These wontons became cult hits during lockdown when Amy started home deliveries. The pillowy dumplings are stuffed with juicy pork, one side silky and the other lightly fried for a bit of crisp texture. Served in a vibrant chilli oil that's been developed over years.
Tips from diners
These became cult hits during lockdown deliveries. The filling bursts with ginger and garlic — let them cool slightly before biting or risk burning your mouth.
One of Cantonese home cooking's most fundamental dishes — a signature slow-cooked soup that's been described as 'magic' for its restorative, nourishing quality. The broth is built over hours and tastes like concentrated flavour without heaviness.
Tips from diners
This is the heart of Poon's — order it and let the broth warm you from the inside.
A perfect example of Cantonese cooking — the fish is steamed whole until the flesh is delicate and flaky, then finished with fresh ginger slices, a touch of soy sauce, and a whisper of red chilli. No cream, no complicated sauce. Just technique and ingredient quality.
Tips from diners
This is a standout alongside the Magic Soup. The fish is steamed whole — use your chopsticks gently to lift the delicate flesh off the bones.
A vegetarian dish that's moreish in the best way. Aubergine is fried until soft and absorbent, then tossed with zha jiang (spiced bean paste), creating a deeply savoury, umami-forward dish. Simple ingredients, complex flavour.
Tips from diners
Reviewers consistently praise this dish as proof there's no aubergine dish they can't get behind. The zha jiang sauce makes it deeply savoury.
The signature claypot rice cooks until the edges are dark and crisp, the grain still tender inside. Topped with wind-dried meats (sausages with pleasingly uneven distribution of fat) that were perfected by Amy's grandfather. Each spoonful should mix crispy rice with the savoury, fatty meat.
Tips from diners
Scrape the crispy edges from the claypot and mix with the wind-dried sausages — the contrast between crunchy rice and fatty meat is what makes this dish work.
Poon's at Somerset House is Amy Poon's first solo restaurant, reviving the family legacy started by her parents Bill and Cecilia at the original Soho location in 1970. The menu celebrates authentic Cantonese home cooking with particular focus on soup and slow-cooked dishes. Located in Somerset House's New Wing with elegant, high-ceilinged dining and views overlooking the courtyard.
This is Amy Poon's personal vision of Cantonese home cooking. Order the '3 dishes, one soup' set menu — it's thoughtfully balanced and designed to showcase the kitchen's range.
The entrance is on Lancaster Place, at the north end of Waterloo Bridge. The elegant dining room has high ceilings and overlooks the Somerset House courtyard — it's a beautiful setting.
Lunch service is Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-16:00. The plat du midi (plate of the day) and set menu are both excellent value compared to dinner pricing.
From 21:00 onwards, the menu shifts to Siu Yeh (late-night) options including stand-up noodles and pot luck rice — a more casual, energetic dining experience.
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