Gold Mine

Best Roast Duck in London Awaits

Goldmine in the bustling heart of Chinatown appears to possess an allure akin to a well-guarded culinary secret, enticing Cantonese-fare seekers with the promise of unmatchable roast duck. Nestled among Gerrard Street's vivid tapestry, this modest venue has gained its fame not from decor or opulence, but from sticking to gastronomic basics: piles of crispy skin and tender meat lurching willingly for attention upon ordering, bringing slick smiles and satisfied murmurs from its patrons. There's an intriguing perception from some frequent dinners that Goldmine's silky roast duck actually trumps the illustrious Four Seasons — a boast difficult to make and even harder to back up unless, of course, one is seated there, sporting an anticipatory dab of duck sauce.

However, irony dances about the experience like fragrant steam from a pot of their discussed soup. Bereft of spacial luxury, diners ascend precarious stairs to gain seats in quarters more appropriate for tipsy encounters with your soon-to-be best friend, the unknown table neighbor. The cost? Undoubtedly London-esque, encouraging a subtle inhale when the bill arrives. A warning for the uninitiated: the charms of Chinatown aren't limited to explosively good eats; prepare for tightly packed floors, a cavalcade of hungrily focused visits by service members eager yet absent slightly, burnt by the haste. Yet, these trifles pale quickly when mortar rounds of Singapore noodles parade alongside spring rolls by arteries in philosophical comparison to traditional dishes from within picturesque Hong Kong night markets. Whether you return for luscious dim sum or enlist in a diner chorus singing passionate praises to three coveted Cantonese words — crispy skin duck — understanding is a game seasoned veterans have halfway won already. Keep those expectations tamboured at typical: heartwarmingly average with promised exhilarating pumps of extraordinary in each delicious crisp. Such embraces Blue, infamous now, knows too merciless anticipation, and more is found on London degrees prices, tender murmur skepticism melts reasonably presumed! — Penelope Savory