Search the Good Food Guide - Site Settings site

Location

Establishment Type

Cuisine

Price

Clear
  VIEW PHOTO
  /1
X

Yipin Bashu

West Midlands, Coventry - Chinese - Restaurant - £

Overall Rating: Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Good

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Good

Coventry doesn’t make a show of it, but genuine Chinese mainland food can be unearthed in the city. Look for the signs: several ethnic supermarkets in the centre of town; a stall at the indoor market selling esoteric specialities; lots of Chinese students and this unassuming restaurant. As you enter the simple, brightly lit premises, you’ll be immediately convinced (and comforted) that this is no anglicised ‘chicken and cashews' joint. The neon-lit sign is in Chinese script, as is much of the voluminous menu. Tables are easy-wipe, there's no alcohol licence and the dining room is populated by a young crowd. Even if you're au fait with the intricacies of authentic Chinese food, you may need a few minutes to get to grips with the huge menu. Szechuan cuisine dominates, and many of the dishes come topped with a forbidding layer of dried red chillies and chilli oil. Numbing Szechuan peppercorns further assault the tongue in impressively huge concoctions such as ‘Szec...

Coventry doesn’t make a show of it, but genuine Chinese mainland food can be unearthed in the city. Look for the signs: several ethnic supermarkets in the centre of town; a stall at the indoor market selling esoteric specialities; lots of Chinese students and this unassuming restaurant. As you enter the simple, brightly lit premises, you’ll be immediately convinced (and comforted) that this is no anglicised ‘chicken and cashews' joint. The neon-lit sign is in Chinese script, as is much of the voluminous menu. Tables are easy-wipe, there's no alcohol licence and the dining room is populated by a young crowd. Even if you're au fait with the intricacies of authentic Chinese food, you may need a few minutes to get to grips with the huge menu. Szechuan cuisine dominates, and many of the dishes come topped with a forbidding layer of dried red chillies and chilli oil. Numbing Szechuan peppercorns further assault the tongue in impressively huge concoctions such as ‘Szechuan-style pig’s red, with hairy belly’ (the enigmatic translation adding to the allure). Here, beneath the fiery, oily surface you’ll find rectangles of shiny blood pudding, segments of springy beef tripe, tantalisingly resilient black fungus, and… slices of Spam. Yet there’s also plenty of opportunity to savour food that's gentler on the palate: an appetisingly seasoned plate of fried noodles with seafood, perhaps, or thin slices of highly savoury belly pork on a bed of pickled vegetables. At inspection, the standout dish was a generous bowlful of pork dumplings, their delicate wrappers submerged in a flavourful chilli-hot broth, with Chinese cabbage providing relief from the heat. Order steamed rice (not, as far as we could discern, on the menu) to counteract the ferocious spicing. Staff are admirably patient with newcomers, while pricing is moderate (given the gargantuan portions).

Read full reviewSee less

VENUE DETAILS

3 Fairfax Street
Coventry
West Midlands
CV1 5SRGB

024 7663 1005

OTHER INFORMATION

Family friendly

More like this

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    Latest articles