or leave Chinese food but this restaurant pleasently surprised me.We were seated downstairs and the 30 of us more or less had the whole place to ourselves really. The champagne was really nice, the waiters were very discrete - not making a big fuss when one of my colleagues was a little sick behind a chair (yes really).The food kind of arrives in little bamboo tubs which is where they steam it - at first they all have tickets on them to say what they are but after a few more glasses of champers that was a bit academic to be honest. Desert was a lovely light mousse and to cap it off we had this Jasmine tea which contains a little flower which unfolds in your glass in front of your eyes - nice and refreshing and pretty unique too.All in all we had a great time, this was a really classy restaurant and they didn't mind the odd indisgression now and then.
A User - 01/05/2007 | report this review
"Little steamed parcels of deliciousness"
Ping Pong is a Dim Sum restaurant, and describes its food as "Little steamed parcels of deliciousness", and that is indeed an accurate description! Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese dish of small steamed savoury dumplings with various fillings. The dishes are served up in small bamboo containers (3 pieces to a serve), each containing a little taste sensation. A great meal to share with friends or that special someone.The restaurant design was very stylish, with tables of varying sizes over 2 levels, and bench seating overlooking the lower floor. There was a bar area that was pretty busy, and the barmen were creating some very intriguing looking cocktails.Service was very friendly and helpful with explaining how the ordering system worked. Basically, you look through the menu and then mark your choices on a tally sheet and hand it to your waiter.We ordered several different things, with our favourites being the Steamed dumplings - Har Gau (prawn & bamboo); the Steamed dumplings - Seafood (in carrot wonton); and the Steamed buns - Char sui bun (Pork).We have since returned to Ping Pong and again enjoyed our meal. There are branches popping up across central London so why not pop in for a post-shop or pre-theatre meal, or a more relaxing evening with friends. Oh, and make sure you sample one of their special cocktails - potent!
A User - 04/03/2007 | report this review
Bayswater Dim sum
Trendy dark wooden decor, lots of space and light (during the day). The place serves good dim sum (at around £1/piece which turns out to be a little expensive if you're very hungry!). Try the unusual Black Jasmine tea for a visual treat.
A User - 12/09/2006 | report this review
Dim Sum
Nice atmosphere, good Dim Sum but of course not as good as Chinatown.You must have a Jasmin Tea (you will have a surprise) Hey nothing sexual guys, it is only nice and unusual for a tea!
A User - 07/08/2006 | report this review
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