New Culture Revolution

New Culture Revolution was one of the first restaurants I ate at when I moved to the UK, and I’m pleased to say I still enjoy it as much as I did 17 years ago.
Just around the corner from Angel station, NCR serves up tasty food for a good price and especially at lunch time, really really quickly. I only ever go at lunch and as I don’t go very often, I tend to get the same thing every time — a braised beef noodle dish and a side order of pan fried pork dumplings.
I’ve always had great luck with the beef here — it’s soft and lean and tasty. The noodles are made fresh every day and you can really tell; they have a little bite but aren’t chewy and they hold the sauce well. And the dumplings are so good! Pan fried but not greasy, and I always consider getting just dumplings for lunch when I go but I think I’d want about 20, which wouldn’t be economical or healthy…
It’s not fine dining, but it’s delicious, and served with a smile. My meal, along with a Coke, was around £9.50, which I think is great value, especially for the quality and volume of food.

I only come here for the Singapore noodles, which is full of shrimp and yummy curry flavor!
This place is easy to miss, but if you crave for decent Chinese food around Angel that’s not too intimidating for the Western palate, don’t miss it.

Everybody else is correct: great appetizers, forgettable mains.
We’ve had crispy duck and various dumplings to start, and each has been better than the last. I can’t even claim a favorite, but the crispy aromatic duck was perfectly crispy, comes with the right fixings to make delicious pancakes, and even the hoisin seemed tastier than usual. And their dumplings are well-​made and delicately fried, not swimming in oil. Haven’t tried the steamed versions, but I expect that they’re just as good.
But the only main I’ve liked so far was one of their varieties of Lo Mein. The «house specialties» we’ve tried have been too goopy, with limp vegetables and chewy meat. It’s very strange to me that they can show so much skill in cooking starters and then shovel out generic-​tasting takeaway Chinese for the mains.
Anyway, their tea is good, and the spare, Scandinavian-​style décor appeals to me, even if the temperature in winter months is a bit chilly. Service is functional, not warm, but at this price point I’m fine with that. If their mains were as good as their apps, they would probably be a 5-​star place, but as it is, they’re clinging to 4 in my book.

Tucked down a side street as you approach Camden Passage from Angel Station, this place is an easy miss. We pass it all the time when taking the canal route into Angel — but even so, New Culture Revolution is tucked into a business center plaza that isn’t much on the eyes. I’ve been meaning to drop in for awhile, but my partner was always put off by the front and there are, of course, so many other places to frequent in Angel. But i’m glad we finally popped in yesterday! Admittedly, I should have probably just ordered starters for the entirety of the meal, as they are really what make this place top notch.
We went for the prawn and asparagus rolls (as all prior reviews tell you to!), calamari, and pork dumplings — all of these were delicious. For my main I had the beef and aubergine clay pot — as I was just coming from a yoga class I was feeling the healthy vibe and these are listed as the healthier dishes. I had to admit I found myself looking longingly at the Lo Mein and Kung Po Chicken ordered by my fellow diners. Sigh — next time!
The gist — if you’re in Angel, are looking for a more affordable lunch/​dinner option off the beaten track — Come here!

Best Chinese food I have had in a long time! Food is always served piping hot and freshly made. Friendly staff and nice cosy ambience with dumplings to die for. Number of options for Vegetarians as well. They have a lunch menu which is value for money. Highly recommended.

I really wanted to like this place since it is close to where I live and they have dumplings! The dumplings were ok, good filling and the dipping sauce works well. The noodle soup was too bland for me, maybe just me since other Unilocalers seem to like it. The price point for what I ate seemed a bit more than what I wanted to pay. (2.5 stars rounded up)

As long as you know that you are going to be visiting a Wagamama-​style canteen (bright lights, no music, very fast service) then this is fab. The dumplings are a particular highlight but really everything tastes great.

I really want to give this place five stars, and I think depending on what you like this may easily hit that mark… I wouldn’t be surprised if I eventually upgrade my rating for now, because I would gladly give a 4.5 if that were possible.
I’ve been coming to this place for a good while now and it never disappoints… it’s actually one of my London staples when I’m in town. Potentially due to the location, hidden down a side road not far from Angel station, it never seems that busy… getting really good, well priced, food on a Saturday night in London without any fuss is a beautiful thing… plus, they are open pretty late for a small place that isn’t always crowded to the max.
I swear by their Chilli Squid… it’s simply some of the best I’ve had. The same goes for their dumplings, what a joy! Miles above what you get at most places… these dishes alone are worth 8 stars in and of themselves. As someone else has mentioned, the Prawn and Asparagus rolls were a treat and will be added to my rotation of favourites here. (I’m leaning to this establishment being one of those places my friends and I treat as an impromptu tapas restaurant… in other words we each order different starters and share skipping mains altogether… some of their starters are just that good.)
The mains are quite good as well… the soups can be an outright joy in colder months. This, however, is where they lose just a touch for me and only because of my personal preferences. I love hot food, and as an American can drink salt, and I often find myself having to ramp up salt, soy sauce, and chilli paste (that they bring at your request) to liven up some of the main dishes… even the one that is advertised as available with a bit of spice was lacking in my opinion. They have worked with me though, adding fresh chillies to the soups and bringing the aforementioned chilli paste… I get there in the end, it just takes a bit of work. (And it must be stressed that I’m a bit on the extreme side when it comes to hot and salted food.)
Above said, I think this will be a high point for some… the ingredients seem top notch, and the noodles actually have a taste and substance to them that puts many similar places that claim to make their own noodles to shame. They also avoid drowning their dishes in salt or MSG so you actually leave here feeling good about yourself rather than shamed for the ordering sins you’ve committed.
If you’re in the area for lunch then they are an amazing value, with mains in the £5 range allowing a generous £2 addition for their dumplings… again, you absolutely must try the Pork Pan Fried Dumplings, don’t let the «pan fried» sway you… they are just lightly crisped on the bottom and pretty much serenade you with happiness as you eat them… how often does your food sing to you? (Don’t answer that, it’s a creepy though now that I’ve dwelled on it momentarily.) Lunch does get busy though, but I can’t recall not being able to get a table.
As for the place itself, it’s fairly small but does the job… the manager (owner?) is also quite nice which is always a point earner. All in all definitely worth checking out… everyone I’ve brought here has wanted to come back which speaks for itself in the end.

