At Dim T, manicured looks mix with crowd-pleasing Eastern flavours in a surprisingly popular dinner destination.

The Venue
Inconspicuous with its small frontage and black signage, most people pass in front of Dim T without taking notice. Once you’ve stepped inside, though, it’s impossible to forget the busy, buzzing space and its atmospheric decor. The venue is filled with organic materials which would fit in well in a spa. The walls are covered with woven straw and thin stone slabs, while the long benches feature cushions in thick fabrics. The lighting is appropriately… err… dim, thanks to individual chandeliers on each table. The only complaint is that personal space is reduced to bare minimum as the tables tend to be small and close to each other. To avoid the squeeze, ask for a table in the private room upstairs - less customers, slightly brighter and much more air to breathe.

The Atmosphere
Dim T is part well-kept secret, part well-known favourite haunt. Those who have never stepped in before are likely to be attracted to more garish-looking venues, especially in Charlotte Street which is virtually lined with restaurants. However, once you’ve been inside, you’ll come back. The office workers from the area flock in every night and it’s only quiet on weekends. But because it’s so packed - and noisy - even passing your orders to the waitress can be problematic, although conversation is not terribly impaired.

The Food
As the name implies, dim sum should be Dim T’s specialty but in reality the choice isn’t particularly exciting. For £3.55 you get a steam basket with three small parcels (too small to be good value for money), containing anything from spicy beef to prawn and chive. Regular starters (£3 - £5.20) are much better, in particular the five-spiced squid.

Dim T Charlotte Street’s real strength is in the noodles (£7.65 - £9). Choose a style and pick the main ingredient from chicken, steak, salmon, prawn or tofu, with a choice of udon, egg or rice noodles. The sweet coconut Japanese flat noodles are burning hot in temperature but deliciously mild in flavour. Served in a beautiful glazed ceramic bowl, the noodles soak up all the liquid to become invitingly smooth. The curries (£6.90 - £9.65) are nearly as good with a perfectly fried chicken katsu curry. The desserts (£3.25 -£5.85) include iced berries with white chocolate sauce and sukiyaki, a version of chocolate fondue with bananas, lychees and pineapple rather than strawberries and apples – very indulgent.

The Drink
A dozen affordable wines (£13.75 - £16.75), exotic cocktails (£5.75 - £6.25) and teas (£1.85 - £3) make up the drinks list, along with interesting fruit lemonades (£2.65 - £2.75), juices (£2.35) and beer (£3.50). The alcoholic lychee and lemongrass and the pure ginger tea are both recommended.

The Last Word
The flavours may be tweaked to accommodate the British palate but although Dim T isn’t completely authentic, their pan-Asian cuisine is rightfully extremely popular.

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