Nam Long Le Shaker

159 Old Brompton road London

Tales of the potent Flaming Ferrari cocktail precede Food and Travel’s visit to Nam Long, on Old Brompton Road. On the menu for over 28 years, the concoction of green Chartreuse, curaçao, rum and Grand Marnier, set alight and drunk quickly through a straw, found infamy in the Nineties when a group of City boys – Jeffrey Archer’s son included – boisterously set fire to a car near the restaurant. Serving up unpretentious Vietnamese cuisine since 1985, it was founded by Thai Dang, a folkloric character in his own right, whom diners would visit simply to be on the receiving end of his notoriously acidic tongue. Who else would refuse the patronage of Mick Jagger or Prince William? Dang passed away last year and his daughter Dzuyen took the reins, leading with a slightly less iron fist, but no less of a clever palate. She represents a new era for Nam Long and has set about launching a fresh, relaxed pan-Asian menu as her inaugural task.

After all, notoriety aside, Nam Long is still all about the food. The best idea is to order dishes to share and get stuck in as a steady stream flows from the kitchen. Start with sticky siu-yuk bao buns stuffed with crispy pork belly, fragrant coriander and pickled red cabbage that cuts through the meat superbly. Perfect parcels of har gow prawn dim sum will certainly please. Then opt for a steamed fillet of seabass with ginger and soy, which is as tender and savoury as can be and goes excellently with stir-fried garlicky beans. A salad of duck and pomelo is a nice addition to proceedings, with the ingredients working in unison, the sharp citrus complementing the gamey duck to perfection. For a restaurant of such storied reputation, its unassuming facade comes over more like a neighbourhood local than a celebrity haunt. The dining room, with its long bar, white-tiled floor and simply set tables, exudes a casual, homely atmosphere. The recently opened Opium Den bar downstairs brings a splash of modernity. Sultry in warming gold, red velvet and low lighting, it’s a great spot to explore the cocktail menu and you never know quite who you’ll run into. An experience in itself, the cult classic Flaming Ferrari at £19 is worth sampling, though we suggest you tuck your hair back and share just the one. BG.