Review: Tai Pan

Sure, this isn’t the most arctic of the world’s metropolises, but you’re going to need something more sturdy than a simple hand shovel to shift the sheer amount of takeaway flyers that drop through your door each morning.

Of course, when you’re finally in the mood to wade through the munchie mountain on your doorstep, you realise there’s something missing. There are enough Indian and pizza menus to make a small fort, but a surprising lack of decent Chinese options.

Never fear, because while the giant pile of menus sometimes lets you down, the internet is once again your best friend.

Tai Pan’s online home at www.taipanrestaurant.net not only allows you to browse its entire menu at your leisure, but also provides you with the option of placing your order on the web. You can also sign up for a table in advance should you wish to step out and sample the cuisine in the restaurant itself.

You may have passed Tai Pan several times on your morning crawl down Commercial Road. It’s located just beyond Limehouse DLR station on a main road, and yet its a surprisingly relaxing place to eat. It’s clean, it’s not garish, and there’s a soothing fish tank not far from the bar to stare into as you await your dinner.

An award-winning menu has elevated Tai Pan to the top table of Chinese restaurants in the area. And there’s a pretty broad selection to choose from, ranging from the appetiser spread of Stuffed Crab Claw with Minced Prawns (£4.20) to the classic Fried Crispy Seaweed (£3.50), the Satay King Prawn (£6.40), Chicken (£4.80) or Beef (£5.10) skewers or the ever-popular Crispy Aromatic Duck (£8.30 a quarter).

Soups range from Shark’s Fin Soup (£5.60 with chicken or crab meat) to Won Ton (£2.90) and Hot and Sour (£2.90), and the chef specialities include Fresh Crab (£13) or Lobster (£29) and the Roast Peking Duck (£32), which requires 24 hours notice.

Beef, pork, lamb, vegetable, seafood and duck dishes are all provided for the discerning diner. Opting for the hot Szechuan dishes is a good bet, while there’s also a choice of Kung Po, and dishes graced with oyster sauce, ginger and spring onion, and chilli and black bean sauce. There’s also a range of set menus and desserts on offer for hungry customers.

It’s definitely worth a look if you’ve got Chinese on your mind, assuming the postman hasn’t blocked you in your house with the latest shipment of menus.

Tai Pan
665 Commercial Road
0207 910118
www.taipanrestaurant.net