1981 was a noteworthy year for Birmingham. Jamelia was born, the first Handsworth riots broke out, and Chung Ying opened off Ladywell Walk. 44 years later, only one remains a huge talking point in Birmingham; the beloved Cantonese restaurant continues to sit at the heart of the city’s Chinese Quarter.
An original Brummie favourite, the first and, by default, oldest Chinese restaurant in Birmingham, helped start a change in the city centre (Day In Oriental Supermarket was also established in 1981). After taking over the site of a former synagogue, it’s now surrounded by countless bustling Asian businesses.
Just some of our nearby favourites include Ming Moon, China Court Bakery, Asia Asia Food Hall and Cafe Soya. Yet, Chung Ying remains the grandaddy of the Chinese community. Its owner, James Wong, who took over running the restaurant from his parents, is even responsible for organising many annual events in the Chinese calendar—including traditional lion dances at Chinese New Year.
But what about the food?
Generations of families have walked through Chung Ying’s doors, but it wouldn’t be such an institution if it couldn’t back it up with great-tasting, authentic Chinese flavours. For almost half a century, Chung Ying has specialised in authentic Cantonese cuisine (found in areas like Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou), all served with a smile.
Particularly, it’s proud of its hugely fresh dim sum selection—with everything from king prawn dumplings and char siu buns to ox tripe and century egg congee.But there’s a huge menu to be found here, covering everything from British-Chinese classics to more traditional tastes (have you tried frog’s legs with bitter melon in black bean sauce before?)
There are even whole menus dedicated to vegetarians, vegans and the gluten-free, too. Claudia Jesse even said that Chung Ying’s vegan ‘duck pancakes’ are her dream starter on the ‘Off Menu’ podcast. And, with endless awards to its name—including ‘Best Dumplings in the UK’ at the Golden Chopsticks in 2022—you can see that Chung Ying has stayed at the top for over four decades.
📍 Chung Ying Cantonese, China Quarter, 16-18 Wrottesley St, Birmingham B5 4RT
🌐 To learn more about Chung Ying, head here.