Nam Long @ London, UK ***

Sweet & Sour Chicken

The low resolution and blurry details of this image are reflective of the type of experience one typically has at this Old Brompton Road watering hole; a sloppy one. Located conveniently in the middle of South Kensington, the neighborhood that nearly all my expat friends and myself call home, Nam Long has been host to innumerable birthday parties and other celebrations, none of which I remember very clearly. This general lack of clarity is thanks to their signature Flaming Ferrari cocktail, a deadly concoction involving dark rum, white rum, blue curaçao, and a butane lighter.

Never having actually consumed any solids in this establishment, I felt that my whirlwind 16 hour layover in London merited giving it a try. The sweet and sour chicken, made with ketchup as is often done in ‘Chinese’-style Western cooking was all that it could be- generously portioned, sweet, and crispy. Not ‘authentic’ by any means, but not trying to be either.

If you are looking for Really Good Food on the Old Brompton Road, I would recommend the nearby Cambio de Tercio. For a Really Good Time however, Nam Long with its toff clientele and the seedy, vaguely Vietnamese decor that essentially  invites misbehavior is guaranteed to gratify.

Details: 159 Old Brompton Road London, SW5 0LJ, United Kingdom (+442073731927)