YiQi Pan Asian Cuisine, London

Don't be put off by the phrase pan-Asian!

Must stop thinking lustful thoughts; July 2024.

I’m too old to be influenced by TikTok, but just about still young enough to find inspiration on Instagram. Sure, the vast majority of the stuff you see is utter rubbish, and nothing is worth queuing more than about 20 minutes for, but every once in a while social media pops up with an absolute treasure that makes sifting through the crap worthwhile.

YiQi Pan Asian Cuisine, in London’s Chinatown, is one such treasure. Sure, there are a million reasons to hate the place before you sit down (not least their no-reservations policy, and the resulting queue that makes it a pointless place to consider in bad weather — in London, remember! — but once the plates start arriving at your table? All your woes slink off and find someone else to bother.