Hidden away in Cains Brewery Village is Lu Ban, a Chinese restaurant that offers a range of small and large plates for foodie lovers.
I absolutely love Chinese food, but I often forget to treat myself to authentic Chinese food in a restaurant setting and order a quick takeaway in front of the telly instead. A trip to Lu Ban to try out their new festive menu soon reminded me that I need to venture out more, and I'm so glad I did.
Lu Ban cuisine is said to be inspired by the Chinese region of Tianjin. As stated on its website, executive chef Dave J Critchley and his team develop Lu Ban dishes with respect to Chinese food, culture and traditions, and that was very clear to see from the off.
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The restaurant itself had absolutely stunning interior, with warm wooden décor for a really cosy feel and replicas of blossom trees dotted in corners. It was a glamorous setting that created the perfect backdrop for some great food.
Priced at £49.50 per person, the festive menu is certainly no turkey and trimmings. For starters, options include yin and yang hot and sour soup, smoked salmon and radish, jasmine smoked pork ribs and kung po cauliflower.
I decided to go for the jasmine smoked pork ribs with sweet garlic, ginger, and sesame glaze. I've got to admit, these ribs were most definitely some of the nicest I've ever tasted, they practically fell of the bone.
Surprisingly, the ribs had a lot of meat on them which is usually quite rare. After all, there really is nothing more irritating than a rib with a tiny bit of meat on it so I was very impressed.
The pork melted in my mouth and offered an array of different flavours within seconds. The actual portion size for the starter was pretty amazing too, and after tucking into some pre-starter nibbles of edamame beans, porked puff crunch and caramalised sticky walnuts I was already feeling relatively full!
That didn't stop me from tucking into my optional course of duck pancakes and tea smoked duck breast with taramind, star anise and plum sauce for my main. I know what you're thinking, double duck, but trust me, this duck was well worth the two helpings.
I always find duck a bit hit and miss from the Chinese with the risk of it tasting a little rubbery, but like the ribs, this duck fell off the bone instantly. It had been cooked for a whopping 12 hours, and came with a really nice batch of additional flavours including brown sugar which is a traditional addition to duck in China.
I thought the extra spices were a really nice touch that added some pizzazz to the duck pancake, it felt much more authentic with the extra ingredients and the flavours were unbelievable. For my main course, the smoked duck breast in plum sauce was like velvet and cooked to perfection.
Other main course options for the festive menu include trout toban jiang, pork and pineapple. tea smoked duck breast and smoked tofu 'buddah delight'. All of them sounded absolutely amazing, but I was really glad I chose the duck.
It was teamed up with steamed jasmine rice in a lotus steamed parcel and wok tossed tender stem broccoli with red chilli and toasted cashew. The sides really complemented the flavour of the duck, which was definitely a step up from any duck pancake I've had before.
After digging in to lots of wonderful food, it was finally time for a sweet treat to finish off the night. Dessert options consisted of a chocolate sphere, Chinese doughnuts and poached Tianjin pear.
I decided to go for the Chinese doughnuts with five spice sugar and ginger caramel sauce. The first thing I noticed was the unique shape of these doughnuts, they weren't circular, and were shaped more like a churro than the doughnuts I'm used to.
The flavours were incredibly unique, with an interesting mixture of sweet and savoury that was heightened by the caramel sauce. Although I couldn't manage the second doughnut because I was absolutely stuffed, I still thoroughly enjoyed this dessert.
The verdict
I absolutely loved the festive menu at Lu Ban and could tell that every dish had been made with great care and detail, which was a real bonus. For anyone that wants to step away from a traditional turkey roast dinner and try something different, a trip to Lu Ban is a must.
If you want authenticity, great food and a vibrant yet glamorous atmosphere, this little hidden gem is worth the visit. I know for a fact I'll be going back there.
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