Bayswater is a plethora of restaurants because it gets a lot of tourists being right close to Notting Hill and it is also being quite central to the whole of London. I have eaten out at a number of my “locals” but I realised the other day that I hadn’t reviewed many of them. This entry is an attempt at fixing this.

I don’t actually understand why there are so many Asian restaurants along Queensway but there are. It’s not because there is a huge Asian population here, because at least I don’t think there is. Amongst the many Chinese restaurants that are just downstairs from me, Kam Tong is not exactly one of my favourite haunts, but it appears it is for many others. Perhaps its popularity stems because there always seems to be huge crowds there, sometimes even spilling onto the sidewalk, but there is also its fantastic location being almost adjacent to the Queensway tube exit.

The food is decently priced (a huge plate of Char Sui and Rice only £4) and its buzzing atmosphere (surprisingly an equal mix of Western and Asiant people), cloth tablecloths and napkins actually makes this feel like a quality restaurant. I found that there are little things that make this restaurant quite appealing, such as the dish that appears out of nowhere with your food containing three smaller dishes of chilli oil, sweet sour sauce and sliced chillis in vinegar. I have always been automatically given tea when I go there, and from what I remember on the bill, the tea is surprisingly free, unlike many of the others in Chinatown. I also like the fact that the staff automatically server orange segments at the end of the meal, a nice way of cleansing the palate.

Though most dishes are cheap, some of the more exotic ones, like the Hokkien Freid Rice, are a lot more expensive than what others offer in Chinatown, and I can’t say it’s the best food for the price in this area, but at least service is quite consistent and the atmosphere generally much better than most. If you do decide to make a visit to Kam Tong, do come prepared as they have a cash only policy.

Details: Kam Tong
Found on: 59-63 Queensway, London, W2 4QH
Contactable on: 020 7229 6065
Highlights: Fairly cheap Chinese food, lots of different trimmings and so close to the tube, you could crawl your way back.
Room for improvement: Should get a Credit Card machine
The Kua Rating: 6 out of 10