Dim T: With a view

Looking over a merky, yet somewhat romantic and glistening view of the Thames lies Dim T, a restaurant described by its owners as a modern place which offers a combination of 'Eastern' flavours - in this case Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian cuisines - with a ‘large pinch of modern style’. In this week’s review, I’ll be sharing my experience, overall for Dim T, the location definitely steals the show, especially for a romantic date night!Essie Eats x

OVERALL

Price Tag: £Occasion: Friends, romantic date night Ambiance: 7Food: 6Location: London, London Bridge station (More London Place, 2, Tooley St, London SE1 2DB)

COST

Overall, this restaurant is very affordable. Starters start from £3.95 and almost all the mains are under £10. For a starter and main you’ll spend a minimum of £13. I was pleasantly surprised by the price tag, which I assumed would be much higher due to the iconic location. The portion sizes for the main dishes were generous, however, I did feel the starter portions were fairly small, but it does say ‘Small Dish’ menu - so I can’t complain too much!

STARTER

Similar to the Chinese Cricket Club, Dim T also offer an array of Dim Sum dishes. However, I saw the Char Sui Roast Pork Bao Buns (£4.05) which come in two pieces, so I had to get this as bao buns are my new favourite dish. I felt the buns were okay, but it could've done with less sweetness, as the pork already came in a sweet sauce. In regards to the texture, the buns were a little too moist and as a result it was quite sticky. I enjoyed how light they were, but I do feel that there was more bun to pork ratio, so I feel more pork would have balanced it out well. We ordered three starters, with the first being the Duck Spring Rolls (£5.25). This starter was not only aesthetically pleasing but it was seasoned well and the texture was well executed. In regards to texture, the spring rolls were thick and crispy on the outside, and the vegetable and duck filling was moist. However, I do feel that there should have been more duck meat in the spring rolls.Onto the next starter, I had to order the Five Spiced Squid (£5.95). Besides the small portion size, the calamari was in my opinion, the best one. It was lightly seasoned with a subtle hint of five spice meaning the dish wasn't overpowered.Overall, I would go for the spring rolls and the calamari and leave out the bao buns.

MAIN

For the main I ordered the Prawn Japanese Fried Rice (£9.15). Once my food arrived I was impressed, simply just from the aroma and aesthetics. Luckily the aesthetics were equally reflected in the flavour. The rice was moist and had just enough flavour, however, I do feel it could have done with a little more salt which I added myself. Besides that I enjoyed how I could taste every ingredient and they weren’t killed off with excessive seasoning. My favorite part was the pok choi, which was cooked to perfection, as it was firm and not soggy and overcooked.

DESSERT

My appetite on this visit was extraordinary and I managed to fit in some cheesecake (somehow). I ordered the Passionfruit Cheesecake (£5.50), which definitely cured my sugar craving. What worked well was the sweetness of the filling in contrast to the sharpness and sourness of the raspberry coulis, which I enjoyed. It was a great end to the meal as the cheesecake was very light, as was the biscuit base, which I do feel should have been a little more moist. Therefore, if you do have the extra change I would get the cheesecake.

THE AMBIANCE

Despite the excessive rent price, the owners who bought the property for this restaurant knew what they were doing. The location and iconic view of the River Thames definitely ramps up the restaurants glam factor, and gives it a cosmopolitan edge. What I liked about the restaurant, is that its quite spacious (keep in mind I visited on a sunny working day at 7pm, and that there are two floors with two slightly different vibes. I felt the bottom floor was more laidback, due to the dim lighting, but was a little louder and packed, compared to upstairs which was fairly more relaxed. Overall, I feel the ambiance alongside the affordable and mains were the highlight of my visit. Would I go back? Yes, but this time I would try the specialities menu, hopefully that'll have more flavour.