Keelung

Keelung
6 Lisle Street
Leicester Square
0207 734 8128

As a backlash against the movement towards the Pan-Asian food culture Geoffrey Leong is on a quest to bring the true taste of Taiwan to London with his newest venture, Keelung.

Leong, who is part owner of Goldfish and Leong's Legends, claims traditional foods are being obliterated by Western tastes and is rallying the cause against what he views as a, "serious loss of authenticity, tradition and heritage through the evolution of fusion dishes".

Keelung, a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan, is renowned for its bustling markets and street food. Complete with an indoor mini-Keelung market and fresh fish display, the restaurant is all about banqueting and sharing. The menu offers a selection of tapas and much of the food is broth-based. Instead of traditional dim-sum there's a freshly made broth based version called Keelung Siu Loung Bao at £5.00, and other tapas dishes include crispy oysters £4.50,

Main courses include sea-bass with spring onion and ginger at £9.00, braised pork belly claypot at £7.00. For the more adventurous, or lovers of making use of all the animal, then the house special boneless pig's trotters pot are on the menu at £7.00.

Wines start at £3.00 by the glass and £11.90 a bottle. They are all carefully chosen to complement the food by Leong himself and they will not bleed you dry. For example you can drink an Opal Ridge Gewurztraminer Verdelho 2008, for £13.80. Leong doesn't like big mark-ups.

The Westernised interior featuring pictures of the Beatles and Cliff adorning the walls and the Brat pack music playing in the background is admittedly a tad confusing.
But Leong explained the locals' love of Western culture comes from the American influence after the civil war - and is one type of "fusion" he has no intention of getting rid of.

• Sommeliers