Chop Chop

Specialising in the culinary ways of China's Manchurian northeast (Dongbei) region, this enjoyable venue is effectively a Chinese café. The menu makes a courteous point of explaining the format to newbies, but basically anyone familiar with dim sum ordering will understand the drill. Choose from a slate of jiaozi or guo tie dumplings (boiled and fried, respectively), and get stuck in as the dishes arrive. The main menu deals in many well-rendered northern Chinese standards, among them crispy beef in ginger and vinegar, Changchun hotpot, and pork with ginger and coriander. Boiled and stir-fried noodle dishes are also highly reliable. The DIY dessert of sugar-string apple or pancake, which you crisp up for yourself by dunking them in iced water, is an entertaining way to finish, or there are yet more dumplings to ponder, of mixed fruits or peanuts. There's a sister branch in Leith (see entry).