Sun Luen

If you ever get tired of the slick touristy restaurants in Chinatown, come here! I’m half terrified, half amused by the people that work here. It’s a good time, and if you don’t want to brave the stares you get when you sit down, grab a box of egg tarts to go.

I was SO tempted to follow-​up on Yee Gan’s review and ask if they had free wifi. But even asking to use the wash basin next to the til was met with a glare of ‘what kind of place do you think this is?’ Politely they did point out that they have a toilet downstairs… phew.
Yep, there’s no mistaking that this place is barebones original Chinatown but it’s also very good. In terms of décor and ambiance it’s the Chinese equivalent of the most plastic-​chaired ketchup greasy spoons you’ve ever been too. No frills, no fuss. And like a good greays spoon it’s a great place for a cheap cup of tea and some nourishing grub. At Sun Luen almost all that grub is bread-​based and delicious although the soya bean jelly in the fridge under the counter is also a big draw, and was satisfying at least 70% of the customers while we were there.
Next time you want a warm cup of tea and a cake, ditch the Pat Vals and Starbucks and try out Sun Luen instead. Trust me — you’ll save a packet and far prefer their red-​bean buns to a crappy chocolate muffin any day.

I love eggs and I can have it all the time and love it cooked in many ways. So it’s not too surprised that I do adore a good egg tart.
After sampling many in London, I found my go to place for a good one which is Sun Luen in Chinatown.
Egg tarts are best eaten fresh off the oven and still warm but a good one taste just as good even if left overnight and this was where Sun Luen got me.
The pastry itself is just the right thickness that it is dense enough to taste the buttery texture but thin enough that it is flaky and has an ever so slight grainy crunch. The egg filling itself was smooth and silky and soft and its perfume is strong enough to tease and draw you in.
I love them and happily buy them for friends too. So if you’re in Chinatown and craving egg tarts, do give this place a try and let me know what you think.

Pics @Chopstix2Steaknives
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I love eggs and I can have it all the time and love it cooked in many ways. So it’s not too surprised that I do adore a good egg tart.
After sampling many in London, I found my go to place for a good one which is Sun Luen in Chinatown.
Egg tarts are best eaten fresh off the oven and still warm but a good one taste just as good even if left overnight and this was where Sun Luen got me.
The pastry itself is just the right thickness that it is dense enough to taste the buttery texture but thin enough that it is flaky and has an ever so slight grainy crunch. The egg filling itself was smooth and silky and soft and its perfume is strong enough to tease and draw you in.
I love them and happily buy them for friends too. So if you’re in Chinatown and craving egg tarts, do give this place a try and let me know what you think.

This is the sort of place that amazes and heartens me — its continued existence is a triumph for a little café over large soulless chains. Sun Luen is a small café on a small connecting street between Charing Cross Road and Chinatown. It’s a place for people watching, the place being populated with customers who seem to be loyal long-​term customers. It’s the Chinese equivalent of the western saloon where everyone looks up when a stranger to town comes through the doors.
There is a small selection of Chinese pastries by the window and a choice of hot and cold beverages. The food and drink is nice but average.
However, a little tip, which earns it the extra star. It serves up the most wonderful soya bean jelly — the lightest tofu consistency enhanced with sugar syrup, served either hot or cold. It’s a struggle to find that anywhere else these days but give it a try here, folks. Just don’t ask whether they offer wi-​fi!