Crystal China 味缘 — Restaurant in London

Used to be a good restaurant, but will not go back again. The management seem changed and the male manager at cashier that night we went was rude and very unfriendly (the staffs were very nice tho). The food didn’t taste as good as before. We ordered salted egg yolks tofu, it tasted nothing and was very blend. We also ordered the spicy dry pot and some of the items were overcooked while some were uncooked. Flavorwise it’s just taste different than before. We were loyal customers for years, always dine with the VIP card. They’ve changed the rules for using the VIP card and it felt useless to have the card now. To use a VIP card you’ll need to pay cash to have the discount, however now they are charging for the service charge 12.5% so pretty much no discount at the end. it’s just not worth it at all. The male manager that night was rude. We went to talk and tried to clarify the new rules of the VIP card. He said it has been operating in the same way since they started the business (like 10 years ago) which it wasn’t true. We have been to this place for so many times for the past years and it wasn’t done like that. It is fine if they’ve changed the rules because of Covid or whatever reason the cost has raised. But at least tell the truth instead. He then acted like we were unreasonable and ignored us, started to talk to the next customer. When paying he was like “ give me the money “ and grabbed the cash directly from our hand. We used to enjoy coming here with a group of friends to enjoy the gathering and the food. And always recommended friends to come. Now with the taste, the price, the attitude of the manager, it’s just better to go...

I regret not coming to eat here earlier!!! (Being a headliner 🥹) I was shocked when I opened the menu because 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.

Ground Three Seafood 👍 Aubergine, potatoes and peppers, my friend from the north said it was really authentic, this needs no introduction as a meal, the potatoes 🥔 and aubergine 🍆 were simmered very soft and tasty, the potato noodles were very tasty.

Spicy hot pot 👍 I ordered a mildly spicy pot and felt that it was just the right amount for two people, it was the type of dry pot I like, but it would have been better if it was a little sweeter. I was told that the base ingredients are freshly fried every day, not the prepared ones bought from outside, so the taste is very special. The spicy seasoning is very powerful, and the complex spicy flavour is both hot and exciting, but also has a long aftertaste.

Beef Fried Rice 👍 My friends asked me why I love this beef fried rice so much 😭 I can't help it, his beef is so tender and delicious! A must-order staple that won't break the bank Sliced beef with loose egg is smooth and delicate The seasoning is fresh but not too greasy, a taste for all ages

Pork Potstickers 👍 Not a small blob, but a real crowd pleaser. The outer skin is crispy and the filling is solid.

Other than that, for such a delicious and fragrant pot, I'll be hitting it up more often in...

I've heard about this signature dish 🥹 "Spicy Hot Pot" which Jay Chou has praised for a long time and today I finally had the chance to try it ~ the hot pot is available with your own dishes, five dishes to start with, I chose pancetta, quail egg, squid, rice cake and lasagne tripe etc.

"Everything can be aromatic in a pot, and a pot is good and tasty" Opted for the mildly spicy, the meat and veg was a good mix to eat, felt like a large bowl was too much for two people, my friend and I to finish 🤤 The pancetta was tender, thinly sliced instead, more flavourful and well handled! It didn't have the stinky British 🐷🐷 smell at all, which made you want to eat it again. The quail eggs were fried before being put in the aroma pot, so they had a crispy aroma; the squid 🦑 was chewy, generous and fresh at first taste! The most noteworthy thing was the tripe with a spicy flavour that got better and better the more you chewed it.

Their chillies are quite tasty, very authentic spicy taste, if you feel slightly spicy or rather spicy, you can also try their special desserts. I ordered the sweet and sour Yang Zhi Ganou and the counter man made it very tasty, with fresh mango 🥭 and grapefruit 🥭 and also gave us a small fruit after dinner to relieve the greasiness, icy cold 🥰 The most surprising thing is that the dessert 🍮 is super cheap, only £3.99 a serving and the decoration is lovely. The price of a cup of Yang Zhi Gan Luo at milk tea shops outside is £5.50+, so Taste Edge is really...