If you’re in the mood for Asian but can’t decide on a single country’s cuisine, the pick ‘n’ mix menu at the Hampstead branch of this warm and welcoming chain should fit the bill.

The Venue
Hampstead is a wealthy, good looking suburb so it’s no surprise that dining options abound. Dim T has its work cut out, as it sits at the edge of the commercial area where restaurants and shops give way to houses and flats. The 45-cover ground floor and 30-cover basement are unremarkably modern, with a warm, brown, beige and red colour scheme featuring wood, leather and bamboo. A couple of generic cherry blossom pictures nod to the Orient.

The Atmosphere
The majority of diners – couples, groups of friends, and families with young children – are almost certainly mainly local: this is neighbourhood standby, not destination dining. Staff are sweet and competent.

The Food
The menu visits Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, China and Indonesia. A dozen starters include old favourites like spring rolls and sesame prawn toasts, or choose from a wide variety of steamed dim sum. Mains include 10 noodle options, many of which come with chicken, steak, prawn or tofu. There are 10 “specialities” (mainly curries), four soup noodles and the same number of main course salads, plus sides like pak choi, and egg-fried or coconut rice.

Prawn crackers are fresh and come with a decent sweet chilli dip but will add £3 to your bill. Vegetable spring rolls (£4.20), stuffed with a tasty mix of carrot, cloud ear mushroom and cabbage, are gratifyingly crisp but slightly greasy. Grilled chicken gyoza (dumplings, £4.85) are spot on, the dough delightfully slippery with nice charred bits, the filling meaty and finely minced. A light, vinegary dipping sauce provides good contrast. Spicy vegetable steamed dim sum (£3.55) also pleases, with boldly spiced stuffing in a chewy, slithery casing.

All the starters are hefty, but that’s nothing compared with the vast mains which could easily each feed two. Red duck curry (£8.75) features tender meat, crunchy green beans and whole cherry tomatoes but is terribly tame – where is the spiciness a red curry should possess? Similarly, an offputtingly gargantuan bowl of sweet coconut Japanese rice noodles with veg and tofu (£7.95) just misses. The pleasingly charred tofu, noodles and vegetables are fine, and the sweet, lemongrass-y sauce is pleasant once one realises it lurks at the bottom of the bowl. But where’s the oomph? A good spike of chilli and garlic would help no end.

Oddly, six out of eight pudding choices involve chocolate. Chocolate bento box (£4.95) is a (good) brownie with deeply flavoured warm chocolate sauce but bogstandard vanilla ice cream. It is only ‘bento’ in that it has been popped into a cardboard box. The rather similar chocolate ice cream with hot chocolate sauce (£3.25) is a tale of two halves; again, cheap, powdery ice cream lets down quality sauce.

The Drink
A modest wine list comprises five whites, four reds, two roses, a Champagne and a sparkling wine. Over half is available by the glass. Fizz aside, prices rise from £13.75 to a gentle £16.75. There’s a quintet of cocktails, and ten teas, both eastern (jasmine, peony), western (English breakfast) and iced (lychee, mint). Beers, sakes, spirits and softs complete the liquid options.

The Last Word
Dim T isn’t destination dining but it’s a useful component of Hampstead’s dining scene. Not all dishes are perfectly realised and nearly all portions could be reduced but both the ambience and service are warmly welcoming and, at £25 to £30 a head, north-west Londoners should keep it in mind.

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