This Summer, Chinatown London will welcome a canopy of 30 beautifully authentic Chinese bamboo parasols. From Tuesday 11 July, visitors to Chinatown London can walk beneath the colourful and captivating installation located above Macclesfield Street for the duration of Summer.

Members of the Chinatown London community have also added their own personal touch to the installation, signing several parasols with heartfelt messages written by hand to welcome visitors to the area and to share hopes and well wishes for Chinatown London this season.

The Chinese traditional parasol, also known as the oil-paper umbrella, has been a significant handicraft in China and other East & South East Asian countries for almost a century. Due to its long history, delicate craftsmanship, exquisite appearance, and resilient nature, it has been associated with a number of cultural significances across ESEA.

These characteristics also speak true to Chinatown London as a destination enriched with heritage and beauty. With the arrival of the parasol installation, Chinatown London is celebrating the art, craft and culture of local food and drink offerings and those who create them.

Handcrafted delicacies

Dumplings
Devour delicious, humble dumplings that have been hand crafted with care. These bite sized delights are a popular delicacy in Chinese culture with a number of variations including Jiaozi, Siu Mai and of course Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). Get your chopsticks and enjoy dim sum at Dumplings’ Legend, Orient, Shanghai Modern.

Noodles
Kung Fu Noodle is the first live hand-pulled noodle concept within Chinatown London. Slurp on a menu of moreish noodle soups and noodle dishes from Gansu province in Northwest China. Watch masters at work, as they pull noodles in the open kitchen.

Baos
Bao buns, also known as steamed buns, are soft and fluffy dough stuffed with meat or vegetable fillings. Join the queue at the ever popular Bun House, where buns are hand made fresh daily and steamed front of house. Or head to Plum Valley and tuck into their cream custard buns – popular with visitors.

Summer rolls
Summer rolls are fresh-tasting rice paper rolls; hand rolled with shellfish, light vermicelli noodles, carrots, cucumber, and herbs, often paired with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. A perfect light bite to enjoy on a Summer’s day, order yours at Viet Food or Pho & Bun.

Intricate dishes

JinLi’s steamed whole sea bass with ginger and spring onion is beautifully presented. The fish sits in the centre of the dish with finely shredded ginger, spring onion and sliced red chilli delicately placed on top.

For a stunning plate of delicious roast duck, Four Seasons is the spot – after all it is considered to have the “best in the world” according to Financial Times. You won’t be able to take your eyes off the tender, flavoursome meat with vibrantly glossy, crispy skin.

Savour succulent prawn ceviche at Speedboat Bar. Dressed with lime, green chilli and wasabi, this acidic yet sweet dish is simply stunning. The vibrant green sauce and garnish of mint leaves and chilli adds to the beauty of this dish.

Bringing an exciting take on Japanese barbecue, Chinatown London’s newest opening High Yaki displays its ready-to-grill items in its show stopping “staircase barbecue” style. Make sure to try their special Bluefin Otoro Tuna with Caviar Nigiri, elegantly presented with gold leaf.

If you’re looking for a pretty pudding, look no further. Franco-Japanese ‘mille crêpes’ cakes are delicately handmade with mille crêpes carefully layered between velvety rich cream, along with the finest ingredients including the much-loved East Asian flavours of Matcha, Yuzu and Black Sesame. Find this sophisticated sweet at KOVA and Sakurado.

Mixology mastery

Watch in awe of mixologists at work at one of Chinatowns secret speakeasies and underground bars, that serve up some of London’s best cocktails. Head to Yatay’s ZOKU, inspired by Tokyo’s underground roller culture for a Japanese highball. Or why not step into 1920s Shanghai themed, Opium London for a menu of theatrical cocktails that are sure to impress.