Three Uncles Brixton

Brixton Village, once a haven of cheap eats, has become boujie as of late. The Champagne and fromage bars of Covent Garden seem to have seeped in like knotweed. So, when a new shopfront appears in the market, you might assume it’ll be Aperol spritzes for a tenner all over again. But no, Three Uncles is quite the opposite.

Tucked next to a fish stall, the restaurant is about as pared back as it gets. Diners sit on tiny wooden stools at equally tiny tables, perusing the proportionally-sized menu. Staff are friendly enough, but interactions are kept pretty transactional. And rightly so, people are here to eat, and there are quite a few of them. You might even see queues at lunchtime, a sight not seen since Shrove Tuesday at Senzala Creperie.

We started, as all good evenings do, with wontons. These plump porky pillows arrived resting in a puddle of borderline-drinkable chilli oil, eliciting a Kung Fu Panda-style chopstick duel. Their deep-fried counterparts were just as good, crisp to a tee without a drop of fryer oil in sight. Some slightly rubbery fishballs, swimming in curry sauce, were a momentary blip, quickly forgotten as the mains arrived.

A more than generous £12 helping of steaming noodles, bathed in a hearty but subtle broth, came topped with sliced duck and char siu pork. The meat was tender, with a touch of spice cutting through. The drinks selection is a la display fridge (so beer or soft drinks). Hainan chicken on jasmine rice was even more generous and affordable at £10.50, with fresh ginger contrasting the umami of the succulent chicken. Sliced cucumber and chilli sauce might not be the most glamorous addition, but they worked perfectly to add a zing of freshness.

Sometimes a lavish setting can cloud one’s judgement. But it’s safe to say, given the backless kiddie stools and fishmonger neighbours, it was the food at Three Uncles that stole our hearts.

Starting out life as a couple of takeaway kiosks in Liverpool Street and Camden, Cantonese roast meat specialists Three Uncles decided to make the pop-ups a permanent fixture with their first restaurant in Brixton opening in 2022. The 600 square foot space is located in Brixton Village, at Units 19 and 20, which houses a seated dining area, kitchen and counter. The restaurant offers 25 covers which span both a covered and courtyard area.  

Customers can feast on all the Cantonese classics that originally put Three Uncles on the map. Discover plenty of house-roasted and chopped-to-order meats, along with a selection of new never-seen-before dishes. These include the likes of siu mei sharing plate Uncle Mo’s Three Treasures (Cantonese roast duck, crispy pork belly and char siu pork) as well as classic Hong Kong family-style dishes. Look out for lotus leaf rice with Chinese sausage, steamed chicken, shiitake mushroom and chestnuts and steamed minced pork and preserved vegetables with typhoon shelter prawns. A large proportion of the menu is available to both eat in and takeaway, while some dishes can only be ordered at the restaurant to encourage customers to dine in.  

The menu also includes Roast Duck and Char Siu Lai Fun Noodle Soup, a Hong Kong favourite rarely seen in the UK, made at Three Uncles with their homemade broth, fresh noodles and signature roast meats. 

Drinks include Hong Kong favourites Milk Tea, Yuen Yueng (half coffee, half tea) and Ice Lemon Tea as well as a range of local South London craft beers and wine. 
 
Three Uncles was launched by friends and co-founders Chong Yew (Uncle Lim), Pui Sing Tsang (Uncle Sidney) and Mo Kwok (Uncle Mo), who were inspired by their almost daily habit of spending hours at Siu Mei spots whilst growing up together in Hong Kong in the 1970s.