Plum Valley — Restaurant in London

I have been here a few times before and always thought that the staff were friendly. The people at the desk at the front are always nice. The food is alright but overpriced.

However, they effectively try to scam you when you go to pay. They automatically add a 12.5% service charge to your bill, even though it says that it is a “discretionary” charge and the menu does NOT include or mention this extra price. This is the UK. Not America. As a customer, you are not under any obligation to pay extra than was agreed. If a restaurant wants to ensure that its waiters are paid more money then they should increase their wages, not try to scam customers. Not only did they automatically add this charge without saying, they REFUSED to remove it. Me and my friends asked politely to pay only a few pounds extra in tips, not the full 12.5% that they had added on. Keep in mind, we were still offering to pay some money in tips, even though there was no reason we should, and did not have to. However, the waiter raised his voice and began arguing with us, repeatedly insisting that we had to pay the full service charge. This is unacceptable. You cannot force people to pay more for something that was initially agreed. Automatically adding 12.5% on and not offering the option to pay the initial price is already very questionable, but repeatedly REFUSING to change it is evil. Furthermore, the waiter was trying to shame us for not wanting to pay the full service charge. You should never shame people for not paying extra than agreed. You don’t know their financial situation. I am sure that the restaurant’s owners have more money than I do.

I had liked this restaurant the other times I had visited, when I was lucky to be served by a nice waiter, but this experience has really ruined it for me. DO NOT LET PEOPLE GUILT TRIP INTO GIVING THEM MONEY. If they want to charge more, they need to advertise so on the menu. I am not familiar with British Law but, to be honest, I think their behaviour could...

Before you go... I left a negative review, because of the service I received on a joined dinner and a food quality.

We made separates orders and we received the bill to pay. We calculated the total and.... they added the service charge of 13% not 12%. Each of us paid own bill. I said I didn't include the service charge and I paid. The WAITER added that service charge to my friend bill!!!! I told him how he dared to do it without anyone permission. I told him that the service charge was discretionary not mandatory and adding it to somebody's bill wasn't polite.

The WAITER's reply stunned me..." He served us he deserved the service charge! " I asked him to remove the service charge from that bill and I paid again against my will!!!! That answer was inpolite and unpropriate. In fact, I didn't say this, but.... if your salary is not enough, find a new job, don't talk that way to the customer. If you want to get a mandatory service charge, increase the meal price!

Food: If you have allergies, they have a very nice book with the meals and ingredients. If you are a gluten free, you may have 4 options only. If you vegetarian or vegan you are fine.

Food quality, I say is low, pork, chicken, duck are premade in a flour and can't be adjusted the same sauces (the gluten free can't eat). I ordered Singapour vermicelli with pork and shrimp. It's 3/10. I couldn't find pork and there were a few tiny shrimps, not much veggies too. I ate a 1000x better one. I wanted the fish soup, but by the recommendation I didn't order. Instead I ordered what I was recommended a fried chicken on rice. I thought that was a good choice....again... SURPRISE!!! I received an oily rice with a cooked and chewy chicken and a few green peas, no sauce, no veggies, nothing. More.... That costed the same price as other beautifully looking dishes of my friends.

Please think whether you want to go to this...

After trying dimsum at various places in Chinatown, Plum Valley still remains our favorite due to their extensive selection of different dimsum dishes and their overall quality and taste. However, there were a few disappointing dishes that could use improvement.

Fried Turnip Cakes with Xo Sauce: The fried turnip cakes had a delightful taste, with a soft and sticky texture and a fresh crunch from the bean sprouts.

Sui Mai: The sui mai were excellent, clearly homemade and not the frozen kind, which added to their deliciousness.

Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce: The chicken feet were very good, with tender meat that easily fell off the bone, and a flavorful black bean sauce with a hint of heat from the chili.

Beef Tripe: The beef tripe had a traditional taste and flavor, although it was just okay in terms of overall taste.

Whisker Black Cod Rolls: Unfortunately, the cod rolls were disappointing as they had a taste of old fryer oil, with the outer crispy bits leaving an unpleasant aftertaste. However, the mango-based dip was enjoyable.

Ha Cheung Fun: The steamed rice roll with pork and shrimp filling was very good, with a savory taste enhanced by the soy sauce with a hint of sweetness.

Spring Onion Oil Chicken: The chicken was disappointing as it tasted old and had clearly been premade for a while, resulting in a dry texture that did not meet expectations for mouthwatering chicken.

Overall, Plum Valley offers a wide selection of dimsum dishes with good quality and taste, although some items may fall short in terms of freshness and flavor. Despite this, the restaurant is still a preferred choice for dimsum...