MR JI

"For all of one generation’s ‘not-the-same-as-in-my-day’ moans to another’s ‘‘it-was-never-any-good-even-in-my-day’ retorts, Soho is still capable of producing excellent restaurants doing interesting (and by that we mean not homogenous) things. Mr Ji is the best example of that right now. The Taiwanese restaurant on Old Compton Street screams cocktails thanks to its neon-lit close quarters bar space. It also screams chicken, not at you as you decline a third rice martini, but via it’s poultry-focused menu. The PSC (poached soy chicken) is the standout dish, so moist that your hands may turn prune-ish just looking at it, while the deep-fried hearts and breast are also essential. A cubic take on prawn toast, filled with a prawn and béchamel mixture before having parmesan rained over it, feels like the work of TATA Eatery (fomerly in the kitchen at Tayer and Elementary), who helped owner Samuel Haim develop the menu. It’s an exciting addition to Soho right now and for the future." - Jake Missing

"Small plates and sharing are the best way to enjoy Mr Ji’s always-innovative flavour combinations. Their take on tacos are made using dumpling skins, and dishes like brioche prawn toast and herbaceous turnip salad are cooked with enlivening combinations like sweetcorn béchamel or sesame vinaigrette. The main dining room—all gun metal greys and modern lines—has the space and big round tables for groups sharing an invigorating whole fish with rice cakes and kimchi broth." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak

"It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mr. Ji is making some of the most innovative food in London. The Camden spot describes itself as ‘east meets west’—and you can see that in its unique béchamel-filled take on prawn toast or its dumpling skin tacos. But, more than anything, it’s a guaranteed good time that feels out of the ordinary. The room is a clean cut, modern affair that wouldn’t look out of place on Dezeen’s feed, but the food is the reason you want to take someone here—especially as 99% of it is under the £20 mark." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna

"Near Camden Town Mr Ji is a welcoming, neighbourhood spot in Camden where you can fall face first through the door and into a plate of The O'Ji (a frisbee-ish flattened and deep-fried crispy chicken breast) before the rain soaks through to your thermals. This restaurant describes itself as a fusion of "east meets west", which translates to, "you'll want to meet the oozy, béchamel-heavy prawn-in-toast. And you'll want to meet it every day hereafter." - Team Infatuation

"There’s nothing quite like a real, eyes wide, ooh moment in a restaurant. Especially one that isn’t faffing about with liquid nitrogen or OTT interiors—but instead prefers to reveal a very pleasing half sphere of prawn fried rice before pouring green-tinted, viscous hot and sour soup over it. That’s Mr Ji’s vibe. The Camden restaurant describes itself as ‘east meets west’, but we think of it as an everyday restaurant that guarantees food that you want to talk about. Mr Ji has embraced a thoroughly neighbourhood approach in its Camden home. The front banquette area is made for solo diners working out how to tackle The O’Ji  (a frisbee-ish flattened and deep-fried crispy chicken breast), as much as it is for last-minute dates who will always have something to talk about when sharing the oozing, béchamel-heavy prawn-in-toast. The main dining room—all gun metal greys and modern lines—has the space and big round tables for groups interested in sharing that fried rice or silky sirloin with a humming pepper sauce. This is where to spend a couple of hours and really get to know the menu. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Small plates and sharing are the best way to enjoy Mr Ji’s always-innovative flavour combinations. Their take on tacos, using dumpling skins and topped with a super tender braised pig’s head, are must-orders. Similarly all the small plates, from ox tongue to stuffed chicken wings, are cooked with enlivening combinations like wasabi vinaigrette or crab emulsion. You can easily order from the snacks and small plates, alongside a plum negroni or two, and be very happy. Otherwise, bigger groups should go for the larger plates like an invigorating whole fish with rice cakes and kimchi broth. However you play it, Mr Ji is going to make you chew the fat about, well, what you’re chewing. Food Rundown Hearts These crispy chicken hearts are beautifully tender and once they’re popped in a lettuce wrap and smothered in a warming, katsu-like curry sauce you’ll find that there are very few words said around the table. And that’s always a good sign. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Prawn "In" Toast This take on prawn toast—filled with a prawn and béchamel mixture before having parmesan rained over it—is unlike any prawn toast you’ve had before. It’s totally decadent and you should 100% order it. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Wings These stuffed wings are really what Mr Ji is all about. They’re a familiar food, done funky. The wing is filled with minced pork and prawn, covered in yoghurt and a crab sauce. Use the nori sheets to pick them up: this is a fun, saucy mess. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch "Tacos" Inverted commas on a dish’s description can often send alarm bells ringing in our head, but these "tacos" are 10/10. The chunks of pig’s head are in a deep, sweet, tar-coloured sauce—the kind of thing you could ladle over rice and/or into your mouth—and the dumpling skin wrappers work perfectly. A slice of pickle and a sprig of coriander on top cuts through the sweet richness. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Fried Rice There’s an element of theatre to this dish: a bowl is lifted to reveal your rice, then green-tinted, viscous, hot and sour soup is poured over it. But, unlike Heinz’s foray into weird-coloured ketchup at the start of the millennium, there is nothing novelty about this. The hot and sour soup is gelatinous, with layers of peppery and herby flavour, while the boulder of rice is speckled with sweetcorn, egg, and green peas." - Jake Missing