Chung Ying

You'll spot the queue before you see the restaurant — always a good sign on Wrottesley Street. This sprawling dining room has been the beating heart of Birmingham's China Quarter since the 1980s, and frankly, they've got the formula nailed down to a science. The menu reads like a love letter to proper Cantonese cooking: crispy aromatic duck that arrives with a theatrical flourish, dim sum that puts most London spots to shame, and sweet and sour dishes that'll make you forget every gloopy takeaway version you've ever had. Sure, the décor hasn't changed much since John Major was PM, but when the har gau are this good and the prices this reasonable, who's complaining? The staff move with military precision through the bustling dining room, somehow managing to keep everyone fed and watered without breaking a sweat.