Best pan-Asian restaurants in London

With a waterfall behind the bar and a giant gold-plated crocodile hanging on the wall, it’s hard not to get caught up in the glamour of Sexy Fish – a lavish pan-Asian brasserie with real “wow factor”. Eager staff in multi-coloured waistcoats attend to diners’ every need, delivering thrillingly fashionable food at heavyweight prices to an equally fashionable crowd peppered with celeb faces. Wagyu ganku rolls come topped with white miso and black truffle, while scallops are pepped up with jalapeño sauce and pickled green apple, although the biggest hits are elsewhere – witness tender, honey-glazed duck breast sharpened with kimchi and pickled daikon or sticky pull-apart pork ribs from the robata grill dressed with green onions and chilli. Desserts are not to be missed either – the fluffy, sweet vanilla cheesecake embellished with a strawberry and golden lime sorbet is among the best we’ve tried in London. With its attention-grabbing interiors and moneyed clientele, wonderfully showy Sexy Fish won’t suit wallflowers, but everyone else has a ball.  

"What do you get when you put a Korean, a Filipino and an Aussie chef together?" enquires one reader. The answer is 100 Hoxton, a low-lit, concrete-hued hangout that gives fusion food a good name. "You'll want to order every small plate", insists one fan – perhaps braised octopus with garam masala or crunchy, salty soft-shell crab with peanut brittle and a dousing of fresh lime from the dinner menu. Veggie ideas also come on strong, but our hero dishes are just-pink duck breast with a creamy cashew paste, and the crispy pork belly with miso, ume (plum) sauce and green peppercorn salsa – served in mouthful-sized cubes that you'll polish off in three seconds flat. Brunch and lunch are equally popular – note the 'workers playtime lunchbox' for just £5. At these prices, you can afford to indulge in a smoked mescal Negroni.

‘Interactive oriental fusion’ is the deal at this futuristic, neon-lit restaurant, which has silenced those naysayers who claimed the “gimmicky” idea of ordering your meal through a table touchpad would soon wear thin. Instead, diners love this “great concept” with its entertaining novelty – you can even order a taxi home from your table. The food is an accessible pan-Asian mixed bag with new dishes such as scallop tartare, Malaysian beef rendang and Japanese tofu salad ‘hiyayakko’ alongside soft-shell crab maki rolls, delicate squid and spring onion dumplings, Peking duck and a “winning version” of the ubiquitous black cod. The basement cocktail bar deals in fusion cocktails (don’t miss the Inamo Martini with mandarin purée and chilli), while bubbly pop music adds to the vibe as young clubbers get the party started. Watch out for the monthly ‘magic nights’. 

One of the more casual options in Soho House’s gargantuan Ned hotel, Kaia is an Asia-Pacific restaurant specialising in on-trend bowls of healthy food to share – an Instagram-baiting mix of rainbow-coloured vegetables and dishes from a robata grill. We enjoyed a platter of crispy prawns pepped up with wasabi mayo, and a flaky teriyaki salmon from the robata grill served with palate-pricking pickled ginger. The stars of the show, however, are the gorgeous-looking poké bowls; try the ahi tuna, bursting with colour and flavour thanks to chilli and roasted pineapple, creamy avocado and chunks of fresh fish. Desserts are less diverting; our selection of mango, green tea and black sesame mocha were served so frozen that it was hard to appreciate the flavours. Nevertheless, at Kaia you can still count on what are now the hallmarks of The Ned – friendly, attentive service, a buzzy atmosphere and stylish setting (communal tables, vintage-style desk lamps). Don’t have time to eat in? Many of Kaia’s dishes are available to take away. 