I love this place for good Chinese noodles and soup noodles. A great spot for lunch specials for around £5 with big bowls of hot noodle soup with dumplings or various dry noodle dishes (eg with roast duck) or rice, northern Chinese style.
The seating space is simple and clean and the food is also simple, delicious and without pretence or hype but just good.
You might wait some minutes for your order to arrive because they actually cook it to order but it’s worth the short wait.

Delicious, filling, and very reasonably priced! My husband and I popped in here for lunch around 1pm today, and were really pleased. Simple, clean aesthetic with no fuss or frills. Service was a little slow for lunch hour, given that the place was pretty empty when we got there.
I had the braised beef with noodles in a chili sauce (£5.40) and my husband had the seafood with Thai spices and noodles (£5.40). We each ordered a side of pork and cabbage pan-​fried dumplings (4 for £2.00) and split a pot of jasmine tea (£1.60). The dumplings were perfect. Just the right amount of filling, a lovely firm dough with a good sear from the pan, and they were very flavourful to boot. My beef and noodle dish was simple, delicious, and incredibly filling. I couldn’t even finish it. The beef was tender, the sauce savoury and flavourful (though not spicy), and the veggies still had a little crunch to them (just how I like them). The noodles themselves were cooked perfectly, and had a nice heartiness to them. I would definitely get it again.
My husband also raved over his seafood noodles. Well seasoned, tender noodles, and an array of tasty seafood — prawns, squid, and some kind of lightly fried fish that he loved. He’s fussy about his fish, so it was a really good review from him ;).
I definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a tasty cheap lunch in the Angel tube area. It’s tucked away a bit, but so so good!

Yay for cheap, yummy noodles and dumplings!
Apparently this place is chock-​a-​block at lunchtime, but it was surprisingly empty and relaxed when we arrived at about 7pm. My friend Sarah told me that the dumplings here are amazing, but I was distracted by the char sui (with loads of veggies and rice)…I will have to come back for dumplings next time!
We shared a platter full of starters… which included prawn and asparagus rolls, which are gorgeous! Seriously… how have I never tried that combination before?! The pan fried pork dumplings were pretty awesome too.
Our GIANT meal was £17, including alcohol… so it was cheap, with huge portions AND delicious!

New Culture is brilliant, great big bowls of dumplings is what they do best!

I don’t know if I was of South East Asian extraction in a former life or what, but for me, noodles are soul food. They are also hangover food. And food for when I’m feeling blue — generally, let’s just say that I can always find an occasion for noodles — even if it’s just to celebrate the fact that I managed to walk in a straight line for more than 30 seconds.
Hence why, back when I lived in Islington, I could regularly be found satiating my habit at New Cultural Revolution. An unassuming little café situated down a side street in Angel, it may not look like much from the outside, but inside they really do serve delicious food for the heart, body and soul.
Whenever I’m in town, I always make sure to pop in there so I can indulge in one dish, and one dish only — the Pork Tong Mein, a huge bowl of delicate and delicious soup brimming with noodles, vegetables and huge doughy dumplings, just bursting at the seams with some of the most delicious pork mince that you could ever wish to pass your lips. After a bowl of this stuff, I am ready to take on the world and everything in it. It also works pretty damn well as a killer cold and flu remedy, which is great if you’re feeling a bit under the weather.
If that wasn’t enough, did I mention that this place is cheap? That you can eat like a king for under the price of a tenner? Or that it has an extensive and exemplary wine list? Oh well, I just did. Basically, if you’ve read this and you’re wondering where to eat out in North London tonight, go to the New Cultural Revolution. It’s sure to make both your tummy and your wallet very happy.

Veggie gyoza were tasty (and spicy! which is not in their description). J liked her carrot/​apple juice as well. Then we shared a braised beef and aubergine dish, and ma la niu rou mien (szechuan spicy beef noodles) — both were good though the szechuan dish could have been way spicier for my taste. I like how clean it is inside and service is a little slow but very nice. Another place to go if you’re in the neighborhood, but certainly not destination dining.

Excellent Oriental fusion restaurant hidden behind Camden Passage in trendy Angel. Using only natural ingredients and without MSG, this is the perfect place for those looking for a heart, healthy meal. The soups are fantastic and distinctively tasty with an imaginative array of flavours. Portions are big too. Noodles are great… in fact, you cant fail with the entire menu. Service is friendly, décor is simple and prices are very fair. Brilliant place, highly recommended