Lisle Street always seems the more hardcore gastronomic street than the parallel Gerard. If you were inspired to open a Chinese restaurant south of Birmingham See Wo is where to go. The basement has bowls and machetes, the long freezers are full of dim sum, the fresh greens are various and encyclopaedic, there are bags and bags of different dried mushrooms, yards of packet noodles and all manner of dried and rolled items from across the Pacific and an almost complete collection of soy sauces, even the thick Elephant brand. It is also usually quieter than rivals. Organised through four corridors so only two tills operate plus there is also a fresh meat section. It has been here heroically since 1975. Among more exotics to look out for might be south pole abalone or medicinal rub red flower oil. Now seemingly part of the Chuanglee warehouse based in north Greenwich who distribute wholesale, which is was originally a Thai operation masterminded by Suree Andre. Also the web site mysteriosuly routes through to what used to be a rival Langdan. Inscrutable…
18-20 Lisle St, London WC2H 7BA