Uli is the second coming of Michael Lim’s modern Asian restaurant featuring the food of the Chinese diaspora – from regional China through Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The place originally opened in All Saints Road, but Lim retired three years ago leaving a loyal clientele bereft. Now he’s back, with partner Graham Rebak, and they’ve revamped the operation with a bright new identity and lighter cooking for the clean-eating generation. The joint is already rocking with fashionable locals. Its wide ground-floor space is decorated in Mediterranean colours of white, sand and sky-blue, plus energetic photos of dancers. Outside, a huge terrace stretches across the pavement with decked flooring and a handsome canopy. Food is carefully cooked, well-presented and delicious. Counter the punchy flavours of soft-shell crab in chilli sauce, Szechuan prawns, or dumplings in broth, with silky batons of aubergine in black-bean sauce, or minced pork with spicy green beans. There’s familiar crispy duck with pancakes on the menu, but also Malay lamb curry pimped with grated coconut and galangal. Steamed sea bass with ginger and garlic is expertly dissected at table by nimble waitresses. To drink, choose from an apposite list of wine, beer, saké, and posh coffee and tea.

Like its Soho sibling, this cool neon-lit restaurant serves up futuristic fun alongside a menu of pan-Asian favourites. Your table doubles as an entertainment centre: spy on the kitchen with ‘Chef Cam’, play retro video games of Pong, or choose the design of your place settings (upload photos beforehand to create a personalised tabletop montage). This branch occupies three floors, including a stylish basement bar, and the kitchen features a robata grill. Place your order via iPad, and dishes (all made for sharing) arrive courtesy of the friendly, helpful staff. We began with nicely spiced Korean chicken wings and dumplings filled with tender squid and spring onion. Next, DIY duck pancakes arrived with herb salad, and miso black cod delivered classic silky textures. Well-executed sushi and sashimi, chicken satay, Wagyu beef and Thai curries are also offered. Sip on Saké Mojitos, Kirin beer or wines chosen to match the food. 

Unashamedly flash, Arkady Novikov’s double-handed celebrity magnet, touting both Asian or Italian dishes, comes with a broad remit for the big-money crowd. The headlining pan-Asian option might seem a tad heavy-handedly “exotic”, though the menu is ripe for cross-border plundering – from Padrón peppers to prawn tempura or sweet-and-sour chicken. Sashimi salads, spicy tuna rolls and various dim sum might open your account, while other dishes such as seared Wagyu sirloin or a porcini and truffle rice hotpot represent a line-up rich in eccentricities. Purists seethe at the very idea, but it’s supposed to be fun – albeit of a kind that’s not universally accessible. In the lounge, you can get Italian and Asian food, alongside a slightly overworked cocktail list. The heavily hyped private jet menu is one of Novikov’s more novel ideas, although any super-rich takers will miss the opportunity to see and be seen.

The paparazzi don’t stalk this Notting Hill landmark as they did in the glory days of models and movie stars, but a slick, well-heeled crowd is still drawn to Will Ricker’s concept of fashionable pan-Asian small plates. Mouth-watering dim sum include scallops with lemongrass, black cod and king prawn gow gee, various dumplings, ribs and the ever-popular chilli-salt squid, while the roll call of sushi, sashimi, curries, tempura and larger plates of whole crispy sea bass with ‘three flavours’, Wagyu strip-loin or Korean lamb with kimchi will make a sizeable but delicious dent in your bank balance. The restaurant’s interior is restrained and minimalist, with dark wood and crisp white linen, although a lively flash of pink in the bar announces great cocktails and a terrific buzz. Outside are neat banquettes set into the frontage, along with a few pavement tables where you can smoke and dissect your latest deal or shopping spree.

This Southeast-Asian restaurant comes from two of the founders of Icebar. The walls here are adorned with the trippy works of Hong Kong-based artist Lunatic, while head chef Jon de Villa (previously Nobu Mayfair), turns out an array of sharing dishes. Our sticky, juicy chicken wings were followed by scallop, prawn and chive dumplings, with a kick of chilli and ginger. Larger options include spicy poké (tuna, salmon, whitefish or octopus) and bao buns filled with twice-cooked, braised pork belly. Quirky desserts seal the deal, including chocolate-filled spring rolls and ice-cream baos. Wines cover the US, Spain and Australia, and there are craft beers and Asian-inspired cocktails too; we recommend the Mr Miyagi (yuzushu saké, white rum, coconut rum, apple juice and Angostura bitters). Decent prices and knowledgeable staff make this a good casual option and if you’re eating at the counter, the chefs are happy to chat.