Hellfire what a glorious find. Ms Charlotte, a dear old friend of mine from Warwick suggested Jen’s to me. I was due in London for a Todd Rundgren concert (which was excellent, thanks for asking). My friends and I met outside Leicester Square tube station and walked the short 300ft to Jen’s. The first thing which astonished me was that we could see one of the chefs making dumplings in the window. She had her own table for all to admire her dumpling making skills. I was very impressed by this.
We had to wait a little while to get a table but once we did, it was worth the wait. The wooden seats (not the stools) were quite low and one is tempted to bear down on them at full speed. I advise you not to do so, as they are rather very hard.
Half of us ordered the roast duck. It is pictured below. Beautifully cooked and arrived with alarming speed. the flavours are difficult to describe. Suffice to say this was a jaw dropping dish. It is ever so rare to find duck well done. Tesco’s hoisin duck sandwich will never be the same.
The other half opted for the BBQ pork with rice. I had this myself and must say it was the better of the two dishes, though I am biased. Stunning dish all round. Very much recommend.
But but but, what really stole the show were the array of aforementioned dumplings, half of which were fried. The other half were good, but nothing compared or ever shall compare to the fried dumplings. These were an exercise in pure joy. Though I would advise you to wait some minutes after they arrive to avoid burning yourself.
And of course… the fried dumplings!
St Nick would you to be informed that at Jens, one is served Chinese tea in mugs with handles. This is a particular affront to his dainty and antiquated ways, with which I have no issue. Nonetheless he is taller than me and capable of inflicting grievous bodily harm so it’s best not to cross him. Otherwise, top marks for Jen’s!