Chuen Cheng Ku
17 Wardour St., W1. V 0171/734 3281. L4.75 E8 ($7412). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily I `Iammidnight (dumplings served until 5:45pm). Tube: Leicester Square. CHINESE.
At lunchtime this huge restaurant serves 21 kinds of steamed, fried, or boiled dumplings wheeled to tables on trolleys. Favorites include steamed pork buns and shrimp dumplings, each about Y 1.75 ($2.65). Adventurers can choose duck's tongue in a sauce of black beans and chili and other exotics. It takes a few servings to get a good feed, and you can have a fulfilling experience for about f 8 ($12). Dinner in this red carpeted, chandelier hung dining room costs double.
Gaby's Continental Bar
30 Charing Cross Rd. (just off Leicester Sq.), WC2. V 0171 /836 4233. f 3 f 6.50 ($4.50$9.75). No credit cards. Mon Sat 8am midnight, Sun noon 1 Opm. Tube: Leicester Square.
CONTINENTAL.
This sandwich badcafe has a Middle Eastern slant. A wonderful assortment of such home cooked specialties as stuffed eggplant and rolled cabbage are displayed in the window. Hungarian goulash and lamb curry are also usually served, and like most main courses they cost less than f 5.50 ($8.25), including salad or rice Everything is made fresh daily according to the chefs mood, and there's always a wide selection of delicious well priced meals. The restaurant is also known for its sandwiches, especially salt beef (England's approximation of corned beef), cheapest when you buy it to take out for about Y,3 ($4.50). Gaby's is fully licensed.
New Piccadilly Restaurant
8 Denman St. (just off the bottom of Shaftesbury Ave., a few feet from Piccadilly Circus), W1. Ph 0171/437.8S30. E3.5046.75 ($5.25 $l 0). No credit cards, Daily 11 am 9:30pm. Tube: Piccadilly Circus. ENGLISH /CONTI N ENTAL.
Postwar decor and a straightforward English cafe menu combine to make this centrally located eatery a popular budget mainstay. The long dining room is lined with Formica topped tables on either side, and diners can choose from a large number of unadventurous but well prepared English style specialties, like chicken with mushroom sauce and steak risotto for about 14.50 ($6.75). For a pound less, try one of their many pizzas or a pasta dish. Add Y 1 .25 ($1.90) for soup, plus L1.50 ($2.25) for apple pie or ice cream, and you'll have eaten a satisfying three course meal for aboutf7.25 ($10.90). The restaurant has no liquor license; patrons are encouraged to bring their own alcohol.
New World
I Gerrard Place, W1. Tr 0171/734 0396. f 7 f 10 ($10.50 $15). MC, V. Mon Thurs 1 lam11:45pm, Fri Sat 11am midnight, Sun 10:45am 10:45pm. Tube: Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus. CHINESE.
Reminiscent of Hong Kong's massive catering balls, this giant Cantonese palace is one of Chinatown's largest restaurants. The immense menu matches the dining rooms in size and reads like a veritable summary of southern Chinese cookery. All the usual poultry, beef, pork, and vegetable stir fry dishes are represented. And during lunch, dim sum is served in the traditional manner, via trolley.
Pierre Victoire
6 Panton St., SWI. Ir 0171/930 6463. Set lunch E5 ($7.50); dinner E7410 ($10.50 $15). No credit cards. Daily noon 4pm and 5:30 11 pm. Tube: Piccadilly Circus. FRENCH.
With a comfortable candlelit dining room, decent food, and unbeatable prices, this franchised French restaurant his all the hallmarks of permanence. The bistro food includes roast pork with spinach and garlic, as well as chicken in white wine and cream sauce. Vegetables are served on separate side plates, and fresh bread is included with every meal.
A second version in central London is at 9 William St., SWI (Ir 0171/ 823 1414), near the Knightsbridge Underground station.
COVENT GARDEN
Wagamama
4 Streatham St., WC1. V 0171/323 9223. E648 ($9 $12). Mon Fri noon 2:30pm and 11pm, Sat 12:30 3pm and 6 1 lpm, Sun 12:30 3pm and 6 10pm. Tube: Covent Garden. No credit cards. JAPANESE.
This Japanese noodle bar is one of the most popular eateries in London. There's always a line to get into the minimalist dining room furnished with basic tables and chairs and a health oriented Zen like philosophy. The kitchen's offerings are limited to a variety of vegetarian stir fries and several kinds of steaming noodle soups. The meals are consistently well prepared and perfectly spiced. Enjoy an ice cold lager or fresh squeezed juice while you wait for a table.
SOUTH KENSINGTON
Daquise
20 Thurloe St., SW7. Ir 0171/589 6117. L5.7548.50 ($8.75 $12.75). No credit cards. Daily I 0arn 1 1:30pm. Tube: South Kensington. POLISH.
Near the major museums and steps from the South Kensington tube station, this real find features cabbage in many guises; for example, stuffed with meat or served with veal escalope. The chlodiak soup (ham stock, beetroot, cream, and pickled cucumber) may sound unusual but tastes great. A variety of Polish vodkas and beers is also served, and the friendly, if harried, staff encourage diners to nurse their drinks.
THE CHAINS
Cranks
E5.7549 ($8.50 $13.50). No credit cards. Mon Sat 9:30am 8pm, Sun 10am 7pm. VEGETARIAN.
