Paper Tiger

Paper Tiger pads into East London with a menu that blends Chinese comfort and Sichuan fire. It champions clarity of flavour and satisfying textures, the sort of cooking that is as restorative as it is spirited. There is an immediate nod to the classics: the crackle of prawn crackers, the familiar crunch of veg spring rolls, both setting the scene for bolder moves to come.

Signatures lean into contrast and balance. Sichuan bang bang chicken with peanut, peppercorn and chilli sauce brings a humming heat softened by nutty richness, while chicken wonton soup offers clean, fragrant comfort in a bowl. Dumplings are a quiet triumph: pleated parcels filled with chicken and courgette or sweet, saline king prawn, each bite a tidy study in freshness and snap.

The experience invites sharing and a measured pace. Plates arrive built for passing around, spice levels nudge rather than shout, and pudding rewards the unhurried. Xiao Mantou — a fried steamed bun with sweet condensed milk — is pure nostalgia, and brown sugar glutinous rice balls land with a caramel warmth that gently closes the circle.

For a meal that lingers on the palate and in the memory, make tracks to Paper Tiger. Take a seat, pass the chopsticks, and let the evening pounce.