Cha Cha Moon | Restaurant review

by Rebecca Christou

★★★★✰

Cha Cha Moon 15-21 Ganton Street, W1F

Around £20 for dinner for two

For a restaurant sited directly off Carnaby Street, Cha Cha Moon is a surprisingly quiet haven.

Backing onto Kingly Court, it is a Chinese noodle bar that prides itself on its soulful, authentic cooking; tables are set out canteen-style, in long rows with benches on either side.

This means that, although seated with your friends, you could well end up elbow-to-elbow with a stranger.

With low lights above each place setting and bar and outdoor seating, there is a very relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

The menu comprises of sides, mains and two dessert options. When taking your order, waiting staff explain that food is served as and when it is ready – there’s no waiting for all of your main courses to arrive simultaneously.

Meals are brought to the table still steaming hot from the kitchen, which is open to the restaurant so you can see your food being prepared and hear the bustling kitchen noise.

Cha Cha Moon’s regular menu is always accompanied by an additional, seasonal menu.

Some of the best things to be found in these are the cocktails - the Shibuya Casual, for example, is a lychee, sake and Martini concoction which is unlike any other.

Other drinks that are not to be missed are the black cherry soda and salted Sprite, which is surprisingly pleasant.

As well as noodles, there is a huge array of soups, curries and Chinese salads to choose from. If you still have room left for dessert after the generous portions served, opt for the banana and melon fritters - chunks of fruit fried in a light, crispy batter and served covered in sesame seeds, golden syrup and accompanied with a large helping of vanilla cream.

For such a charming and unpretentious menu, meals are well priced - two people can easily eat well here for around £20. The staff at the restaurant are attentive and polite, and the restaurant is always spotless.

Cha Cha Moon seems to have been somehow overlooked for ages, but if you do pay it a visit, you will be left wondering how you went without it for so long.