Restaurant review - Chop Chop - Commercial Street (Leith)

Today has been one of those days…I am bone tired, had an argument with the boyfriend last night over something totally stupid AND one of my friends was ratty with me first thing in the morn, and to top that off it’s dreeck outside – not quite raining though it’s thinking about it. I got in to work late, should have gotten more done today but have been experiencing technificulties. I decided to take myself out for a long(ish) lunch to cheer myself up.

I have wanted to try out the new Chop Chop in Leith for a few weeks, ever since I noticed the sign go up about 7 weeks ago. When I first walked past it was still pretty much a building site, with the Chop Chop logo but not much else. I’ve been to the Morrison Street/Haymarket branch a couple times – once with an old friend of mine I used to go out for dinner with at least once a month – until she moved down to London, the traitor – and once with my mum and dad. I am familiar with the Chop Chop idea, and I like it. Informal food, informal settings, authentic Chinese and some cracking dumplings. The staff sometimes look rushed off their feet, but that’s understandable as the restaurant is often packed elbow to elbow. Today was my first time in the Leith location though, so thankfully it was quiet.

The new Chop Chop is slightly snazzier than the original – all pale wood floors throughout, comfy leather-upholstered chairs and sparkly red tabletops. The air is distinctly more chilled out, and not just because Monday is their quiet day and there were maybe two other tables. I was greeted by a waitress who asked if I wanted a window table, but as it was grey and uninspired outside I decided not to depress myself and opted for a seat close to the bar.

Totally out-of-the-blue I heard a voice greet me very enthusiastically. More enthusiastically than could be expected from a random weekday lunch visit to a new restaurant. I turned around to see my friend G, who last I’d heard had moved to Perth to pursue a career in…something…working for…some guy. This was a few months ago, and it was probably just after the New Year I last saw him – no idea he’d moved back to Edinburgh and most definitely no idea he was working in my neck of the woods. Anyways, turns out G is the new assistant manager, the restaurant opened its doors six weeks ago, he’d moved back to town with his girlfriend and had bought a canoe (which he was trying to sell now he no longer lives near water).

G managed to sit down and have lunch with me briefly, and he recommended the beef noodle soup – there are no long and flowery menu descriptors here, so beef with noodles in soup is called beef noodle soup, and dumplings are listed by ingredient, not what season or emotion they evoke. I’d had a craving for a noodle soup all morning so this sounded perfect. I opted for the business lunch, which came to £7.50 for a man, a dumpling dish and 2 starters. You get a choice of 3 deep fried gyoza-style dumplings or 6 boiled dumplings. I went for the deep fried option today as it was blatantly a comfort food day.

I had the crispy potato and the bean sprout salad for my starters – you get a slip of paper with the lunch menu options on it, and you check the ones you want before presenting to your waiter – very dim sum style, and reminded me of dim sum places my mum and dad used to take me and my cousins to when I was wee. I was torn between the bean sprout salad and the seasoned chicken wings, but thought maybe one healthy option may not go amiss. I wasn’t expecting to be bowled over by the salad – I never am, salad is just a means to an end for me – but this was so tasty. It was much more than just raw bean sprouts and carrots, which is what I was expecting. The sprouts were marinated in something sweet, maybe with a hint of light rice vinegar, but not overly tangy. They weren’t soggy, but slightly softer with a bit of crunch still. I hate raw carrots, but the marinade softened them enough to take away the overly raw taste, but not so much to be soggy.

The crispy potatoes – well, I had no idea what to expect here, but maybe somewhere in the region of patatas bravas, only maybe a bit more deep fried. These were thin strands of potato, almost the consistency of feelings, but quick-fried in deep fat, crispy, and with all the best elements of a crisp, a chip and a hash brown. I could sit and eat a whole bowl of these in one sitting, but thankfully for my waistline they didn’t.

My gyoza came next – Chop Chop is one of those restaurants where your food arrives at your table as it comes out of the pan, and not in any order – and they were fabulous – not too greasy although they were deep fried, filled with a tasty pork and chive meaty mouthful. With your order you get either 3 deep fried or 6 boiled dumplings, and I’m not sure if this is a nod to promoting healthier eating – perhaps if you are indulging in deep fried dumplings you should eat less of them! These were accompanied with soy sauce and vinegar at the table, and G brought over a small dish of crushed chillies and freshly minced garlic to add to the traditional dipping sauce. You add vinegar to soy sauce in a dish to your taste – I like it 3:1 soy to vinegar usually – and then add the chillies and garlic depending on how spicy you like you sauce. It’s a great idea, and the garlic and chilli really do add something t the sauce you don’t usually get with the usual soy and vinegar usually presented at Chinese restaurants.

My noodle soup arrived at around the same time as the gyoza, so I tucked in to the noodles first to let the gyoza cool slightly. I have burnt my mouth many a time on a hot gyoza. The beef was soft and melted in the mouth, the soup was warming, the broth tasty (I cheated and added some chilli and garlic to the bowl), and the noodles were deliciously slurpabale. There is no ladylike way to enjoy Chinese noodles, and I believe if you can eat noodles without making a mess of yourself, you are blatantly not enjoying them like you should!

I had a fabulous meal, a nice chance to catch up with an old friend, and a new restaurant to go to within walking distance of work. Not bad for a Monday.