LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
The Eight
Included In
You can tell when the internet has a restaurant in its clutches and The Eight is the perfect example. More often than not, especially in the evenings, there’s an impatient queue snaking down Shaftesbury Avenue, full of white knuckles gripping trusty screens waiting to get a table at this casual cha chaan teng. This is a stan crowd. The Hong Kong-style teahouse's pineapple buns and volcanic eggs have done the rounds on TikTok, so people are happy to wait in the name of what gets us all going most: content creation. But for all the hype, The Eight is just fine.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Once inside, this Chinatown spot feels like a Muji mood board come to life. Pine wood, neutral tones, and an all-round clean aesthetic reigns supreme. In the daytime, this makes it a peaceful venue for a swift lunch as there’s little to no queue midweek. The constant crowd—some of whom are Balenciaga-clad, others who are much more B&Q—seem to think similarly. While a few tables immediately have cameras zooming into curry, upstairs is mostly a heads down, chopsticks up, in and out within an hour kind of place. The basement, with two booths big enough for a double-page spread photoshoot, feels like somewhere you can settle into.
Given the menu is over 150 dishes deep it’s worth having a game plan, particularly as some of the food can be very average. You’ll see the whipped volcano egg—a whirling, swirling, mound of eggs with curry on the side—on most tables, and it’s as aesthetically pleasing as it is flavour-wise. Pineapple bun with butter is a sweet butter-smearing delight if you’re down to get your hands dirty. The best of the bunch is the heinously saucy baked pork chop and fried rice in curry sauce. It’s not a light lunch, but at least you don’t have to wait around for it either.
Food Rundown
Spicy Wonton In Red Oil
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Pineapple Bun
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Signature BBQ Rice
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Volcano Egg Curry Beef Brisket
Crunchy Garlic Chilli Ho Fun
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Baked Fried Rice With Pork Chop In Curry