Gyoza Bar

by Amanda Christensen (subscribe)

Screenwriter and producer based out of Central London and Los Angeles. Avid traveler and foodie. To follow my journey across countries and plates, follow @togetherthroughtravel on Instagram.

Published December 14th 2016

Pan fried and filled with joy

A bowl of warm dreams...I mean, gyoza and ramen.

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Right at the edge of where Chinatown meets Covent Garden meets Leicester Square, lies Gyoza Bar. As their name would suggest, Gyoza Bar shifts focus from the typical Japanese highlights of sushi, ramen, and katsu curry (though they do have most of these as well) and instead shines a light on the underappreciated appetiser that is Gyoza.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, gyoza is a Japanese dumpling, normally filled with either pork, chicken, or prawn with a mix of vegetables, then pan fried to a golden brown.

My gyoza is topped with hoisin sauce and sits upon a bath of ramen.

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The shop itself is quite small and was very busy when I stopped by, without a seat available. That was fine though, as I had a short lunch break, so I opted for takeaway.

I ordered the chicken gyoza and ramen. To my surprise, they packaged them together, creating a new sort of fusion dish. I drizzled over the accompanying hoisin and set to work demolishing my meal. My gyozas were a little soggy, but I think that's partly due to them being packaged on top of my ramen.

That bit aside though, both the gyoza and ramen were incredibly flavorful yet refined. The ramen had one of the best broths I've had since moving to London, and the filling of gyoza was the perfect consistency.

Gyoza Bar is a quick and not too costly lunch stop - just make sure you get there early enough to grab a seat!