5 Asian Dining Options in London

Nipa Thai

Here in an dining room in the Royal Lancaster Hotel, award-winning Thai cuisine is prepared with authentic herbs and seasonings flown in direct from Thailand. If the extensive menu overwhelms, a set menu is a good bet but don't miss a starter platter of savory appetizers to share. Decorated with edible chrysanthemums carved from vegetables, It's a feast for both the eyes and palate. The entire menu can be checked out at www.niparestaurant.co.uk. A favorite of embassy staff during the day when the view of Hyde Park can be enjoyed through panoramic windows, the dining room really comes alive at night when candlelight flickers off the teak-panelled walls and Thai decor. Staff seem to be hired for their sweet graciousness. The perfect date place!

Cafe Spice Namaste

A five minutes' walk north from Tower Hill will get you to vibrant Cafe Spice Namaste at 16 Prescot Street, where charismatic t.v. personality and award-winning chef Cyrus Todiwala combines the authentic and contemporary in Indian cuisine. Fresh, flavorful curries and tandooris feature but unusual meats such as crocodile and ostrich sometimes make it onto the menu which can be checked out at www.cafespice.co.uk. On Sundays, they serve a hard-to-find traditional Parsee roast. Not all the food is overly hot but if you order the "squid dynamite", you'd better have an Indian beer or special mango cocktail handy to put out the fire. The place is always full of regulars and if he's not out shopping for fresh organic ingredients, Mr. Todiwala circulates among the tables personally, chatting with the clientele about his obvious passion: food. If you go there often enough he may name a dish after you!

Wagamama

Wagamama is a modern pan-asian noodle bar with outlets all over London. My favorite is at Tower Hill where it provides a healthy, interesting option. Seating is at long refectory-style tables. Waitstaff scrawl your order on your placemat and before you know it, a big steaming bowl of slurpable noodles in tasty broth is set before you. Sprinkle on some hot pepper oil and you will be well-fortified against damp, foggy weather. Wagamama means "selfish" in Japanese but I think "greedy" would be more accurate for this chain; just thinking about those big bowls of noodles makes me want more. Much more.

Yo! Sushi

YO! Sushi is a great concept--healthful sushi served fast. Really fast, as in immediate. Sit down at the bar and start plucking whatever looks good off of the conveyor belt of tidbits that moves past you. Dishes are colorcoded for price so your meal can be as cheap or expensive as you'd like it to be. At the end of the meal, waitstaff tot up your bill based on the number and color of empty little bowls before you. Taps for both still and bubbly water are situated between every couple of seats. YO! is especially handy for travellers who might be passing through St. Pancras or Victoria Stations, or even Heathrow Terminal 3.

Ping Pong Dim Sum

The Ping Pong Dim Sum chain is a modern take on the ancient chinese tea house. In sleek surroundings you can graze on tasty little steamed parcels like the ones merchants on the old Silk Road used to eat and wash them all down with modern bevvies. Small snacks, huge cocktails...no wonder the chain is a hit with celebrities like Kate Winslet. A lot of handy locations, too.