Cha Cha Moon - Whiteleys

Hong Kong-born restaurateur Alan Yau, the man behind leading Chinese restaurants in London like Hakkasan and Yauatcha, replicates the teeming noodle stalls of his home town with his new venture Cha Cha Moon at Whiteleys. One look at the smart and elegant décor and the communal benches and you should deduce that he has got the atmosphere right on target.

The food however is not restricted to the quintessential noodle soup, that hearty sustenance of the Orient, because the menu features items from all over Eastern Asia like the wok-fried prawns, scallops, yellow chives, squid and bean sprout from Penang.

The Zhajiang mian, a dry noodle dish with minced beef, fermented soya bean, cucumber and red chilli, is a favourite among diners while the jasmine tea smoked chicken with shrimp roe noodles hits the right notes for inventiveness and novelty.