Hello readers, just a quick catch up about my second visit to Chino Latino, a pan asian restaurant based on the first floor of the Park Plaza Riverside Southbank London Hotel. My previous visit to Chino Latino did not end well, the staff ignored us and when we complained they were nonchalant even when it turned out they overcharged us. I wrote a balanced review about my experience on Tripadvisor and my comments caught the eye of Ewelina, one of the Chino Latino managers. She got in touch with me and I was invited to come back for a meal and bottle of wine.
Not soo Secret Diner
I had slight doubts about going back because of my previous experience at first , however the concern shown by Ewelina about our treatment made me feel like this was a restaurant that cares about it’s customers. I knew I was going to get treated well on this visit, so I hatched a plan with my partner in crime. I entered the restaurant first and was shown to a table with a view in the main area. My partner in crime had booked another table and was placed on the other side of the restaurant, the same table as our previous visit. So was there a difference in service ? , yes and it was huge. On my partners side, instead of only one member of staff, there were two waitresses and another member of staff helping to serve.
Secret Diner Experience
As soon as I was seated, the meus were brought to my table and the staff asked if I wanted a drink straight away. I went for the house rose which was lovely and refreshing. Tap water was placed on my table and the staff was constantly checking on me, asking if I needed anything. Every dish I needed was delivered to my table in a timely manner and the food was delicious. When the tables started filling up around me , the service was just as attentive. The staff were friendly, visible and could have easily made me tipsy with every glass being filled immediately. I stopped at two glasses so that I could enjoy my dessert. I was full but couldnt resist it.
As a meal out, the cost is pricey, but the food is excellent , with a first class customer service.
Makelesmouthful Experience
I met Ewelina at the door and she showed me to a my table in the main area of the restaurant. We spoke briefly about my previous experience and she once again stressed how important every diner was to Chino Latino. She gave me the menu and went away for a little bit while I mused over which dishes to try out. A few seconds later and my phone rang. It was my partner in crime calling to scream about how the customer service in her corner of the restaurant was amazing. She had to cut the line and resort to text messages because she nearly got caught. Me thinks someone wasnt paying attention at Spy academy.
Whilst the dishes were coming out , Ewelina came back to my table and chatted about what life was like working at Chino Latino. She spoke about how she progressed up the ranks at the restaurant and the various opportunities the restaurant offers it’s workers. She also spoke about riding her motorbike from Timbuktu everytime she comes into work. It was really obvious that she cared a lot about this restaurant and that can only be a good thing for diners.
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| Chino Latino |
So let’s talk about the food.
I had two small dishes for starters, crispy duck with cucumber , chilli , spring onions and hoisin sauce.
Crispy Duck pancakes
The duck was just perfect..crispy on the outside and not too fatty or oily. Having this with pancakes was heavenly
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| Pancakes |
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| Crispy duck pancakes |
Taquitos
The second small dish was a caterbridge beef taquitos with aji panca , red onion , jalapeno and avocado. Once again this was a very moreish dish. The beef was very flavorful and the cones were pretty crispy.
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| These beef taquitos was soo full of flavour |
I had the meal with a lush bottle of red
Lamb cutlets
For mains I had lamb cutlets marinated in korean hot pepper paste and on top of that , some sesame cucumber. The succulent cutlets accompanied by a bowl of warm rice that was soo tasty I nearly bit my fingers off.
Chocolate brownie and peanut butter parfait with blackberry sponge
This dessert really hit the mark as well.Have always loved peanut butter so this dish was a nice way to end the evenings course
Food over , I spent a while listening to that evenings live band. The band was soo impressive , the diner to my left looked at me and grinned in satisfaction. We both had a moment as they say. There’s a performance 6 out of 7 nights a week , with the calibre of music , food and wine making this restaurant a very suitable venue for romantic dates or evenings out with a group of friends and family.
So, there goes my second visit to Chino Latino , more enjoyable than the first. The customer service was exemplary and the food delicious. Compliments to the team, they definitely exceeded our expectations.
Thanks Ewelina, the evening convinced me that this restaurant was definitely a place to check out if you’re looking to dine out in central london. You’ve definitely won over this pessimistic diner.
