It had been a long day of coding and I’d just split a bottle of wine. A quick meal was needed before a well-needed deep sleep. I love tastecard deals so I looked up local establishments and settled on the Chinese Cricket Club which offers a generous 50% off the bill. It’s in a great location just north of Blackfriar’s Bridge based inside the Crown Plaza.

As you walk through the revolving doors into a lobby, you’re met by two gold dragons which lead your way into the restaurant. The restaurant itself looks very modern with very clean and simple decor; nudes and browns are highlighted by dashes of green; cricket memorabilia light decorated walls adding nice details. It was a real shame it was so empty that Tuesday evening; with only two occupied tables, the establishment truly lacked an atmosphere.

We arrived slightly early for 9.45pm reservation to discover we only had 5 minutes to order. It would have been nice to know this when booking the table over the phone… My boyfriend quickly skimmed through the menu to make a rapid decision on food (I’ve already mentioned how indecisive I can be). We settled on the following:

Salt and Sichuan pepper squid

Yu-Xiang chicken (shredded chicken in traditional Sichuan style)

Soft shell crab with chilli and Sichuan peppercorns

Steamed jasmine rice

CCCService was very quick (to be expected on such a quiet evening) and each dish was cooked wonderfully. Everything was flavoursome and left me satisfied. In particular, I really enjoyed the soft shell crab which is always a favourite for me!

We were in and out of Chinese Cricket Club very quickly and it didn’t leave much of an impression on me. It’s disappointing because the food was actually really good but the lack of atmosphere really did let it down. I will keep an open mind about going back again as the food is very well priced with the discount, but perhaps for a sit-down lunch instead when it ought to be busier. However, if you don’t have a TasteCard, I wouldn’t recommend the establishment–there are far better places to dine in that price range.

Chinese Cricket Club, 19 New Bridge Street, EC4V 6DB
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