“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
Jim Rohn had the right idea I think, and Ping Pong is a restaurant that is far from ordinary. With offerings that range from soft shell crab to chocolate coulant there will definitely be something on the menu you haven’t tried.
Taste
I’ve been to Ping Pong for lunch a number of times as there is a branch just opposite my office, they change their lunch menu through the different seasons so after about 5 visits in the past 7 months I’ve tasted quite a few of their dishes.
Unless you’re a dim sum pro and know what you want I would recommend going for one of the set menus, less hassle and most come with a iced/hot tea.
Everything tastes amazing. Seriously. The food is cooked to perfection and you get such a wide choice of dishes.
Summer Super set menu: Iced tea, dumplings including scallop and shiitake, prawn and chive and spicy vegetable, chicken and broccoli rice pot.
Effectiveness
It may seem strange to have this category in a restaurant review, but there is method to my madness, (I promise). Despite what top chefs may think (Heston Blumenthal I’m looking at you) the main reason for eating food is to be full afterwards.
And so, I can honestly say that I’ve never left Ping Pong hungry, or even looked at their dessert menu. I’ve had the Ping Pong selection, which is another set menu, twice and been completely stuffed (many of my less gluttonous colleagues took a doggy bag away with them.)
Convenience
Did I mention it’s just cross the road from my office? There are eight branches in London including Southbank, Stratford and Soho. If you’re ordering dim sum off the menu it can work out more expensive than ordering the set menu as Ping Pong isn’t cheap, the lunch menus range from £12.50 – £30 at the moment as they have removed the cheaper lunch menu (around £7.50) for the Christmas season (grrr.)
The service can be quite slow because they have so many customers at lunchtime but I forgive them because their prawn toast slays.
Ingredients
Ping Pong doesn’t pretend to be a health food restaurant (they serve honey-glazed spare ribs, I mean…) but the ingredients are super fresh and you are never more than 30cm from a vegetable.
‘R factor’
I have been recommending this place left, right and centre and loads of people know about it already, Ping Pong have said they are planning on expanding into other areas of the UK so one might be opening up near you soon!
Have you been to Ping Pong? Let me know what you thought below.
Phoebe Parke 