Three Uncles Featured Among the Best Restaurants Near Liverpool Street by Ideal Magazine

Jul 20
3 min read

Three Uncles has been featured by Ideal Magazine as one of the best restaurants near Liverpool Street, recognising our Cantonese roast meats and Hong Kong comfort food in the heart of the City of London.

For us, it is especially meaningful because Liverpool Street is where the Three Uncles story began.

Read the original Ideal Magazine feature.

Why We Chose Liverpool Street

When we were looking for our first restaurant in 2019, we liked busy locations in the City, but just off the main street. We thought if we could get people to discover us once, we had a chance.

We also kept asking ourselves one question. Why are Cantonese roast meats mostly only found in Chinatown?

It is such a skilled craft and such an important part of everyday life in Hong Kong that we felt more people should experience it.

There were already authentic Chinese restaurants around Liverpool Street, but nobody was specialising in traditional Cantonese roast meats in a quick grab and go format. We wanted to show that quick food could still be proper food.

If you're visiting the City, you can find our original Liverpool Street restaurant.

The Early Days

The first few weeks were a disaster, but in a good way. We never expected queues down the street. We were completely overwhelmed.

One thing we laugh about now was the crispy pork. Every time we roasted it, the fire alarm went off. The alarm was so loud that one of our colleagues had to stand underneath it almost permanently just to stop the deafening noise while we figured out a solution.

We slowly improved our operations, refined the kitchen and kept making things better every week. We still have that same mindset today.

After the soft launch finished and customers kept coming back, we looked at each other and thought, "This might actually work."

Read more about how Three Uncles started on our Story & Awards page.

The Craft Behind Cantonese Roast Meats

Traditional Cantonese roast meats take a huge amount of skill.

"It isn't like making a burger," says Chef Chong Yew Lik. "The techniques, recipes, equipment, time and experience are completely different. Every roast has its own process."

Chef Mo Kwok adds:

"My father was a roast meat chef in Hong Kong during the 1970s and 1980s. A lot of what I know today comes from those traditional methods. Recipes can be shared, but consistency comes from years of practice."

That is why authentic Cantonese roast meats are still considered a specialist craft.

Every roast follows the traditional Cantonese process of marinating, hanging, fan drying overnight, roasting, resting and finally being chopped to order.

What Makes It Worthwhile

The best feedback we receive comes from customers from Hong Kong and the wider Chinese community.

People regularly tell us our food reminds them of home. They talk about the nostalgia and the comfort it brings.

At the same time, we love seeing people trying Cantonese roast meats for the very first time. That has always been the goal. To make this incredible cuisine more accessible outside Chinatown.

Looking back, what we are most proud of is helping introduce Cantonese food to a much wider audience.

We wanted more people to experience the skill and deliciousness of this cuisine.

Today our customers come from every background. We see people from Hong Kong and across the wider Asian community eating alongside office workers, local residents, tourists and families discovering Cantonese food for the first time.

That is what Three Uncles has always been about. Authentic Cantonese cooking that is inclusive and accessible to everyone.

More From Three Uncles

If you enjoyed reading about our story, you might also like our Story & Awards page, where you can learn more about the journey behind Three Uncles.

You can also read about our Deliveroo Restaurant Awards 2025 win and our R200 Awards shortlist, or browse all of our latest news.

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Planning a Visit?

Whether you're visiting Liverpool Street for work, exploring the City or looking for authentic Hong Kong style Cantonese food, we'd love to welcome you.

Visit our Liverpool Street restaurant for our latest menu, opening hours and directions.