Street food focus: Three Uncles

What?
The roast meat combo.

Where?
Three Uncles operates from four London-based locations.

How much?
£12.95.

The menu says:
‘Choose any two meats with rice.’

The hype says:
“A profound level of flavour”: The Evening Standard; “The food is delicious”: The Nudge; “The food at Three Uncles stole our hearts”: Square Meal.

We say:
With the Chinese Year of the Dragon soaring into view, the search is on for some authentic Cantonese eats. The option that immediately springs to mind is Three Uncles, with the roasted meat specialist having recently opened a new City-based site, leading to reports of daytime queues stretching around the block.

Its fourth outlet in the capital is more specifically in St Pauls, and the interior is a slightly sterile QSR-style proposition, as opposed to its south London site which blends subtly into Brixton Market’s architecture and aesthetic. The offer remains the same, though, focusing on Chinese cuisine done simply and well, eschewing grease and gimmicks.

Another impressive emphasis is on providing value for money, with the pleasingly fluffy char sui bai (£4.95) coming in two pieces and thus being big enough to share. This is followed by the large main, which provides a more than generous plateful for the price.

The rice alone is extremely tasty, especially with the addition of the appropriately dragon-hot sauce, while the duck and chicken are both perfectly prepared – though if you have to choose one meat, I would seriously suggest prioritising the pork belly. The slightly sterile St Paul’s setting may be a small step down, but the quality and quantity of the food ensures that our visit to Three Uncles remains a relative success.

Should you believe the hype?
Make sure you check out these wok stars of the capital’s Chinese cuisine scene.

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