A. Wong
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Andrew Wong |
| Headquarters | Pimlico, London , United Kingdom |
Key people | Andrew Wong (owner and chef patron), Nathalie Wong (operations manager) |
| Products | Contemporary British reinterpretations of classic Cantonese cuisine |
A. Wong is a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant located in Pimlico, London, known for its contemporary British reinterpretation of classic Cantonese fare. The establishment is owned and operated by Andrew Wong, a third-generation restaurateur and chef based in London, who has gained widespread recognition for his creative culinary style.
History
In 2012, Andrew Wong launched A. Wong, naming it in honor of his parents, on the premises formerly occupied by their Cantonese eatery, Kym. Wong acts as the chef patron, while his wife Nathalie manages the operational side. The venue has welcomed distinguished visitors such as Ferran and Albert Adrià from El Bulli.
Menu
A. Wong serves classic Cantonese dishes infused with contemporary British elements. Its menu, which changes seasonally, features items like Peking duck, guotie (pan-fried dumplings), and xiaolongbao (Shanghai-style pork dumplings) accompanied by ginger-scented vinegar foam. The "Taste of China" tasting menu showcases specialties including soy chicken wrapped in ginger oil and osetra caviar, Shaanxi-style shredded lamb 'burger' paired with Xinjiang pomegranate salad, char siu topped with grated foie gras, Chengdu street-style tofu, Anhui fermented seabass, and Wuwei smoked duck (无为熏鸭).
Additional offerings include Xinjiang-inspired deep-fried beef strips with chili sauce; "1,000 chili" chicken served with snails and Sichuan pepper; Kung Pao chicken; seared wagyu beef accented with mint, chili, and lemongrass; aubergine cooked in Sichuan sauce; and crispy noodles drenched in brown gravy. Dim sum selections consist of prawn crackers accompanied by deep-fried seaweed and pork-and-prawn dumplings topped with citrus foam. Desserts range from duck egg custard to poached meringue featuring various fruit textures.
Innovative creations on the menu include "Why We Don't Eat Shark Fin Soup," which replaces shark fins with agar due to bans on shark finning, and "Why The Buddha Didn't Jump Over the Wall," a barbecued sweet potato served with fermented black-bean relish inspired by a traditional Cantonese pumpkin and black bean sauce dish.
In 2015, Chef Andrew Wong published A. Wong: The Cookbook, further cementing his culinary reputation.
Reception
The restaurant was awarded its inaugural Michelin star in October 2017 and achieved a second star in January 2021. This milestone made it the first Chinese restaurant outside Asia—and the first in the UK—to receive two Michelin stars. It remains unique as the only Chinese restaurant beyond Asia holding two Michelin stars.
In November 2018, Ben McCormack described A. Wong as "the best restaurant in Victoria" and potentially "the finest Chinese restaurant in Europe."
Chef and restaurateur
Born in the early 1980s to parents Albert and Annie—both involved in running Chinese restaurants—Andrew Wong comes from a family with deep roots in London's Chinese dining scene. His grandfather emigrated from China and managed pubs and a restaurant within East End Chinatown. Initially uninterested in pursuing hospitality professionally, Wong was encouraged by his father to continue his education.
He enrolled at the University of Oxford to study chemistry but left after 18 months before switching to social anthropology at the London School of Economics. Following his father's passing in 2003, Wong assisted his mother in managing their remaining four Chinese restaurants, including Kym—a Cantonese establishment launched by his parents in 1985. He undertook culinary training at Westminster Kingsway College and spent half a year traveling through China to explore regional cooking styles.
In 2018, Wong opened Baoshuan in New Delhi. He also ran Kym's at London's Bloomberg Arcade from March 2019 until late 2020. Since May 2020, he has held a research associate position at the SOAS Food Studies Centre at SOAS University of London.
Together with Dr Mukta Das from SOAS Food Studies Centre, Wong co-hosts XO Soused, a podcast dedicated to exploring Chinese food culture and history.