If you follow Edgware Road (or rather, the A5) north from central London out to Colindale, you’ll find a wonderful foodie spot. There, in an otherwise unassuming part of London, lies a hugely impressive Asian food hall that’s full to the brim with food stalls, restaurants, bars, and shops. And if you haven’t visited yet, it’s time to move it to the top of your ‘must-visit’ list for 2024. Allow us to introduce (or re-introduce to some of you) London’s biggest Asian food hall: Bang Bang Oriental.
Now, this is not your bog-standard food court here, people. What was once the old Oriental City site has turned into London’s largest Asian food hall, packing 32,000 square feet of culinary adventure.
Billing itself as “London’s Capital of Asian Cuisine”, inside you’ll find 24 delicious food outlets from China, Korea, Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. It’s one of the widest ranges of specialist Asian restaurants in the whole of the UK.
We couldn’t resist and simply had to make a journey up to Bang Bang Oriental ourselves to see what the fuss was about…
It’s safe to say it didn’t disappoint!
The food
Go with an empty belly and fill up on super spicy Sichuan cuisine from Uncle Chilli, melt-in-your-mouth roast duck from Four Seasons, or dim sum from Royal China One68 Dim Sum. You can make room for it all, trust us.
For dessert, sip on some Taiwanese-style brown sugar fresh milk tea from Tiger Hill, and treat yourself to a range of traditional Chinese and Japanese desserts from Wonderful Patisseries. Make sure you don’t miss out on the egg custard tarts, the Japanese cheesecake, or the pandan rolls!
There are far too many outlets to name in this article, but suffice it to say there is more than enough choice to keep everyone satisfied. They even have some vegan options in store, with Veggie Wok serving a vegetarian fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine.
For a more formal dining experience, there’s also the stylish Golden Dragon restaurant, which offers a classic Chinese menu.
Beyond the food at Bang Bang Oriental
Bang Bang Oriental seats up to 450 guests, but this destination isn’t just for foodies! Guests can go to The Mezzanine and enjoy traditional Chinese massages, peruse herbal medicines or be treated to a nail or beauty treatment. They also do events throughout the year, including a pretty spectacular Chinese New Year celebration!
As if that wasn’t enough, the Oriental Chinese Community Centre also offers incredible support to the local community. Through this service, they provide companionship, space for celebrations and events, and assistance for the elderly members of the community. They help them integrate through organising English classes, medical requirements support, information services, and more. It’s all really rather sweet and heartwarming.
So, what are you waiting for? Head on down to Bang Bang Oriental, and try as many of the offerings as you can! You’re sure to find your next obsession – and it’s well worth the trip out of the central zones of London.