Good Earth Bellevue Road

A faithful servant of the Chinese culinary cause in the London area for more than 25 years, Good Earth is reckoned to be a ‘dependable performer’ – according to fans who like their food without voguish risk-taking or frippery. The kitchen plays it straight, dishing up a raft of old-wave Cantonese standbys ranging from honey-glazed spare ribs and crispy won tons to steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onions, lemon chicken and beef in oyster sauce. Also look for regional variations and interlopers in the shape of Thai satays, Szechuan prawns and spicy lamb with bean paste, lemongrass and ginger. Predictably, jade busts, gilded sculptures, ornate scrolls and traditional paintings provide a flamboyant backdrop to proceedings. Good Earth also has ‘express’ branches in Wimbledon, Richmond, West Hampstead and Wandsworth specialising in takeaways and local deliveries.