Dim T - Hampstead

One wonders whether Dim T, the chain of restaurants serving Asian food, derives its name from a range of healthy, steamed dim sum and a list of exclusive teas they offer. With its menu of Oriental food, Dim T offers cuisine with ancient wisdom behind it, so whether you are dining alone or with friends, a meal there is likely to perk you up.

The décor with its rustic bamboo finish, hanging eastern lamps, brightly coloured cushions, tall vases and candles, makes you relax. With ten outlets, the concept has proved to be popular with the young and old alike. The stark, clean furniture sets the mood for a gastronomic voyage.

If you feel creative, you can have a designer meal at the noodle bar. Choose from a long list of ingredients, from salmon to marinated pork fillet, then select your preferred noodle, Japanese rice ones or yellow egg, followed by your favoured sauce, like black bean or spicy, with chilli, coriander, red onions and leeks, and finally you can have it stir fried in a wok or served as soup.

You can start your meal with grilled gyoza, Japanese dumplings with a vegetable or chicken filling, sesame prawn toast and crispy duck among others. They offer salads like the Japanese glazed chicken and yakitori, a delightful combination of edamame, peppers and mixed leaves with a choice of skewers. For those looking for a meal in a dish, the seafood laksa, a combination of squid, prawns, rice noodles and tofu in a coconut curry broth or the wonton mee, with pork, shitake mushrooms and prawns in chicken broth, are good options.

Apart from the range of dim sums and steamed buns, which are best had with Chinese tea, the house specialities include Singapore fried noodles, duck chow mein and phad Thai. Also, there are satays, sweet and sour dishes and spicy Thai curries served with rice. These can be seared, steamed or cooked over a high flame in a wok, to suit your taste.

To complete your meal here, choose oolong, green, jasmine, black or English tea. You could also settle for a cup of coffee or try their alcoholic beverages. If you have eaten healthily, and feel you can afford to indulge your sweet tooth, do try the chocolate sukiyaki, a combination of banana, pineapple and lychees in hot chocolate sauce with marshmallows to dip. Find out more about what Dim T has to offer from their Website.