Crystal China 味缘 Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Best dry hot pot in London so far."
• "The food was delicious with lovely ingredients."
• "Chicken fried rice was surprisingly tasty despite the bland and unappetizing appearance."
• "The chilli beef flank slices were good and spicy and _loaded_ with dried chillies- the sauce was wonderful and the flavours were complex and complementary."
• "The food is great; there's a choice of authentic Szechuan or more 'traditional' Chinese dishes so something for all tastes."
• "The food was full of flavour and cooked to perfection."
• "The food is very Chinese and the taste is excellent!"

Cons:

• "Mala stir fry - too oily and spicy, not savoury enough, portion is too small for price paid."
• "The food is really blunt, oily and tastes very normal."
• "The food looks good, but doesn't seem to be cooked properly."
• "The food is strange. It’s not like Chinese food, it’s just FOOD, terrible food."
• "What was delivered was awful-I ordered Roast Duck and Roast Pork-neither dish resembled what I expected-full of tasteless sauce-fried rice was dry-very disappointed."
• "Taste is normal, portions are smaller, sometimes are salty and too oily."
• "It tasted like from a cheap and fake Chinese restaurant, but with an expensive price."

Service

Pros:

• "Authentic North Eastern Chinese cuisine with friendly and efficient staff."
• "The staff were all helpful, the food and drinks arrived quickly."
• "Most of all, the service was fantastic and friendly."
• "Service were really friendly and attentive."
• "Service was very attentive and the food came out quick."
• "The servers are all so lovely and helpful."
• "The staff are so polite and friendly make you feel so welcome."

Cons:

• "One negative: deafening music in the toilet. Maybe they don’t want you to occupy it too long? 😉"
• "TOOOOOOOOOOOO slow, order at 5:30pm, get it 7:30."
• "Service was functional but poor."
• "The waiters and waitresses there are so rude, and you won’t have a good experience of dining there."
• "The male manager that night was rude."
• "We were kept waiting."
• "The lady at the till is RUDE - doesn't smile, never acknowledges the customer in a positive manner."

Price and Value

Pros:

• "The food was really cheap (in this materialistic London), a plate of roast duck was only £9.50 and there were vegetables and meat, crispy and crunchy, with a roast duck sauce that was really good."
• "Big portions, yummy authentic hearty food."
• "The most surprising thing is that the dessert 🍮 is super cheap, only £3.99 a serving and the decoration is lovely."
• "While the main dishes are reasonably priced, and the first sea food dish per table even gets a 50% discount."
• "A must-order staple that won't break the bank."
• "Very good food and a great price."
• "Staff helpful, portions massive and price really reasonable for the quality and quantity!"

Cons:

• "The food price, which we found quite high for the quality given."
• "Quiet expensive considering the taste you get."
• "The service charge is ridiculous and was not mentioned at all."
• "Pretty disappointed with this place, over an hour for delivery yet it’s only down the road."
• "Although food is good, I would never order it anymore."
• "It is a bit pricey, particularly for sides/vegetables."
• "While the main dishes are reasonably priced... they side dishes can be expensive, including £2 for a bowl of boiled rice. They also add a 10% service charge. I consider it overall on the expensive side."

Ambiance and Decor

Pros:

• "The place is cosy and clean."
• "Decor is unexciting but overall an excellent restaurant."
• "It's all the little things that makes this place stand out, easy but not bombarded menu, discounts for regulars, quick service."
• "The overall atmosphere was a pleasant one and the staff was kind."
• "Genuinely one of the most neatly assembled institution I have dined in in south london."
• "Decor is also lovely - I ate in the conservatory area out back, which had a very nice ambience."
• "The atmosphere was lovely."

Cons:

• "The food is amazing but be warned the portions are huge."
• "Felt very drafty as just eat was was constantly coming and going so door more open than closed. Don't sit near door."
• "It’s not fancy by any stretch but it’s very clean, light and spacious."
• "The restaurant has a constant stream of drivers coming and going which is somewhat disruptive."
• "Ridiculously rude! Husband and i with two kids of 3 and 4 year old wanted to have a light lunch as we had a bbq durjng the afternoon. Got in, waited 10 min to be served, there are only 2 other tables with customers."
• "Booked their little karaoke with my membership, and was told cash only... lots of chaos, so would not recommend."
• "And before leaving they tried to charge us a £10,- minimum price per person. This wasn’t stated anywhere and was also not mentioned to us at any moment."