Gangnan Restaurant忆江南中餐厅 — Restaurant in Belfast

Just to make it clear, the only reason for me not giving this restaurant one star, is simply down to the fact that I didn't find a cockroach in my food.

After a pleasant day strolling around, my partner and I had been looking for a nice sit-in meal when we decided on Gangnan in Stranmillis, an establishment we had passed by many times - a claim which we now regret no longer being able to make.

The ordering process turned out to be problematic as the person working in the restaurant didn’t approach us when we sat down but instead took a seat across from us and started eating a dish of their own. It’s never good to be left feeling that you’ve irritated a waiter by asking for food.

Anyhow, we placed our order: honey chilli char siu for me and hot Peking sauce with mixed vegetables for my partner. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything.

First of all, this is probably the last restaurant in Belfast that does not accept card payments, so a dash up Stranmillis Road was necessary to locate an ATM. Shortly after we had paid, our food appeared, wrapped in a plastic bag. Our sit-in meal had become a takeaway. You could possibly blame this on a communication breakdown or claim that we should have clarified where we wanted to eat, but when you enter a restaurant, sit down at the table and order a meal you generally expect to be consuming that meal at the table.

That was probably the point where we should have highlighted the confusion and asked for a couple of plates and some cutlery, however after a brief discussion we opted to make the short journey home because we didn’t feel welcome there at all.

Had the nosh been tasty, I wouldn’t have bothered leaving a bad review, but it was beyond vile. For a start, we received neither the honey chilli char siu nor the hot Peking sauce with mixed vegetables - a mistake made all the more remarkable when you consider we were the only customers.

We instead both ended up with the exact same meal: overcooked vegetables in an unidentifiable watery, tasteless sauce (not a single piece of meat in either). It was repulsive. I tasted both portions and couldn't tell the difference. I’d like to be able to tell you that at least the complimentary prawn crackers were tasty, but they were equally revolting, tasting of rancid fat.

It would not be an understatement to say that this undoubtedly ranks up there with the worst dining experiences of my life. There are quite a few nice, tasty, authentic Asian restaurants in Belfast. This isn’t...

My family and I recently dined at Gangnan Restaurant, we were surprised by the payment policy. After ordering, we were informed by the staff that only cash payments were accepted without additional fees, and that a 5% service charge would be applied if we chose to pay with a card. Fortunately, we had cash on hand, but this policy was not clearly stated beforehand, which could have been inconvenient.

You informed us about the different prices for cash and card payments after we ordered, which should have been communicated as soon as we entered the restaurant, not after we had sat down and placed our orders. Additionally, you did not inform us that rice refills were available; I only found out through your response. Moreover, there were only three adults and one infant in our party, exactly four people, not exceeding four. Furthermore, you did not provide utensils for the infant; we only used utensils for...

Good Chinese but it is 'quirky' so be prepared. The food is worth it. Cash only. Language barrier can be a problem. Don't be backward about coming forward in this restaurant. Table service is limited at peak times. More authentic style of cooking. My favorite is spicy minced pork with green beens 🔥. Lots of Chinese students eat here in-between lectures so service is quick...