The East Asian London

• Visit these stores.
• Go to these restaurants.
• Explore London and try out new places.

I brought 2 big suitcases to London. Each was supposed to weigh a maximum of 23 kg. Both ended up weighing 35 kg each when I arrived at the airport.

The reason? My parents had unknowingly packed for me 10 instant noodle packs, 5 packs of Indonesian crisps, 15 mini boxes of Nastar – an Indonesian pineapple cookie, and a bunch of other Indonesian food. This is probably what most international (particularly us South East Asian) students think they have to do to mitigate being homesick.

Quick hint: you don’t need to bring that much – if any – of your favourite foods with you to uni. The reason: most of it can likely be found in London. If it can’t, there’s probably a student society that will cook it for you. If they don’t, you can very likely cook it yourself.

While I’m definitely no expert in food, I am an expert in feeling homesick whilst living in London. If you didn’t catch it, I couldn’t bring any of the food my family packed for me as my luggage had to stay within the weight limit. So, here’s some of what I did (and what you can do) to explore the better parts of London that taste just like home.

1) Visit these stores

While there are multiple options to choose from when it comes to Asian supermarkets in London, there are three stores in particular that you must visit! Hopefully this list will help you diversify beyond just buying from Oseyo for your ramen noodle fix:

Tian Tian Market

First up is Tian tian market - the most complete option. You can probably find one anywhere around London, but I usually go to the one at the Brunswick Centre - it’s closest to UCL’s Institute of Education. Tian tian market offers a bunch of Asian snacks, ingredients, spices, and has one of the most complete dessert selections (the boba ice cream is very yum). 

YoHome Oriental Lifestyle Supermarket

Second on the list is the Asian market in front of the Torrington place library - the YoHome Oriental Lifestyle Supermarket. There are When we have hotpot nights with the UCL debating society (since the committee is somehow comprised mostly of Southeast Asians), I buy my ramen, tofu, and other delicious stuff to boil from here. It’s close to campus, affordable, and is pretty complete. 

Lo’s noodle factory

This last one isn’t really a traditional Asian market, but is definitely traditional in every sense of the word. I’m recommending you to buy from Lo’s noodle factory - a store located in Chinatown that serves meals upstairs, and makes fresh noodles downstairs. I highly recommend Lo’s Ho Fun if you’re ever craving authentic Chinese food. These noodles are so good that Hakkassan, a Michelin-starred restaurant, gets their noodles from Lo’s. So if you don’t particularly fancy a night of instant ramen from Tian tian market or YoHome, why not enjoy a night of (what I and Michelin star restaurants think) are the best noodles in London!

2) Go to these restaurants

Eating out is a more expensive option, so you want to make sure that wherever you decide on is approved by other Asians at UCL (such as myself). I’ve searched far and wide for the best Asian food in London, and have concluded that there are 6 places - in no particular order - that you must try!

Kanada-Ya

First up, we’ve got the classic Kanada-Ya for the best ramen you have ever tasted. The only thing you need to know about Kanada-Ya is that you have to try their tonkotsu ramen. This place is definitely no secret to Londoners as it’s been marked as one of the best ramen you can find here - also available for delivery for a nice, warm night in. 

Pino's Warung

Second, my personal favourite, is the Indonesian-favourite Pinos Warung located in Camden Market! This place is as authentic as Indonesian food gets - they’ve got a pretty wide selection of meals to choose from and they’re all quite affordable (each meal costs around £10). My personal favourite is sop bakso (£9.5) on a cold, windy day.

Pair this with one of their fried tempehs for just £1.5 and you’re set for a taste of Indonesia, despite being 7,000 miles away. For many Indonesians at UCL - incoming and current students - this is and will be the place you’ll visit over and over again throughout the course of your studies. I guarantee it!

Gogo Pocha

Third on this list is a place I stumbled across while walking around Lower Marsh Market near Waterloo station. While they’ve got a wide selection of foods that you can choose from as one of London’s more popular areas to visit, my personal favourite thing to get here as I’ve come twice is Gogo Pocha - a Korean restaurant that serves delicious and authentic Korean food!

You can’t go wrong with bibimbap, beef slices, and a kimchi pancake - alone or shared with friends. Despite being a small joint, they’ve got a very complete menu that’s sure to please all students looking for an authentic experience.

Roti King

Fourth on this list is none other than the best Malaysian restaurant in London, Roti King! Everyone in London probably knows about this place, but for some reason it stays as a small, underground (literally) shop in Euston. If you don’t book ahead of time, you’ll likely find yourself waiting anywhere between 1-2 hours for a table at Roti King.

I recommend the roti canai with chicken kari, but literally everything there is delicious - you just have to be patient as it will be very crowded. Book ahead of time via their website or get it via delivery (since it’ll arrive quicker that way) and you’ll be fine!

Three Uncles

Jinli

Finally, as far as Chinese food goes, nothing really beats Jinli and their London-famous hotpot! Jinli has 2 stores open in Chinatown and serves authentic Sichuan food - their specialty being their hotpots.

Come with a few friends, order a dry pot (I’m biased to their dry pot seeing as though I’ve eaten it a total of 5 times while in London), and add as many toppings as you want - beef slices, tofu, sweet potato, crab meat, and even bamboo. Their red-hot base goes with any topping so be don’t be afraid to experiment and try something new while you’re here! If you’re a fan of actual spicy food, Jinli is the place to be.

3) Explore London and try out new places!

Because I can’t possibly tell you all the good places to eat in London, I’ll just direct you to people who do, such as:

@food.on.us on Instagram reviews a variety of restaurants and hidden gems of London for you so you don’t have to.

And @wynsheats on Instagram, who posts student-friendly recipes on her page!

Surprise – both of these people are UCL students! If you follow them, let them know that this article sent you to them!

My main piece of advice when it comes to food is never to limit yourself and to visit as many places as possible! You don’t need to go to the places I listed out here - sometimes the best food is just a few minutes away from where you’re living (I had this delicious shawarma from Hiba street food & it was one of the best ones I’ve ever had – coincidentally was also only £5).

Explore London, try out people’s recommendations, and make the most of what London has to offer!

By Judah Purwanto, Bsc Politics and International Relations