If there was ever a new restaurant guaranteed to look and feel good, it should be just-opened Haggerston spot Jiāonest. Chef and owner Hua Yang came to London from China to study spatial design. But compelled to explore her culinary identity through a series of supperclubs, she's ended up opening a restaurant in East London instead.
As Hua explained to Hot Dinners she's serving up "Modern Chinese regional cuisine, rooted in Chongqing spice and herbal tradition". That's not a surprise when you learn that she grew up in her family's traditional herbal medicine shop in Chongqing - a city in south west China known for its fiery food.
As a student here, the supperclubs were a way for the far-from-home student to forge links with other people from her hometown as well as introducing Londoners to the food from Chongqing. That said, she's also viewing her homeland food through a modern, European-informed lens too. So think the spices of home (Sichuan pepper and chilli) with seasonal British ingredients.
On the menu, you'll find Chongqing classics such as Má là Short Ribs and Gōng bǎo Fried Chicken along with Hua's grandmother’s Mapo Tofu. There's also the dish that made us sit up and pay attention, Duck Duck Rice Toast, which sounds insanely good. Paired with that is a wine list to complement all that pepper and spice - a concise offering of sparkling reds and white and orange wines.
As for the restaurant itself, it's a 24-seater spot tucked away in a basement on Kingsland Road. Hua worked with London-based emerging artists to build everything from the furniture to the ceramics. Look out for the drawer in each chair where you'll find jars of spices used in the cooking.
"This is where the “two foggy cities” - Chongqing and London - converge," says Hua. "In the heart of Haggerston, we’ve built a space where you’re invited to slow down, reconnect, and feel something familiar yet entirely new."
More about Jiāonest
Where is it? 230 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AX
When does it open? Opened 10 September 2025
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @jiaonest
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